By Marrion Cruz
Flyers posted around campus have begun to spread word about the city’s first domain for a rapidly growing sport: arm wrestling.
On Nov. 1, the season four finals of the World Series of Armwrestling took place in San Diego with cash prizes and awards totaling over $160,000. No longer reserved for dingy dive bars, this competitive display of strength continues to draw in more participants, with dedicated communities popping up nationwide.
In the early 2020s, arm wrestling surged in popularity due to social media influencers showcasing their athleticism through the sport during the early hours of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The San Francisco Arm Wrestling Club was born only weeks ago, when they held their first meetup on Oct. 11. In the following weeks, the club’s attendance has started to grow. The local arm of the sporting phenomenon was founded by Xidane Mercado, a young resident with a lifelong passion for arm wrestling.
Calling his hobby a sport, he reminisced about his childhood memories of arm-wrestling with his saloon-faring grandfather.
“My grandpa didn’t play professionally, but he used to tell me stories about playing in the bar,” he laughs. “I want to create a community.”
Growing up, he’d ask his friends to face off arm to arm, yet to his friends it seemed a silly request, as they were less accustomed to the challenge as a form of leisure.
Mercado’s persistent interest in the sport finally came to fruition after his childhood dreams of being in the military were rescinded. Now taking a gap year from school while working part-time jobs, he has started the club to foster a sense of belonging in the city.
He scouted areas around the city, including Lindley Meadow in Golden Gate Park, but cited that it was too grassy. Finally, he settled on the Panhandle, which serves as a narrow funnel for athletic foot traffic to pass by the table as potential competitors.
Now, every Sunday afternoon, Mercado sets up his specialized table with mats and hand grips in the middle of the Panhandle and challenges anyone who so much as looks at his biceps to step up to his personal thunderdome. The first day of duels brought only three spindly contenders, and by the second week, their numbers doubled.
The following week, on Oct. 24, a group of college students walking by spotted Mercado’s table. Three of them stopped and clapped hands with Mercado, accepting the challenge.
“Nice guns!” Yelled a jogger as he ran past the arena. The table was starting to buzz.
Mercado doesn’t exactly fit the description of the brute force, beer-thirsty scallywags that his grandfather would combat in the bars decades ago, but he takes his training seriously.
Mercado describes a regimented arm routine and his unique equipment for his workouts. Taking an interest in kinesiology, he must consider which muscle groups are most critical for arm wrestling and how they can be safely strengthened. Mercado said there’s a technique, folding his wrist just right and staking his elbow flat on the table, laying claim to his opponent’s flattened palm.
The San Francisco Arm Wrestling Club now meets every Sunday at 12 p.m. Location and timing may vary and are updated on the club’s social media accounts, specifically Instagram (@sfarmwrestlingclub). He plans to design merchandise if the club grows.