Calvin the Broom Contest Guy

If you spent any time enjoying cold beers along the beachfront deck of Joe's Oyster Bar over the years, you likely crossed paths with a true local legend: Calvin the Broom Contest Guy.

Calvin was an older gentleman with a gentle smile who carried a seemingly simple, yet incredibly deceptive bet. He would carry a standard wooden broom outfitted with a heavy metal weight firmly attached to the very end of the brush. He would happily bet tourists that they could not pick up the broom with one hand, keeping their arm fully extended, using only their wrist strength.

To the average tourist, it looked like a breeze. But the laws of physics and leverage were strictly on Calvin's side. Because of the weighted brush end, lifting the broom placed a massive amount of downward torque on the wrist. Calvin, who always wore long sleeves, possessed exceptionally thick, muscular forearms. He rarely lost his own bet, easily demonstrating the trick to astonished crowds.

Supposedly, Calvin had been a professional baseball player back in the 1970s, which explained his remarkable wrist and grip strength. We used to jokingly advise him that he should occasionally let a tourist win to encourage more business—but Calvin was far too proud of his unbeaten streak to ever throw a match! When he wasn't challenging players, Calvin loved nothing more than sipping a cold beer, listening to the music, and dancing on the beachfront deck.