For Thomas Dumas, it’s all in the wrist.

The 15-year-old from Alberton, P.E.I. said he crammed up as much training as he could in the leadup to an arm-wrestling competition held in Winnipeg this Saturday.

“It’s called ‘cupping.’ Like this,” Dumas said while bending his wrist downward, showcasing some of the techniques Dumas practiced. “‘Pronation,’ like this, and then ‘rise’ and keeping my knuckle side. To me, that’s the most important.”

Dumas, who is Red River Métis, was one of the more than a hundred competitors who took part in the arm-wrestling tournaments at Assiniboia Downs.

The event was hosted by Sandy Bay Ojibway First Nation as part of the annual All Nations Tribal Days. James Spence, who helped co-ordinate the competition, said it’s only second year arm-wrestling has been featured at the event.

“It’s good for the kids. The kids get to meet people from different communities,” he said.

Devon Laratt, a multi-time world champion and one of the most well known faces in the sport, was a special guest in the event. 

“I’ve loved arm wrestling my whole life. It’s one of the most simple and one of the most accessible sports,” Laratt said.

“You can get better and better at it your whole life. And you know, you can get hurt in all sports but arm wrestling — I mean, you’re not going to get head trauma.”

Laratt said this weekend’s event has already become one of the largest arm-wrestling competitions in Canada.

Setting the bar high

He said coming out to Winnipeg will help him prepare for an upcoming world-title match in Germany.

“I always believe that the more hands I touch, the stronger I become. I feel that everyone I touch, I take a piece of them with me,” he said.

“One of the great things about sport is how it builds community, and I’m so honoured to be able to share this sport with so many people.”

Brody Morin drove in from northern Saskatchewan to meet Laratt, who he said was the reason he got into arm wrestling.

“It’s a very tough sport. You will always find somebody out there that’s going to be stronger than you,” he said. “It will always push you to … set the bar higher for yourself. And that’s what I really love.”

Dumas said nothing beats the excitement he gets when he sets himself up on the table before an arm-wrestling match.

The 15-year-old, who’s already got several international and Canadian titles under his name, won both arms for his weight class in the Indigenous men’s category.

“Arm wrestling is quite rare, but it’s getting bigger all the time,” Dumas said. “I would like to become the greatest youth arm wrestler that’s been around. That’s one of my biggest goals.”