Interview with Dave Barron (1/14/10)
David Barron is one of the nice guys in out sport. He is a guy who can
throw a highland game, or do a strong man it seems with ease. Just a
very talented and gifted athlete. You would not know this speaking with
him, the guy is class all day long. I just like the guy, and I think
most people around him do also. He has that kind of effect on people.
And that is one of the things that makes our sport so great, people like
Dave. So learn a little about the man.
How old are you?
37.
Where were you born?
I was
born in Colorado, but I moved to New York City before I was a year old.
Where
do you live now?
Brooklyn. I live with my wife Amber and our
little girl. We've been married for four years.
How did you end
up there?
I moved around a lot growing up. New York, then
Westchester and then Pittsburgh, Connecticut, back to Colorado... but
New York always felt like home. I moved back to the city, met my future
wife, and here I am.
What do you do for a living?
I'm a
lawyer. I do business and commercial litigation.
How did you
get into that?
I realized that throwing cabers wasn't going to
support me for the rest of my life and that I needed a "real" job. So I
went to law school.
What do you wear to work each day?
A suit
and tie.
As a kid growing up what was your first job?
Camp
counselor, and then carpenter.
When you grew up as a kid, what
sports did you play?
Baseball, soccer, swimming, skiing, you name
it. I played football in high school, but I didn't like hitting people. I
could never get into the whole "football mentality". I was more into
individual sports like swimming and track. When I discovered the shot
put, it was like discovering music for the first time. It was familiar
and exciting and awesomely fun, and I've been throwing ever since.
When
and how did you get into lifting weights?
9th grade. Being strong
was never a big deal to me. I was 6'4", 240 lbs. and benched 315 when I
was 17, so I always took being strong for granted. But I wanted to
throw the shot farther, so I started lifting regularly and haven't ever
really stopped. It becomes a part of you after a while (but I'd still
rather be throwing).
What lift do you enjoy and why?
My
favorite is the power snatch. When the whole body is firing on all
cylinders and you pop the bar over your head it feels effortless and
powerful at the same time. The first time I snatched 225 I was on top of
the world for a week. It also has great carryover to throwing and just
plain looks cool.
What was your first Highland Game and when was
that?
Ligonier PA, in 1989.
You lift and train with Don
Stewart, tell us about him and what it is like training with him.
I
trained with Don and Art McDermott for about a year when I was living in
Boston . They were the first people to really influence and coach me in
the sport. Don's one of the best athletes I've met, he's got the
genetics as well as the knowledge and dedication. He's been a
national-level judo wrestler and shot putter, and we both did a couple
of strongman comps together too. He just loves the iron game and enjoys
training. Even now at age 51 I can barely keep up with him.
What
drills do you do for the games?
Not many. I do hammer winds and a
lot of single spin throws with the 28# but otherwise I just like to go
all out and throw as far as I can every time. Life's too short for
drills.
Who helps you now in the sport?
I share ideas
with Mike Zolkiewicz, Eric Frasure, Harrison Bailey, and my brother a
lot. And I'm always stealing things from Mike Baab. I love how he's
managed to come this far relatively healthy and still have so much fun
with the sport.
What impresses you now in the sport?
The fact
that people are studying technique so much more. I didn't have YouTube
and training videos when I started out, and now everybody's analyzing
everybody else's foot placement, arm separation, single support phase,
etc. It used to be that the best athletes were either really strong or
had great technique, either one was enough. Then Ryan Vierra came along
with both, and changed everything. Thanks a bunch RV!
What was
your favorite game as an AM and why?
North/South Challenge, New
Orleans in 1998. My brother and I were in the deep south for the first
time, hanging out in the French Quarter with Kay Cummings, Mike Nease,
Mike Smith, Kearney Smith and Dave Wiggins. Good times. I think my
hangover lasted a week.
Tell us about throwing barefoot and the
story and incident?
I was late for the games at Alexandria back in
'97 or '98. I come running up and they're just finishing the stone, and I
have like ten seconds to get a throw in or be scratched from the event.
There was no time to put on my cleats, so I kicked off my sandals and
took my throw barefoot. I hit a PR and won the event. If I tried it
again I'd probably break something painful.
Tell us about Will
and your relationship with him in the games?
What can I say? He's my
brother. I love competing with him, and I love it when I beat him.
Who
makes you laugh at games when you go compete?
Nobody's as funny as
Mike Smith was, but Kerry Overfelt's a close second.
What is your
favorite event?
Probably the caber or standing weight for height.
The classic power events. My all time PRs are:
16 lb. Stone: 55'
56
lb. weight: 46'
28 lb. weight: 84'
16 lb. hammer: 142'
22 lb.
hammer: 116'
56 lb. weight for height: 17'3" (standing)
What
would you say is the most common mistake you see people do in that
event?
In the weight for height, I think most people pull too late,
and use their backs and not their legs. It's really more of a jump than
a pull.
You have thrown in a lot of places outside the USA, tell
us a little about that and what you like?
I really like to travel.
I've competed in Canada and Scotland a lot, plus Iceland a few times,
also Ireland and Brazil. Seriously, getting paid to travel the world and
throw stuff is the best job ever.
What do you like to do outside
of the games?
I play guitar, spend time with my girls, go on
dates with my wife, the usual stuff.
What is your favorite
food?
Either authentic Indian or really good Mexican. You can
usually find a decent curry shop in any country, but there are only a
few good ones in New York. I'm trying to learn how to cook Indian food,
and it's really complicated, but the depth of flavor is awesome.
What
supplements do you take?
Met-Rx shakes and fish oil. That's about
it.
What do you drink with a meal at home?
Wither water,
wine or beer. Beer wise I like Magic Hat, Corona and Guinness.
Do
you mow your own grass and what kind of mower do you have?
Is that
a joke? I live in New York City.
Are you a Democrat or
Republican?
Democrat. I'm a bleeding heart liberal for the most
part. I think everyone should be forced to wear the flag as a bra and
then burn it while having an abortion at a gay marriage.
Are
you into Astrology? What sign are you?
I'm an Aries. Fire
sign. I'm not a true believer, but I guess it fits me.
What
would your wife say is your best body part?
She's into my lower
back. That's pretty good motivation to do more deadlifting!
What
do you like to watch on TV? Are you a western movie or sci fi person?
Sci-fi.
Battlestar Galactica, Firefly and Lost are some of my favorites. I also
like historical documentaries and science shows.
What are the
goals for the coming season and the off season?
Just to get healthy
again, throw better than I have the last two years, and keep enjoying
the Games. I haven't been able to squat for the last year and a half, so
I'm about 20 lbs. lighter than I was in 2006, when I took second at the
Worlds. But I feel a lot better, have more energy, better flexibility,
so I think I'll stick with my current bodyweight. I'm pretty sure I
won't be setting any more PRs, but I still love getting on a plane to go
and throw things with a bunch of friends. You know the feeling!
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