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CARRYING ON THE HIGHLAND TRADITION
By
Mike Wills
For a
thousand years they have battled. From the days of
the medieval Scottish kings, they have gathered to
test their strength on the field of honor. Competing
in one of the world's most ancient sports, they are
at the same time world-class athletes…and links to
the distant past. They are respected as husbands,
fathers, brothers, sons, farmers, business people,
soldiers, and world-class strength athletes. They
have trained thousands of hours and competed all
along the East Coast to earn their spot here today.
But, by nightfall, only one can claim his place in
history as the 2008 East Coast Amateur Champion.
Only
one. But, that is only half the story.
The
fact is this: Nearly 80% of the families that call
the Appalachian Mountains their home can trace their
heritage directly to Scotland and Ireland. When tens
of thousands fled Scotland and Ireland during the
1700s - due to the Scottish Highland Clearances
after the final collapse of the Jacobite cause, and
the economic and religious pressures visited upon
the Irish through the Ulster Plantation process -
nearly all followed a similar emigration path to the
colonies. First to the shores of Virginia, then
westward, finally settling in and spreading
throughout the mountains that dominate present-day
western Virginia, West Virginia, western
Pennsylvania, and northern Kentucky.
Why
did they keep moving beyond the flat and fertile
lands along the coast? The British came to the
shores of Virginia too, and they had claimed much of
the desired land. When they inevitably moved
westward, the British could not farm the
mountainsides. They needed flat land! So, the
Highlanders found their new home in an area that
seemed harsh and inhospitable to most. The mountains
reminded them of the home they had left behind, and
the Appalachians became the new Scotland in America.
Time
marched onward, and quickly we forgot.
The
athletes, pipers, musicians, singers, genealogists,
and vendors gathering at Great Meadow are all living
reminders. They remind us of those who fought, died,
persevered, and started over to secure our right to
live in freedom and dignity. More than that, they
represent the link between common struggles faced by
both the ancient Highlanders and today's proud
Virginians. You see, the original Highland Games
participants were commoners, preparing themselves
for battle when they had been stripped of their
weapons, but not their pride. They did not seek
glory. Fighting without protest, they found death a
more palatable choice than forced servitude.
Now,
it is time for us to remember. This is who we are.
We are the descendants of Scotland. We are proud and
free. And today we celebrate our heritage…many for
the first time. So on this day in history, the
greatest amateur Highland Games athletes from around
the country - each and every one a champion already–
will descend upon Great Meadow. The prize is a place
in the thousand-year lineage of warrior champions.
You are invited to be a part of this opportunity to
celebrate the rich Scots-Irish heritage of Virginia
and the Appalachians, experience championship
competition at a global level and enveloped in a
Millennium of cultural heritage, and learn about
your ancestry while enjoying traditional Scottish
hospitality at its finest.
Neart
agus urram. Strength and honor.
The
Events:
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Braemar Stone Toss
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The Braemar Stone Toss is
named for the ancient festival held in
Braemar, Scotland, that requires that a
heavy stone be put from a standing position,
creating a test that relies as much on
strength as technique.
The Braemar stone, weighing
between 22 and 28 pounds, is thrown from a
stand. The athlete cannot use a run-up
approach or spin; instead, both feet must
remain stationary until the stone is
released.
The athlete must not go past
the wooden trig (a toe board that marks the
backline and frontline) or touch the ground
with any part of his body other than his
feet. |
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Open Stone Toss
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The "clachneart," or stone
toss, is one of the world's most ancient
tests of strength.
The challenge has always been
simple: See who can throw a sizeable creek
stone the farthest. T
he Open Stone Toss developed
into today's track and field shot put event.
The Open Stone Toss allows a
run-up or spinning approach, with the stone
usu
ally weighing between 16 and
18 pounds. The contestant must keep at least
one foot within the sidelines of the 4'6"
wide and 7'6" deep throwing box at all
times. The trig cannot be crossed at any
time during the throw. |
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Heavy Weight Toss
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In Scotland, the traditional
measure of weight is a "stone," which equals
14 pounds.
Block weights weighing two
stones (28 lbs.) and four stones (56 lbs.)
were used to balance scales for measuring
grain.
These weights were thrown by
locals gathering around the grain store to
determine who was the strongest man in the
village.
The contestant must keep at
least one foot within the sidelines of the
4'6" wide and 9' deep throwing box at all
times.
The backline and frontline -
marked by the toe board called a "trig" -
cannot be crossed at any time during the
throw. |
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Light Weight Toss
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Drawing from the same roots
as the Heavy Weight, the two-stone Light
Weight is 28 pounds and was originally used
to measure out grain.
The modern track and field 35
lb. weight throw is derived from Highland
Games weight tosses.
The contestant must keep at
least one foot within the sidelines of the
4'6" wide and 9' deep throwing box at all
times.
The trig cannot be crossed at
any time during the throw. |
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Heavy Hammer Throw
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Throwing the massive rock
quarryman's hammer is a test of strength
developed hundreds of years ago.
Being even larger than the
blacksmith's hammer, the 22 lb. heavy hammer
remains an event unique to the Highland
Games.
The athletes will throw the
hammer with their feet remaining stationary,
aided by metal spikes that are mounted to
the bottoms of their boots and jammed into
the ground.
The thrower must remain
behind the trig, avoid falling over and
touching the ground, and keep both feet
firmly planted until the hammer has been
released. |
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Caber Toss
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The caber toss draws upon the
distant past to establish this test of
strength and skill as the king of Highland
Games Heavy Events.
Caber is Gaelic for tree, and
lumberjacks are believed to provide the
origin by turning
small trees end-over-end to
cross small rivers. Soon, attacking warriors
started landing 20' tree trunks against
castle walls during siege, using them as
crude ladders.
The Caber Toss is the only
event that isn't measured for height or
distance. Instead, judges score the event in
a subjective manner.
A perfect score occurs when
an athlete is able to turn the caber
end-over-end, with the caber landing in line
with the athlete's direction of momentum,
resulting in a 12:00 score on an imaginary
clock face.
If the caber turns, but does
not land straight in front of the athlete,
scores between 9:00 and 3:00 are assigned.
If the caber does not turn, the side judge
awards a degree score up to 90°.
Due to its subjective nature,
and the fact that almost every competition
provides a different caber, there are no
records, only bragging rights. |
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Sheaf Toss
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The sheaf toss originates
from one of the most practical and common
farm chores: Throwing sheaves of hay up into
the barn loft.
Traditionally contested at
county agricultural fairs, the sheaf toss
has made its way into the Highland Games
over the last 100 years, becoming a fan
favorite along the way.
Using a traditional 3-tyne
hay fork, the athlete attempts to throw a
burlap bag stuffed with materials such as
straw or bailing twine over a horizontal
bar.
Each athlete gets three
attempts at each increasing height until
there is a winner, with misses being counted
against them should two or more athletes tie
at a height. |
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Weight Over Bar
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The standing Weight Over Bar,
or weight for height as it is often called,
is a tried-and-true test of brute strength
and explosiveness.
Originating from similar
traditions as the weights tossed for
distance, this is a staple event that is
also often contested in strongman contests.
The rules are minimal, simply
stand under a horizontal bar and throw a 56
lb. weight over it with one hand.
A running or spinning
approach is allowed at the discretion of the
field judge.
Each athlete gets three
attempts at each increasing height until
there is a winner, with misses being counted
against them should two or more athletes tie
at a height. |
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