As the 1980's started Powerlifting broke away from the AAU and formed it's own organization, the USPF. In North Carolina meets were well attended and lifts rose. Dean Best, Johnnie Howie, Charles Beane, and Tim King ran many meets and powerlifting spread. Steroid use in N.C. became more common as lifts rose. As the origional lifters began to get older, masters lifting began to appear. Lifters like Red Swaim, R.L. Gurley, Chuck Braxton, and others pioneered masters lifting.
Master lifter Red Swaim embarked on a successful masters career and also beat much younger lifters in open competition
John Howie was a top bodybuilder, powerlifter, amd meet promoter.
Lloyd Wehunt Ernest Morrison Bob Strauss
Many of the 1970's lifters set their personal career bests during the early 1980's. Lloyd Wehunt deadlifted over 700 in the 181 lb class (710), a lift which still hard to beat in any time.
Master lifter Chuck Braxton may have looked like Santa, but he delivered big lifts on the platform 755 squat and deadlift and 490 lb bench press.
1982 marked the rise of Dean Best who squatted mid 700's bench pressed 520 and deadlifted mid 700's
Johnny Hunter (L) and Walter Ferguson (R) were just two of many top heavier lifters
More on 1980's to be posted as information becomes available
By the end of the 1980's North Carolina was now represented on the national international scene as lifters like Brian Smith, Harold "IronBear" Collins came to power and O.D. Wilson made his brief appearance in North Carolina. Brian Smith was first in N.C. to squat 900 at 275, but that lift was quickly eclipsed by O.D. Wilson who squatted 1003. Several lifters now bench pressed 600 in the now primitave bench press shirts.
Toward the late 1980's the first primitave bench press shirts appeared. They mainly offered shoulder protection and boosted one's bench press by 20-30 lbs at most.
Terry Long a football player from East Carolina lifted in only one meet but squatted 837, bench pressed 501, and deadlifted 865 , becomming the first N.C. powerlifter to squat 800, deadlift 800 and total 2200. Many claim he used large amounts of steroids.
Toward the mid 1980's drug-free lifting became more widespread. The ADFPA or American Drug Free Powerlifting Association held meets often in Charlotte.
