When the strength and conditioning community and that of the great outdoors descend upon South Carolina on the Sorinex Farm property in January, you have Winterstrong.
The concept is simple, and when the CEO of Sorinex, Bert Sorin, invited some of his closest friends from eight years ago, he knew he stumbled upon something great. Now the event has grown, and the expectations are higher than ever.
I attended for the first time in 2025 as a presenter and was asked back this year. I wanted to feel the inspiration and empowerment from last year again and put my finger on the pulse of what makes this event so unique
Resilience
This year, Winterstrong 8 lived up to its name with freezing temperatures and snowfall during the final day. Attendees came in from across the country to camp, be challenged, and walk away energized.
Unless your name is “Mr. Wesley,” no one is the coolest guy in the room. Those who know the man and his skills know exactly what this means. That realization is brought up during the weekend, and despite serious accolades, few egos are present among all the accomplished individuals in the room.
A combination of big mountain hunters, former military, UFC fighters, world-record-holding athletes, manufacturers, and the widest swath of individuals could be seated next to you, and it is humbling. Shared hardship and lessons from life are exchanged casually over Viking Coffee and Jocko Fuel drinks. Bert Sorin learned that when you bring good people together, they elevate one another.
Skills
Winterstrong isn’t just a gathering; it is an opportunity for growth—and not just the kind achieved after a heavy lift. Presenters offer clinics on a number of topics, including primitive weapons (mine), deer hunting tactics, knife forging, falconry, camp cooking and jarring, coaching, and more.
Attendees are able to go hands-on with firearms on designated ranges, including top-of-the-line rimfire rifles and pistols from Volquartsen. Speaking to Scott Volquartsen, I asked, “Why do you come to Winterstrong?” to which he replied,
“I was fortunate enough to be invited to Winterstrong 2 as a guest, and it didn’t take long to realize that Bert and his team were onto something. As a sponsor, it allows us to put our products in the hands of an incredible group of people-the best of the best at what they do, and for me personally, it gives me the chance to connect with individuals that share similar values on how I want to live- I come back a better person every time I leave this event.”
While individual competition, that is, focusing on your own growth and competing against your previous self, is important, competition against others is also present.
Prior to the culminating challenge, an archery shoot-off takes place. The closest shots on a 3D deer target at 55 yards become team captains.
There’s an expression, “shooters shoot,” and to be a leader, you have to take your shot. These captains pick their team and elements from the various skills seminars become stages in the final competition. Growing as an individual is important but leaning into your fellow attendees is equally important.
My Role
It’s humbling seeing your face up in front of the crowd and being introduced as “the guy you’d want to be stranded on an island with to survive.”
When I attended last year and presented pioneer lashing as a skill set, I knew I had to one-up myself this year. This time around, I presented staff slings, atlatls, and hobo fishing. I figured this group would want to learn how to take food from the land and water with some lesser-known techniques.
Atlatls are an ancient technology, and I showed the attendees how an extension to an arm can throw a dart hundreds of yards. Participants ran an informal furthest throw contest, and the winner won an Exotac FireROD 2.0.
The staff sling was a medieval tool used to throw plague-infested rats over castle walls. With a shortage of rats, we resorted to throwing tennis balls back and forth over 75 yards to one another.
The hobo fishing was accomplished with Exotac hand reels, and students learned to cast with minimal equipment. I worked from 9 am to noon, showing the skills, and cycled about 150 people through my clinic in about four different sessions. Other presenters followed a similar schedule, and we cycled students around from one session to the next.
Breaking Bread
Any athlete will tell you the exercise routine is important, but the diet that fuels it is more so. For a weekend of training and running around, the logistics of feeding yourself can be daunting.
Consider this. I spoke to one kitchen staffer and asked how much meat is prepared. She told me they typically prepare half a pound to three-quarters a pound per person, but for this event, they double that since the attendees are larger and need more protein.
Thursday evening featured flip-flop style big-horn sheep barbecue from Andy Moeckel and meatloaf from Valor Provisions.
Breakfasts are “grab and go” before skills events, and the hundreds in attendance are served grilled chicken sandwiches, bison steaks, and brisket with efficiency the rest of the weekend.
Perhaps the most enjoyable part of the weekend is the Friday evening “game dinner potluck,” where attendees can bring samples of food they enjoy, like biltong, mule deer, and whitetail deer backstrap, deep-fried walleye, barbecue pork belly bites, and even oysters.
Challenges
No one would attempt to lift a one rep max without a spotter. No one should travel to the wilderness alone. You should always have good people around you to have your back and help you through the heavy lifts, metaphorical or literal.
The team at Sorinex, Tyler, Ricky, Danny, Austin, et al, organize the weekend, setting up the events months in advance and running around to make sure everything runs smoothly.
Winterstrong is hard to summarize in words. You have to be there to feel the energy of people who get it done and the fellowship offered in so many ways.
Bert Sorin, in the Friday evening dinner presentation, told the attendees that “breathing thin air” is important for growth. Up where most won’t go is where that thin air is. Everyone in the room breathes that air. Only when you put yourself in those tough environments can you grow stronger.
The Takeaway
I’ve been extremely fortunate to call so many from the Winterstrong community my friends. We may meet up in South Carolina, but we stay in touch year-round. The event has grown, and so has the movement. Bert’s vision of joining two of his passions into one event has poured over, and now there are many who understand the connection between physical training and the wilderness.
You don’t need to travel to the farm to feel the benefits. Incorporate more of the outdoors and heavy weights in your life, and you’ll start to understand why Winterstrong is more than an event; it’s a lifestyle.
It’s not easy for me alone to explain the takeaway of Winterstrong. Rather than ending this with my final word, I’m giving it to a few of my fellow attendees. The event is about all of us, not one of us afterall. When asked what their greatest takeaway was from Winterstrong, this is how they answered.
“Thin Air mindset/lifestyle. Pushing yourself to master your craft, and not taking “the journey” for granted. The journey BTS (behind the scenes) is what makes us. And while on the journey, we need to be an example for those that may take the same path as you or viewing from the outside.” -Aaron Brendible, Principal Engineer, Toyota Motor North America
“Pushing your boundaries, doing things that take dedicated time and effort to see results is where you find quality people that are worth really getting to know” -Amy Valerious, Knife Maker, Warlander Industries
“Keep your cup always empty.” Christopher Camacho, CEO of Camacho Performance
“My greatest takeaway is and has been, for the last 4 years I have attended, is to simply be better. When you are surrounded by people as passionate, kind, and giving as the attendees of Winterstron,g you want to be more of those things. You want to level up for yourself, your company, and your family.” -Caleb Copeland, CEO of Copeland Creative
“The amount of people that are the best at their craft, who are beyond willing to share their knowledge with others. It’s a rare community of Type A personalities where the egos melt away, and the community is what it’s all about. I have to imagine every person leaves there with a new friend, and a little better than when they arrived.” -Esteban Valenzuela, Police Commander in Southern California.
“My greatest takeaway is that when you get a room, or like Winterstrong, an entire farm, full of high achievers, be the quietest guy in the room. It’s easy to feel like you need to compete with everyone else’s achievements, but if you humble yourself and spend a lot more time listening, you will learn so much more and walk away with growth in so many different areas. “ -Eric Wilson, Owner, Eric Wilson Coaching
