Can-Am Games 2024: What are narcotics dog, toughest firefighter alive and other unique events?
Competitors from multiple countries descending on one city for a week in the summer to prove who are the best athletes in their fields.
The 2024 Paris Olympics this is not. The 2024 Can-Am Police-Fire Games, which arrive in Butler County next week and feature police, firefighters and other first responders from Canada and the United States, are uniquely their own thing. And many of the sports are ... unique ... as well.
You’ve heard of bowling and darts. Can-Am has it. Ice hockey, as well. But what about narcotics dog? Ever wondered who the toughest firefighter alive is?
Before the week-long competition featuring more than a dozen sports and hundreds of athletes, here are some brief descriptions of some of the more peculiar sporting events you can catch at various locations across the county:
When and where: 9 a.m. July 17 at Slippery Rock University’s Morrow Fieldhouse
Wrestling, judo, jiu-itsu and sambo all rolled into one. First responders will battle it out in weight classes and can “use takedowns, pins, and submission holds” from different martial arts disciplines to score points or earn a submission. The tournament is double-elimination, and each round will last 6 minutes, with a 2-minute sudden death overtime period.
When and where: 8 a.m. July 20 at Slippery Rock University’s Aebersold Recreation Center
It’s like that gym class you always dreaded in middle school. An octathlon, TCA features eight events where competitors accumulate points by running a 5K, sprinting 100 meters, swimming 100 more and competing in shot put, a 20-foot rope climb, bench press, pull-ups and an obstacle course. All of this happens in one day, with up to 40 athletes competing in different age groups.
When and where: 9 a.m. July 16 at Butler County Community College’s Fire Training Facility
An obstacle course on fire? Not quite, but TFA is an individual competition that will turn the heat up on you. Competitors have six skills to master as quickly as possible: a ladder throw, tower climb, hose hoist, forcible entry, charged hose advancement and victim rescue. They must be in full firefighter gear, except the mask. Athletes are split up by gender and in different age groups.
When and where: 9 a.m. July 19 at Slippery Rock University
Unfortunately, the only competition on this list that doesn’t include spectators. But it’s perhaps the most fascinating. Teams of canines and their handlers compete to search vehicles (interior and exterior), luggage and do an open-area search for hidden narcotics. Active law enforcement dogs and officers in their same unit can compete together. Win or lose, they’re all very good boys and girls.
When and where: 8 a.m. July 17 at CrossFit Recreate
Yes, the gym workout your ultra-fit friend does is a sport. And it’s even more grueling than what you’ll see at the local Y. Athletes are tested in several “fitness domains” including cardio endurance, speed, agility, power and more. The Can-Am Games will push athletes to do certain workouts as many repetitions as possible in a set time, lift as much as possible and perform certain workouts as quickly as possible. Watching men and women sprint a mile, do dozens of push ups and squat and bench press hundreds of pounds is just as intense as it sounds.
