Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
The grunting and groaning gals of the St. Louis Lady Arm Wrestlers are more than a bunch of weekend warriors, explains group founder Elizabeth VanWinkle.
“It’s an important part of our goals to make people of color and queer and transgendered people feel very welcome as competitors and spectators,” she says. Indeed, the group’s website (clawstl.tumblr.com) says its mission is “to empower women and strengthen our local community through theater, philanthropy, and the pure power of ladyhood.”
Their ideals may be lofty, but their matches are a raucous and gritty affair. The next bout is set for October 11 at the Way Out Club.
Women arm-wrestlers with noms de guerre like Surly Temple and Olivia Newton Brawn don wild costumes and crank up the hype and bluster, à la “1980s WWE,” says VanWinkle, who also goes by the handle Sigourney Reaper. After various bands and burlesque and drag performers take the stage at local bars and concert venues, the heroes and heels of SLLAW enter the crucible of competition. Then they arm-wrestle.
Their personae may be theatrical, but the action is unscripted. “The arm-wrestling is totally real, and we even safety-train for it,” VanWinkle says. “We use a specially made arm-wrestling table.”
The St. Louis women locking wrists are but one chapter of the national Collective of Lady Arm Wrestlers, or CLAW. (No joke.)
If you like, you can consider these fightin’ femmes in the same vein as the women of the roller-derby revival and even the burlesque revival. It’s women’s empowerment—with an admission fee. SLLAW’s proceeds are directed toward such philanthropies as the North Side women’s shelter Karen House and women’s art coalitions Venus Envy and Yeyo Arts Collective.
When these do-gooder arm wrestlers go “over the top,” however, they’re not thinking about charity; they’re thinking about winning. And the profile of the winners has begun to change.
“At first it was, like, a bunch of teachers and baristas competing,” VanWinkle says. “Then the word got out, and a bunch of welders and construction workers signed up. These are really strong women.”
