Caber flipping

Greetings!

We just hosted The 1st Annual "Iron Thistle" Highland Games and Scottish Festival. On June 3rd, at Arlington, I'll have officially entered my 2nd year throwing in these Games. Anyway, thought I'd share some pics of the caber flip.

17' 64# Only two of us in C class flipped it.

 

The Iron Thistle Carry

This is what this Game was named after. It was actually the last event. It's a 346# forged iron implement in the shape of a thistle which is the national Scottish flower. It was judged on a carry for distance. I carried it 301 feet. I just want to say this damn thing was f'n heavy...I was scratched, bruised, and scarred for two weeks after.

 

The Sheaf toss

This is a burlap sack usually filled with rope. It weighs 16# and it is judged on height. I got 20' and bombed on a 21' toss.









Had I kept my head up a bit I could've gotten over the 21' mark easily since at the 21' mark, the sheaf wavered sitting on the cross bar and then fell back towards me instead of falling the other way.

 

56# WOB (weight over bar)

This is a 56 lb weight that is thrown overhead over a bar and judged on height. I haet this event.

 

The 56# WFD (weight for distance).

This is a lead ball attached to a chain, and it weighs 56 pounds. It's done with a single or double spin and judged by distance thrown.







This is it as I didn't get any shots of me doing the hammer or stones.

 

Brilliant photographs Mr Samurai!

 

WOW!!!!

That's looks way fun. err... sort of... if I was strapping with muscles.
Seriously though it looks like mad fun. Very cool. Thanks for posting that.

That 'Iron Thistle' carry looks like a total broken arm, wrenched shoulder if you didn't manage to get clear of it as you set it down!!

 

is all that machismo to make up for the fact you all wear skirts?



joking aside, good luck with the comp, and make sure that 56 pounder doesn't come back down on your head... ouch, that would be messy.

 

full respect to you, my shoulders are crying thinking of the WOB event (old shoulder injury)

 

Yeah that's what most of us were worried about. Well that and it falling on our toes/feet. However, pretty much everyone dumped it forward and no one got hurt.

 

It's how we justify wearing skirts.

I have yet to meet anyone who has had the implement hit them in their head. It's throw back(and up) kinda like a db snatch

 

Some of these events can be tough on the shoulders. I've seen more shoulders screwed on the hammer than any of the other events. Needless to say we throwers do tons of RC stuff.


p.s. If anyone is in the Dallas/Watchahachie area on April 21/22nd...I'll be throwing in the Scarborough Ren Faire....come visit me

 

Thanks! I keep a few of these on my desk in my office so middle and high school students don't question my authority.

 

What have you got on under the kilt ?

 

Judging by one of the pictures, he has shorts on underneath.
Pft, ye aint no Scotsman

Hehe, great pics mate. Good to see old traditions being kept well alive.

EDIT: On second inspection, maybe the 'shorts' is a support strap or something.

 

Wow!

I am 50% Scot and I love attending our local Highland Games. Haven't been in a few years, but plan to attend this year with the kids to introduce them to a part of their heritage. Thanks for sharing the photos. Good work!

 

Jockstrap

 

Awesome pics. How'd you end up placing?

 

I came in 3rd. I prob could have come in 2nd if I had passed the 21' mark on the sheaf and hadn't scratched on my WFD twice. But I'll take 3rd.

 

How many people were in it?