Wrestling

150 Wrestle in the Mountains
HillSide Event Shows Diversity of Styles, Participants

By Gene Dermody
Special to Outsports

This was the ninth year of wrestling's most diverse and challenging event, the HillSide wrestling camp and tournament. Held July 17-21 in the Endless Mountains of Pennsylvania, this event has annually drawn an average of 150 wrestlers, and manages to accommodate Olympic, submission, and pro style formats to everyone's satisfaction. The cross-pollination of styles is still a plus by any standard. This year was no exception, as wrestlers from Berlin, Abu Dhabi, Mexico City, Paris, Toronto, Montreal, and Koln rounded out the group of predominantly American fighters.

Originally conceived in 1994 as an informal wrestling camp for the more serious gay wrestlers to get even more competitive, it has since evolved into a multifaceted ‘mixed’ event. It has become the signature happening for the growing cult of ``underground grapplers,'' who have evolved from ``Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,'' to ``Don’t Care--Shut Up and Wrestle.''

The attraction is primal. The wrestlers spend four intense days living on the mats. While there is an outdoor Olympic pool, there is no laundry service, no bar, and no wake-up call (unless you are on deck for a bout). While age, weight, skill, and style can be 'limiting' factors, participation, inclusion, and personal best define the event. Bouts run from early morning into the late night. The sheer physicality insures that HillSide is NOT for everyone. There were minimal (if any) injuries this year (ego & feelings don't count). The biggest problem was not having enough gear, the constant rinsing and drying of gear in the sun in time for your next bout. One cool rainy night can leave you with a damp moldy jock.

Winning and losing at HillSide has for almost a decade now merged into a collective memory of legendary names and bouts, where still the only shame is to avoid a challenge because of some body fascism (too bald, too skinny, too fat, too short, too tall, too hairy, too smooth, too old, too young, etc..). It is also a powerful testament to the caliber of the HillSide athletes to see the standing ovations for the 'loser' of a bout. This is what real PRIDE encompasses. It is not about you or who you are, but about what you do for (or to) your brother. The event exposes the dishonesty of stereotypes (and exposes the real personas behind those screen-names).

For those who dare, HillSide is a cult, true camaraderie with all the trappings of ritual, initiation, tribe, and most of all, family (and the tattoos are really getting over-the-top too). It is the annual signature event for these underground warriors. At the risk of sounding like Henry V at Agincourt, if you missed Hillside IX, you need to hold your manhood cheap (and for some of you, that is a real handful).

Normally, Hillside is the chosen site of the Wrestlers WithOut Borders (WWB) annual meeting, however, with this being a Gay Games year, that meeting has been rescheduled for Sydney this November.

Surprisingly this year saw an -increase- in the formal FreeStyle competition, even in a GayGames year, when there is an expected decrease in numbers. Teams from NYC, Washington DC, Philadelphia, and San Francisco dominated, but there were some very surprising showings by some unattached wrestlers from Berlin, Paris, Columbus OH, Los Angeles, Ft. Lauderdale, Chicago, Quebec, Lansing MI, and Little Rock AR. Twenty six wrestlers ground through seven competitive brackets in two grueling sessions on a hot humid Saturday, that again showcased the wrestling talent that is to be expected in Sydney Gay Games VI this November.

Results:

Less than 137 lbs.:
Nick Zymaris (Mineola, NY) WBF Joe Doherty (Nashua, New Hampshire)
Erich Richter (San Francisco, CA) WBF Bob Lubarsky (Ft. Lauderdale, FL)
Bob Lubarsky TECH Nick Zymaris 12-2
Erich Richter WBF Joe Doherty
Gold Erich Richter
Silver Bob Lubarsky
Bronze Nick Zymaris

Less than 153 lbs.:
Tim Hall (Wash DC) WBF Chuck Oakley (Wash DC)
Michael Faraci (NYC, NY) WBF Mark Dolheimer (Harrisburg, PA)
Chuck Oakley WBF Mark Dolheimer
Tim Hall DEC Michael Faraci 13-8
Gold Tim Hall
Silver Michael Faraci
Bronze Chuck Oakley

Less than 163 lbs.:
Mike Berney (Wash DC) WBF Klaus Riethdorf (Berlin, Germany)
Ed Lindsay (NYC, NY) WBF Sean Sproul (Columbus, OH)
Mike Berney WBF Sean Sproul
Ed Lindsay WBF Klaus Riethdorf
Sean Sproul WBF Klaus Riethdorf
Gold Ed Lindsay
Silver Mike Berney
Bronze Sean Sproul

Less then 171 lbs.
Craig Freden (Philadelphia, PA) WBF John Gorman (Little Rock, AR)
Glenn Hawley (Wash DC) WBF James Ching (NYC, NY)
Craig Freden WBF James Ching
Glenn Hawley WBF John Gorman
Craig Freden WBF Glenn Hawley
Gold Craig Freden
Silver Glenn Hawley
Bronze John Gorman

Less than 187 lbs.:
Calvin Malone (San Francisco, CA) DEC Malcolm Johnson (Philadelphia, PA) 5-3
Tim Bushong (York, PA) WBF Matt Roemer (Chicago, Ill)
Calvin Malone WBF Ken Bushong
Malcolm Johnson WBF Matt Roemer
Gold Calvin Malone
Silver Malcolm Johnson
Bronze Ken Bushong

Less than 193 lbs.:
David Wegner (Philadelphia, PA) WBF P.G. (Los Angeles, CA)
David Wegner WBF Mark Pfeffer (Wash DC)
Gold David Wegner
Silver-Bronze (tie) Mark Pfeffer/P.G. [INJ DEF]

Heavyweight:
Scott Kochman (NYC, NY) WBF Jim Longo (NYC, NY)
Joe Austin (Lansing, MI) WBF Scott Kochman
Joe Austin DEC Jim Longo 7-2
Gold Joe Austin
Silver Scott Kochman
Bronze Jim Longo

Toughest/Most Exciting Bouts:
Calvin Malone vs. Malcolm Johnson
Michael Faraci vs. Tim Hall

Most Adaptable/Most Surprising crossover from submission: Sean Sproul

Best Sport/Most Surprising in the wrong weight class: James Ching

Highest Scoring/Wildest Bouts: Craig Freden vs. Glenn Hawley
Matt Roemer vs. Ken Bushong

Longest/Funniest Bout: Joe Austin vs. Jim Longo

One wrestler, Lance Jeffers ('Turtle'), arrived early from South Carolina, and competed in a local Scranton Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournament. He showed the local straight boys what real 'submission' is, and earned second place in two tough divisions. Congratulations Turtle, you did us proud!

Two other wrestlers, Ed Lindsay and Mike Jasso, were inspired enough to leave early Sunday to compete at the NJ Old Bridge FolkStyle Tournament. Congratulations to both guys, especially Mike for winning a Silver.

You're Never Too Old to Wrestle (from Mike Berney)
Mike Berney, age 46, once asked Ed Lindsay, "Don't I have to think about giving up wrestling in the next couple of years?" "Actually," Ed replied, "older guys get even more benefit from wrestling. It's one of the only sports that will really get your heart rate up." [Note to mature wrestlers: don't sit on the sidelines. Share your experience with the younger guys and stay in shape.]

Next year's HillSide X 2003 has already been confirmed, as the 10th. Anniversary promises to be a blowout celebration.

Gene Dermody is a coach with the Golden Gate Wrestling Club. He is also vice president for the Federation of Gay Games, and Federation Sports Wrestling Coordinator for the Sydney 2002 Gay Games VI.

Related: 2001 story and photos

July 27, 2002