Busy, busy, busy! That is how the schedule was for Sonoran Desert Institute (SDI) in May of 2018, and June does not look much different. There have been weightlifting competitions, tattoos, and even a meeting with forensic scientists…CSI eat your heart out! Here’s how things have gone this past month and a taste of what we have to look for from SDI.
Watching somebody squat 645 lbs or do 700 lb deadlifts may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it is impossible to deny that seeing it in person would make your jaw drop. This is how SDI’s chair of public relations, Garett Bischoff, and vice president, Wes LeMay, spent May 18 – May 20. SummerStrong is an event put on by Sorinex™, an exercise equipment company and industry leader. It is a showcase of epic strength and endurance, as Wes LeMay can attest. He put on the weight vest at SummerStrong and showed what he was made of in the Sorinex Challenge.
What better way to encore from SummerStrong than to go to the world’s only tattoo and firearms expo. Ink and Arms takes place every year in Wilmington, North Carolina, and this year it took place on the weekend of June 1–June 3. Garett Bischoff, who has been on the road since SummerStrong, was joined at Ink and Arms by SDI Field Team member Dustin Johnson. Both Garett and Dustin know plenty about ink and plenty about firearms, so they were deep into their element and extremely busy spreading the word about Sonoran Desert Institute.
This unique event showcased firearms companies such as Guerrilla Armament, Krause Arms, Keres Tactical, Osprey Global, The Rock Guns and Accessories, Tactical Sourcing, and the SDI team had the fortune of hanging out with Ryker Tactical. Headlining the tattoo artists of the event were Jasmine Rodriguez, Josh Payne, and others too numerous to mention (see them here)! Adding to the atmosphere was a lineup of events such as Best Tattoo Portrait and Best Leg Tattoo. This event has been so successful over the years that Ink and Arms is adding another event to accommodate the crowds twice per year. There will now be an Ink and Arms show in September in addition to their already successful June show.
Coming up, the SDI team will be traveling to Charleston, West Virginia, for The Association of Firearm and Toolmark Examiners 49th Annual Training Seminar. This event presents industry professionals with best practices and industry research results. SDI is a proud attendee of this AFTE event and will be communicating information on firearms troubleshooting, handling, and visual identification.
Having a busy events schedule is always exciting for SDI. As our resident road warrior, Garett Bischoff, stated, “The level of events we are attending really gets the energy and enthusiasm up at the school and the positive feedback we receive just reinforces the progress we are making in our curriculums!” Stay tuned for further updates from SDI and its upcoming events on its Facebook page.
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