World record stein holding time
Flathead Valley Steinholding Master Sets All-Time Record
A German man walks into an Irish pub in Butte, Montana, and asks for a liter of Samuel Adams Octoberfest. Not to drink, of course, but just to hold.
This isn’t the start of an obscure joke, but just the latest chapter in the enchanting saga of David Sturzen, the best steinholder in the United States.
The X-ray technician and Kalispell resident burst onto the national steinholding scene in 2019 at the Great Northwest Oktoberfest in Whitefish when he dethroned 10-year reigning champion Kevin Collom. The next year, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sturzen won the virtual national championship, hosted by the the U.S. Steinholding Association.
In 2022, he completed the feat in person, winning the Lenny Coyne Memorial Hofbrau National Masskrugstemmen Championship in New York with a time of 12 minutes and 37 seconds, earning an all-expenses paid trip to Germany for a victory tour.
And then he took a break.
Sturzen didn’t compete the following year, in part because of a rule that prohibits a national Hofbrau champion from taking part in local or regional competitions sponsored by the brand. Sturzen h
The roar of the Temescal Brewing crowd filled my ears, blue-and-white Oktoberfest banners fluttered in the breeze, dogs barked, people settled in at picnic tables to watch the competition, then the countdown started, “three, two, one.” I reeled in my focus and lifted my arm—the Masskrugstemmen had begun.
Let’s take a moment to break down the word Masskrugstemmen. Translated from German, it roughly means “massive pitcher pressing,” i.e. a stein-holding competition. Yes, this classic Oktoberfest event is exactly what you are imagining: contestants hold a glass stein full of a liter of beer straight out in front of them for as long as they can, no wobbling, spilling or bent elbows. Longest holder wins (find the official rules here).
If I asked you to picture the perfect contestant for this event, it would probably be someone like this: a 6-foot, 3-inch person with a body that closely resembles the Hulk. Their muscles are constantly threatening to break through their shirt, they are on a first-name basis with everyone at their local gym and two of their three daily meals are protein shakes. This particular individual would scoff when they heard last year’s stein-holding comp
Steinholding Competition Results and Leaderboard
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Here we celebrate the results from our U.S. Steinholding State Championships, Hofbräu USA Masskrugstemmen Championships, and the USSA Hall of Champions all-time greatest Steinholding performances, summarizing the top holding times from sanctioned competitions over the history of the sport of Steinholding!
We will continue to fill in more details where we can, but we can always use YOUR help! If you have video footage from any of the competitions listed below, and especially those that don't have video linked up, please contact us so we can work with you to get your videos added to the USSA Steinholding archives!
U.S. Steinholding Association State Steinholding Championship Results
Since 2021, U.S. Steinholding Association has been organizing State Steinholding Championship Tournaments to bring together the best of the best competitors and crown State Champions! We have expanded our efforts every year since then, and you can see the winners and USSA State Steinholding Records on our S
Steinholding FAQs
Steinholding (or Masskrugstemmen in German) is a relatively new sport in America, but it's popularity has been growing quickly. Here's everything you need to know about the world's greatest Fest-Sport.
Q: What is Steinholding / Masskrugstemmen?
A: Steinholding is a sport popularized in the United States, but based on Bavarian beer drinking tradition. Competitors hold a full one-liter beer stein (or Masskrug/Mass in German) out in front of their bodies with a straight arm, parallel to the ground, and the last person holding with good form is the winner. For more details on the rules, see our Official Steinholding Rules page and check out our video demonstrating the rules and proper form.
Q: How do you pronounce "Masskrugstemmen"?
A: MAHSS-kroog-stem-men, approximately. Or you can save your strength for the competition and just call it Steinholding.
Q: How much does the stein weigh?
A: A full one-liter dimpled glass stein should weigh approximately 5 pounds or 2.25 kg, whichever you prefer. The stein itself alone should weigh right around 3 pounds and, filled to the 1L line, the beer weighs about 34 ounces.
Q: How do you train for a competition?
A: Every