IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT FROM GUS regarding WABDL Worlds:

July 27, 2021

My Fellow Lifters,

Due to the Pandemic and its subsequent devastation to my meets in several states like Hawaii, Minnesota, California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, and Montana,

WABDL Worlds is being moved from the Peppermill Hotel in Reno, Nevada

to the Sheraton Crescent in Phoenix, Arizona!

The Phoenix Worlds will be a 4 day meet in November and I will have the exact date firmed up in 48 – 72 hours.

I have made numerous phone calls (probably over 100) to get a feel for numbers.  We have had six World Championships at the Peppermill in Reno – in ‘01, ‘02, ‘04, ‘09, ‘11, & ’13, and averaged 540 lifters. When I signed the contract for this year’s event on June 1, 2019, it was with the understanding that we would provide a certain number of room reservations for the hotel.  I’ve talked to ten different nations and at this time they are not allowed to travel to the USA.  I doubt that will change in time for lifters from foreign countries to come.  Hawaii usually provides 60-70 lifters at Worlds, Tennessee 10-15, Washington and Oregon 30 each (most of whom weren’t attending).

 It’s simple math.  I extrapolated from all my phone calls that instead of 500 lifters we would only get 300-325 at best.  I was honest with the hotel.  They could have penalized me 20-30 thousand dollars.  They preferred that due to much lower numbers due to the Pandemic that they replace our Worlds with a much more lucrative convention. 

The upside for us?  Reno – snowy, cold, and cloudy.  Phoenix – sunny, 80 degrees, and plenty of direct flights, and the Sheraton Crescent hotel has two Olympic sized pools and is surrounded by orange trees.

I will be announcing the dates and posting the registration form very soon.

Many thanks to everyone for your patience and perseverance through these difficult times.  We look forward to seeing you in Phoenix in November!

Gus Rethwisch