Interview - 005 - Reuben Hughes

I first saw his name 2017 in the steel shredder competition from David Horne and since then Reuben is a fixed component in every competition with very good results and always on top of the lists.

But you can´t find him only in the competitions, he is also a type for strength when it comes to braced bends and snapping all things.

If you want to see more from Reuben, make sure to follow his ongoing journey on his Facebook account:

Facebook

Here is the Interview!

Name:

Reuben Cennin Hughes

Year of birth:

1985

Height:

182cm

Weight: 100kg

Location:

North Wales - Morfa Nefyn

Occupation:

Stone Mason

Relationship Status:

Happily Married

Question 01:

What does steel bending mean to you?

an hour or so away from all of life’s worries once or twice a week.

Question 02:

When and why did you start steel bending and what does or did your active time look like?

I started working for my brother who was a farm fencing contractor at the time on weekend’s when I was about 15 or 16 I think. Knotting the wires to join them was a steel bending feat in itself. My first steel bending competition was steel shredder #1 in 2017. I had never done anything like it before but it studied everyone’s attempts to pick up different techniques and sent in an attempt of my own every week for the whole two months of the competition.

Question 03:

What do you love about steel bending?

The community feeling about it all and the thrill of competition. Also nothing beats the feeling when you give it all you’ve got on a piece of steel and just when you’re about to give up you feel it starting to move.

Question 04:

What do you hate about steel bending?

Excuses and people using stupid amounts of wraps.

Question 05:

How does your training for steel bending look like?

Most of my training comes from my work. Building stone walls in all weather/ on all terrain is sometimes more than enough training. All most all of my steel bending is either competition attempts, feat attempts or record attempts.

Question 06:

How does your other training look like (strength or other)?

I love walking the hills and mountains of North Wales which is great exercise and I will occasionally enter a grip competition where I will train intensively for that specific event’s ideally for eight weeks before competition day.

Question 07:

What goals have you set for yourself?

I am currently in the middle of a three month long record braking challenge that I’ve set myself to raise money for three different charities that is very close to my heart. The challenge is to attempt 20 World of Grip steel bending World records spread out over the three months and take part in a Guinness world record attempt day on the last day to end it all.

Here is the link: Facebook - Reuben Hughes The Shredding Dragon

Question 08:

What was the most impressive bend you ever saw (live or on video)?

The first steel bending feat I saw that probably got me interested in steel bending to begin with was David Horne reverse bending 12 G5 bolts for a world record. This was very impressive for me because at the time I was working towards reverse bending a 6” nail which is miles away from a G5 bolt. The one that impressed me the most though was Simon Stewart’s performance in Steel Shredder #1. It was a snapping competition and the first one that I had ever done. Simon won the competition, snapping a 12mm x 18” bar in 3min 51sec his precision and accuracy with every movement and every angle was very impressive.

Question 09:

Rapid stuff – choose one

Bolts or steel?

Steel

Unbraced or braced?

Braced Singles or doubles?

Singles

Chalk or not?

Chalk

Beer or water?

There’s a time and a place for plenty of both

Cordura or leather or both?

I’ve only ever used World of Grip suede wraps

Short bars or long bars?

Long

Horseshoes or flat bars?

Horseshoes

Chips or chocolate?

Chocolate

Question 10:

The last words belong to you. What do you want the reader take away? Let us know your poems of steel!

Aim high but be patient!

Concentrate on beating you own PB’s, Not other people’s PB’s!

It’s supposed to hurt!