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Caber Toss
As the “signature” event, the Caber Toss exemplifies The Highland Games. When a
Highland Games athlete talks to someone about the sport, a very common reply is
“oh, you throw the tree looking thing”. “Yes, we throw the trees…”
To be specific, the caber is a log that is somewhere between fifteen and twenty feet long and can weigh anywhere between 65 and 165 pounds. Each class of athletes chooses the caber that they want to use in their competition.
To throw a caber, the athlete holds the caber against their shoulder and squats
down, picking the caber up from under the bottom with both hands. The athlete then runs forward, building momentum and establishing a “path” that the judge standing behind them is carefully watching. The athlete will then toss the caber into the air so that it turns end over end.
If the athlete is successful in turning the caber end over end, the judge will give them a score based on a clock face with the best score being 12:00. Each athlete will attempt to “turn” the caber three times to achieve the best score possible.
Braemar
Braemar is like a shot put but unlike the standard shot-put throw, it is a
significantly heavier stone and the athlete throws from a fixed standing
position.
The Braemar stone can weigh anywhere between twenty and twenty-six
pounds and athletes attempt to throw the stone as far as they can.
Open Stone
The open stone event is much like the shot put, but instead of a lead ball, the
Highland Games athlete throws a stone (probably from a river) that weighs around sixteen pounds.
The athlete stands behind a board known as a trig and has three attempts to
throw the stone as far as they can. The athlete that throws it the farthest wins the
event.
Weight for Distance
Weight for distance is a weighted ball and chain measuring no
more than 18” from handle to the ball.
The athlete holds onto the weight with one hand and with a
spinning motion, throws the weight as far at they can. Each
athlete throws a light weight for distance and a heavy weight for
distance.
Weight Over Bar
Sometimes referred to as 'weight for height', with one hand, the
athletes hold on to a handle attached to the weight and throw it over a
raised bar.
Depending on the class of athlete, the weight thrown is between 16 and
56 pounds. With each successful attempt, the bar is raised higher and
higher, eliminating the contestants one by one.
While this event appears to be a real test of brute strength, there is
more technique than strength involved in launching the weight over
the bar.
Hammer Throw
The hammer consists of a metal ball, which can weigh up to 22
pounds, connected to a wooden or plastic handle.
In the United States, each athlete throws a light hammer and a
heavy hammer. The athlete stands with their back facing the
field and swings the hammer over their head several times
before letting it fly as far as they can.
Some athletes wear special boots, with long blades affixed to the
bottom which allow them to anchor into the ground to give them
more leverage in their throw.
Sheaf Toss
In the sheaf toss, a pitchfork is used to hurl a burlap
bag stuffed with twine over a horizontal bar above the
athlete’s head.
Each athlete has three chances to clear the bar, the bar
is then raised to the next height and all the athletes who
cleared the previous height throw at the new height
until all but one athlete is eliminated.
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