Highland Games

STONE THROW

Similar to the Olympic shot-put but "The Stone" is a 28-pound piece of Georgia granite, crafted into a ball form by a local stone mason.

HAMMER THROW

This highland event is the parent of what it now an Olympic event.  The hammer, a 22-pound weight attached to a wooden handle is thrown for distance.

Weight Throw

Two different metal weights are used for these events.  One weighs 28 pounds and the other is 56 pounds.  Both weights are thrown for distance.

Weight Toss

Both the 28-pound and 56-pound weights are used in a bit different manner in this event.  The contestant "tosses" them in the air and over a horizontal bar (apparatus is similar to a pole-vault standard)

Sheaf Toss

The origins of this event obviously lie in the agricultural regions of Scotland.  A 20-pound sheaf of hay, enclosed in a burlap bag, is tossed with a three-tined pitchfork over a bar.  Each competitor is given three opportunities at each height.  After all have had their chances, the bar is raised 6" and the competition continues with those successful at the previous height.  The contest is over when all one of the competitors are eliminated.

Caber Toss

Probably the best known of the heavy events is the Caber Toss.  In this event distance has no importance.  The object is to flip the pole end-over-end so that the small end fall directly away from the competitor.  Tosses are scored by clock position relative to then small end. 12:00 is a perfect throw.  The caber itself is a natural section of tree.  Varying lengths and weights are used as the contest progresses, however the average is 19 feet long weighing about 120 pounds.

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