BIDDEFORD — Two competitors locked eyes across the table, palms sweaty, an intense crowd at Champions Sports Bar holding its collective breath in the last few moments before the official start. Each man reached across the table and took the others’ hand. Only this wasn’t a friendly handshake; soon, they’d be locked in a test of strength and endurance, each trying to be the first to wrest the other man’s arm to the mat on the wooden barroom tabletop.

Admit it: You’ve never thought of arm wrestling as an actual sport before. More of a pastime, perhaps, for young men to engage in when they’re young and want to prove their virility. Or maybe just a simple way to relieve boredom during a lull at a kegger.

That’s the kind of stereotype that Nate Gagnon is trying to vanquish.

Gagnon is a professional arm wrestler and event organizer, and was the main force in bringing the World Arm Wrestling League Qualifier Tournament to Champions on Saturday. Winners in a number of different weight classes moved on to the regional tournament in Las Vegas, Nevada, to compete for a share of over $500,000 in prize money.

Make no mistake ”“ the sport is real, and for a good part of the afternoon, the crowd at Champions was ravenous for its thrills.

“Typically my tournaments are in South Portland,” said Gagnon. “But Champions is a good location, plus I wanted to travel a little bit, show people in other areas what the sport of arm wrestling is all about. My goal is to give arm wrestlers something they can be proud of.”

Competitors were divided into different weight classes in both men’s and women’s brackets, and then took the stage for a strenuous showdown that would sometimes last as little as a few seconds. For a time, the stage was a continuous procession of arm wrestlers: some shrugging their shoulder amiably after a loss, some pumping their fists in celebration.

Harry Bean III, who was a competitor as well as a referee, has been involved in the sport for over 20 years.

“The first time I did this, I was 38 years old and just found out I was gonna be a grandfather ”“ never done it before,” said Bean. “A few years later, I was ranked first in the world in right-handed and third in the world in left-handed. I’m 60 now, and I have to go against these young guys. I’ll give it a shot. You never know.”

In the end, there was no trip to Vegas for Bean. But multiple generations of his family, many involved in the sport themselves, were on hand to compete and lend encouragement to their arm-wrestling patriarch.

They were among quite the throng, as the floor near the stage area was clogged with cheering spectators.

“It’s a great turnout,” said one of the judges, going by the name Badger. “Very respectable. We love it.”

For Gagnon, respect is the key word. And ESPN, which will be broadcasting the Vegas tournament on its sister channel, ESPN2, is helping the sport to gain the kind of respect it seeks.

Gagnon said he feels arm wrestling’s popularity has been increasing as of late, and hopes that events like the tournament at Champions spark an interest that will take the sport to the next level.

“I hope we inspire some new arm wrestlers who want to compete in the sport,” he said. “I think the potential is huge.”

— Jeff Lagasse is an Assistant Editor at the Journal Tribune. He can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 319 or [email protected].