iStockphoto
In case you missed it, the 2025 National Hofbräu Masskrugstemmen Finals at Central Park’s Oktoberfest in New York City took place last week. 21 men and 14 women battled it out for the top prize: a four-day, three-night trip to Munich, Germany. When all was said and done, two new champions were crowned and one new record was set.
What is Masskrugstemmen?
Masskrugstemmen is a Bavarian “sport.” It loosely translates into the lifting of a liter mug of beer. Here we call it Steinholding. Steinholding is a relatively new sport in America, according to the U.S. Steinholding Association. Yes, there is an association that regulates this “sport.”
The rules are pretty simple. Competitors hold a full one-liter beer stein that weighs approximately 5 pounds out in front of their bodies with a straight arm, parallel to the ground, and the last person holding with good form is declared the winner.
Serious competitors actually train for these competitions. (The U.S. Steinholding Association provides training tips from Steinholding champions.) Texan Henry Thomason told the New York Post that he trained for 40 weeks for the compeition, adding stein holds to the end of his regular lifting routine.
Heading into last week’s competition in New York, the U.S. Men’s National Record was 23 minutes, 40 seconds, set by Cody Bane at the 2024 USSA North Carolina Steinholding State Championship. The U.S. Women’s National Record is 6 minutes, 10 seconds, set by Taylor Handy at the 2022 Lenny Coyne Memorial Hofbräu Masskrugstemmen Championships at the Steuben Day Parade and New York City Oktoberfest.
Your 2025 steinholding champions
The events are hyped like nothing you have ever seen before. “If you’ve not seen it, buckle in: You’ve got a paradigm shift coming. You’re about to see true greatness!” the emcee reportedly shouted before the start of the 2025 U.S. Finals.
“The prize money is going up, the competition is getting stronger,” a 71-year-old four-time masskrugstemmen entrant from Ohio told the Post.
After finishing second last year, 31-year-old Sydnie Mauch, an entrepreneur and volleyball coach from Texas who competes shoe-less for the best alignment, ended up winning the women’s division with a time of 5 minutes, 20 seconds.
“Getting oxygen to your muscles right before you go onstage gives me a little extra push,” she revealed.
On the men’s side, Bob Shalack of New Jersey set a new record of 24 minutes, 14 seconds as the crowd shouted, “Hold that beer! Hold that beer! Hold that beer!”
“I told you he’d win!” his wife, who also competed, said after his victory.