Seymour woman captures 4th Stein Hoist title

By Jordan Richart

For The Tribune

Stephanie Strothmann first attended the Seymour Oktoberfest as a baby during its inaugural year in 1973.

Strothmann said her parents walked up to the festival, pushing their months-old baby in a stroller to see what the newest festival in Seymour was all about.

On Saturday, the 50-year-old Seymour woman, who’s notably as old as the festival itself, cemented herself into Seymour Oktoberfest lore with her fourth consecutive victory in the eighth annual Seymour Oktoberfest Stein Hoist in the biergarten.

If you do the math correctly, that means Strothmann has won half of the stein hoist competitions in the women’s category. This one was a little more special considering it was the 50th year and in front of the largest crowd of spectators to date.

Strothmann won with a time of 5:14, edging out a respectable performance by runner-up Jessica Busche. Sonya Collett rounded out the top three.

Strothmann held onto her stein for about 15 seconds after Busche put hers down, not realizing she had won.

“It’s such an honor to do this,” she said. “Four years ago, she came on as an alternate and ended up winning. I never have trained, but I do have a farm, so there’s a lot of buckets and feed bags.”

Michael Neace of North Vernon won the men’s division during his first time not only for participating in the stein hoist but for attending the festival.

“I love this festival already,” he said. “The energy out there was awesome.”

Neace won with a time of 4:10 time, defeating Matt Findley at 4:04 and Holden King at 4 minutes even. There were 12 competitors each for the men and women’s category.

“I really didn’t expect to win this,” he said. “I have never even been in this biergarten, but I will definitely be back.”

The rules require each participant to keep their arm fully extended out, holding the full stein. Thumbs must be kept on the side of the hand, not on top of the handle. The rules do not permit counter weight, either, so participants are disqualified if they put their free arm on their hip, side or the table.

The most important rule of all?

Don’t spill the beer.

Solomon Rust, a member of the Seymour Oktoberfest board, said the idea originated when members of the board attended the Oktoberfest festival in Cincinnati, Ohio, and saw a stein hoist competition.

“It became very obvious quickly that we needed to do this, too,” he said. “After a lot of heated discussion back-and-forth between the rest of the board, they decided to try it.”

Rust said the first year was so successful that it has been integrated each year and expanded to offer a women’s competition, as well.

Women compete by holding half of a liter stein of Spaten Oktoberfest beer, while the men have to hold a full liter.

The winner gets a large Spaten boot, and each participant receives a bag of goodies.

Rust said the event really draws a crowd that is engaged in the competition, shouting, cheering and lining up multiple rows deep to take it all in.

“I like how it gets everyone involved,” he said. “A festival isn’t a festival if the people aren’t involved because it’s all about the people, and that’s what we’re here for.”

Rust, who has participated before, said the challenge is that people think because they work out or have muscle, they have an advantage.

“If you go to the gym, it doesn’t count,” he laughed. “To do a stein hoist, you must have strong German muscles that are used in practical everyday life.”

Rust said a spray insulator won one year.

“He was the skinniest, smallest guy in the contest, and he knocked them out of the park,” he said.

Randy and Lisa McCoy were standing in the front row to take in the action and entertainment of the contest.

Randy said it was the second time he has attended the event, and he enjoys seeing it.

“I’m impressed with how people can do this,” he said, laughing when he added he would never compete. “I don’t have the desire for that.”

Lisa, on the other hand, has her sights on the prize next year.

“It just seems like something fun to do,” he said. “It seems challenging.”

Lizz Patterson also was with a group of friends in the front row to view the contest.

“I really just hope I don’t get splashed,” she laughed. “I can’t wait to see the arms shaking.”

Patterson said her husband, J.T., has participated in the past, and said she would consider being in the contest.

“We practiced all summer once, but then he got up there and used the wrong arm,” she laughed.

Strothmann said the event is a hard one to win, and she loves hearing the crowd get into the moment.

“My arm is shaking right now,” she said following the event. “I think every one of them is difficult, and at first, you get out there and think it’s not a big deal, but then it gets harder as you just try to keep your concentration.”

She said she is considering retiring from competing in the stein hoist after winning it during the festival’s 50th year.

“I said if I won at the 50th, I might just retire from it,” she said. “It’s such a fun tradition.”