Caber toss: A long tapered pine pole or log is stood upright and hoisted by the competitor who balances it vertically holding the smaller end in his hands. Then the competitor runs forward attempting to toss it in such a way that it turns end over end with the upper (larger) end striking the ground first. The smaller end that was originally held by the athlete then hits the ground in the 12 o’clock position measured relative to the direction of the run. If successful, the athlete is said to have turned the caber. Cabers vary greatly in length, weight, taper, and balance, all of which affect the degree of difficulty in making a successful toss. Competitors are judged on how closely their throws approximate the ideal 12 o’clock toss on an imaginary clock
Stone put: This
event is similar to the modern-day shot put as seen in the Olympic
Games. Instead of a steel shot, a large stone of variable weight is
often used. There are also some differences from the Olympic shot put in
allowable techniques. There are two versions of the stone toss events,
differing in allowable technique. The “Braemar Stone” uses a 20–26 lb
stone for men (13–18 lb for women) and does not allow any run up to the
toeboard or “trig” to deliver the stone, i.e., it is a standing put. In
the “Open Stone” using a 16–22 lb stone for men (or 8–12 lb for women),
the thrower is allowed to use any throwing style so long as the stone is
put with one hand with the stone resting cradled in the neck until the
moment of release. Most athletes in the open stone event use either the
“glide” or the “spin” techniques.
Scottish hammer throw: This
event is similar to the hammer throw as seen in modern-day track and
field competitions, though with some differences. In the Scottish event,
a round metal ball (weighing 16 or 22 lb for men or 12 or 16 lb for
women) is attached to the end of a shaft about 4 feet in length and made
out of wood, bamboo, rattan, or plastic. With the feet in a fixed
position, the hammer is whirled about one’s head and thrown for distance
over the shoulder. Hammer throwers sometimes employ specially designed
footwear with flat blades to dig into the turf to maintain their balance
and resist the centrifugal forces of the implement as it is whirled
about the head. This substantially increases the distance attainable in
the throw.
Weight throw,
also known as the weight for distance event. There are actually two
separate events, one using a light (28 lb for men and 14 lb for women)
and the other a heavy (56 lb for men, 42 lb for masters men, and 28 lb
for women) weight. The weights are made of metal and have a handle
attached either directly or by means of a chain. The implement is thrown
using one hand only, but otherwise using any technique. Usually a
spinning technique is employed. The longest throw wins.
Weight over the bar, also
known as weight for height. The athletes attempt to toss a 56 pound (4
stone) weight with an attached handle over a horizontal bar using only
one hand. Each athlete is allowed three attempts at each height.
Successful clearance of the height allows the athlete to advance into
the next round at a greater height. The competition is determined by the
highest successful toss with fewest misses being used to break tie
scores.
Sheaf toss: A
bundle of straw (the sheaf) weighing 20 pounds (9 kg) for the men and
10 pounds (4.5 kg) for the women and wrapped in a burlap bag is tossed
vertically with a pitchfork over a raised bar much like that used in
pole vaulting. The progression and scoring of this event is similar to
the Weight Over The Bar. There is significant debate among athletes as
to whether the sheaf toss is in fact an authentic Highland event. Some
argue it is actually a country fair event, but all agree that it is a
great crowd pleaser.
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