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Hundreds of athletes gathered on Nov. 13 at the Port Authority Bus Terminal sans regulation uniforms or bags of equipment. Unlike some sportsmen who measure their success in terms of how far they can pass, throw or shoot a ball, these men and women relied on just three accessories: strength, endurance and good, old-fashioned elbow grease.

The New York Arm Wrestling Association’s 31st Annual White Castle Empire State Golden Arm Tournament of Champions attracted competitors from across the five boroughs and Long Island and from as far away as Russia, Brazil and Korea. Arm wrestlers vied for a chance to win $5,000 in cash and prizes in four divisions: right and left hand, male and female and amateur and professional categories. Each category was further divided into 17 weight classes.

Gene Camp, president and founder of the New York Arm Wrestling Association, based in Queens, proudly considers the competition the oldest, most prestigious, sought-after arm wrestling title in New York – the marathon of arm wrestling.

“This used to be an all-amateur event, but in the past few years, I changed it so that anyone can now compete – regardless of age, sex and experience,” Camp said. “A lot of these guys have beaten other guys in school yards but they don’t know what it’s like to compete in a tournament.”

When Camp organized the first arm wrestling contest in 1977 at, what was then, a small Madison Square Garden-type venue in Queens known as Sunnyside Gardens, he never expected it to take off the way it did.

A dedicated sports enthusiast and arm wrestler, he didn’t have the business savvy to market his favorite sport in any extraordinary fashion. So, he took a grassroots approach and hung around bus terminals and train stations, handing out homemade fliers and speaking to interested participants. The competition eventually garnered media attention and Camp went from training in his small Bayside gym to granting interviews for local newspapers.

“I didn’t even know how to send out a press release, but I kept thinking, ‘wow, this is something I’ve been into all my life. There’s no arm wrestling in New York and this is the time to do it,’” he said. “The sport got picked up because it was unique and different.”

And, if Thursday’s competition is any indicator, the competitors are just as distinctive as the sport.

Alex Pilsnov, 36, from Forest Hills, has been competing for little over a year. After scoring second place in the 226-plus Left Hand category, he shared his philosophy on what it takes to succeed as an arm wrestler.

“You have to put in a lot of hard work,” Pilsnov said. “It takes good exercises and strength training to build the right muscles.”

Flushing’s Akmal Khudayberganov, 22, who comes from Uzbekistan, was a soccer player before he decided to switch his athletic focus on arm wrestling. He walked away from the Golden Arm Tournament with the second place prize in the 176-pound weight classes, amateur division.

“I practice, practice, practice,” he said.

Many of the tournament’s competitors travel to Bellerose to practice at Camp’s training room. Camp said it’s a great way for amateurs to get their feet wet and compete against seasoned arm wrestlers who can show them new techniques.

“You can’t come out of the locker room and run the 100-yard dash,” he said. “You have to condition your body for arm wrestling. You have to build up certain tendons and muscles in your arms.”

The rules of the competition are strictly enforced at the start of the tournament with an emphasis on keeping one’s elbow positioned correctly to avoid injury, and reminding competitors that fighting is grounds for immediate disqualification. In addition to dispelling any possible myths about the savage nature of arm wrestling, the tournament is also proving that the sport cuts across gender and age barriers.

Steven Broadman, 54, of Brooklyn, took third place in the Master 45-plus division and Norm Devio, 64, from Massachusetts, left spectators bewitched when he beat competitors half his age and grabbed second place in the 154-pound professional division.

Kristen Czerw, 19, from Bayside, said as a woman, it was a little intimidating to compete at first. Her boyfriend introduced her to the sport, but she realized her passion for arm wrestling rather quickly and has been a dedicated competitor for four years. Czerw took home the top prize for the women’s open, amateur division at the tournament.

“I got to know a lot of great girls in the competition and the guys treat us with respect,” she said. “I’m definitely going to compete for years to come.”

For more information about the New York Arm Wrestling Association, call (718) 544-4592 or visit nycarms.com.