Shalack and Schmidt Set New Illinois Steinholding Records

In a recent competition held on October 3, 2026, at the Pour Bros. Craft Taproom and German American Central Society of Peoria, Illinois, Bob Shalack and Dan Schmidt set new records in the steinholding event, surpassing the 29-minute national steinholding mark previously set by Cody Bane at the 2025 USSA National Championship in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Shalack, the 2026 U.S. Steinholding Association (USSA) Illinois State Champion, demonstrated exceptional endurance by holding his one-liter glass beer stein filled with liquid at shoulder height for 35 minutes and 0 seconds. His performance narrowly outlasted that of Dan Schmidt, who recorded a time of 34 minutes and 30 seconds. Both competitors significantly surpassed the 29-minute and 0-second national benchmark, which was established by Cody Bane.

The competition, which is part of the ongoing tradition of Masskrugstemmen, a strength and endurance sport, saw Shalack and Schmidt go head-to-head in a display of raw athletic prowess. The event was profiled by AmericanStein.com, which used an agricultural metaphor to compare unratified endurance holds to giant garden squash and officially certified USSA national records to prize-winning pumpkins. The article explores the distinction between raw athletic times recorded at local venues and officially ratified national records.

In the context of the steinholding community, any competitor can post a massive time in their backyard, but to claim an official national record, a performance must meet strict verification standards set by the USSA.

The article also reviews several high-profile endurance performances across the United States that were covered by local news outlets prior to national ratification reviews. In October 2023, the Flathead Beacon reported that Montana competitor David Sturzen held a stein for 23 minutes and 22 seconds during a Sam Adams steinholding event, surpassing the then-standing 21-minute and 17-second USSA mark set by Michael Tyler in 2019. In May 2025, Bob Shalack recorded a hold of 25 minutes and 29 seconds during a Hofbräu qualifying match in Big Bear, California, before going on to win the 2025 Hofbräu National Masskrugstemmen Championship with a hold of 24 minutes and 14 seconds.

The Peoria results, while impressive, may not immediately be recognized as official national records. According to the AmericanStein.com analysis, sanctioning bodies require strict compliance with vessel weight, fill level, arm angle, and official judging protocols before certifying a national record.

Full match footage, competition photographs, and the complete article are available at [www.Americanstein.com](www.Americanstein.com).