The legends of their prehistoric origin abound, but suffice it to say that the Scottish highland athletics are intended to very quickly separate the men from the boys. In Michiana, this annual rite of passage is held by the Michiana Celtic Society in honor of fallen Mishawaka police officer, Bryan Verkler, who was the overall athlete of the day at the first local competition on the lawn at Saint Patrick’s Parish in 2000. This year’s competition will be held as part of the Michiana Celtic Festival at Howard Park on Sunday, Sept 3, 2017.
The ancient events included in this day-long competition include:
The Caber Toss… The infamous “telephone pole” measuring 20-25 feet in length and weighing 100-120 pounds is tossed end-over-end in a precision throw to have the caber fall straight away from the athlete (referred to as a perfect 12 o’clock toss). The caber must fall between 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock to be counted as a legal throw.
The Stone Put… Similar to a shot put, the athlete throws a 16-22 pound stone for distance.
The Hammer Throw… A 16-22 pound metal ball is mounted on the end of a 4 foot shaft and is thrown for distance. The technique involves a quick series of rotations over the head to build momentum before releasing the hammer. The pressure of the rotation frequently will knock the athlete over unless he is wearing special boots with blades on the toes which he will dig into the earth to help hold his feet to the ground.
Weight for Height… A 56 pound metal weight attached to a short chain with ring handle is tossed up and over a high cross bar. Each athlete is given up to 3 throws to clear the bar before being disqualified. The bar is raised after each throwing round until only one winning athlete remains.
Sheaf Toss… A 16-20 pound sack of straw, hay, or grain is tossed up and over a high cross bar using a pitch fork. As with the weight for height, each athlete is given up to 3 throws to clear the bar before being disqualified. The bar is raised after each throwing round until only one winning athlete remains.
The competition begins at 10:30am. There is a $5 admission fee to the festival which also includes live Celtic music and dance, children’s activities, cultural displays, historical re-enactments, border collie herding demonstrations, scotch tasting, and food & beverage concessions (including imported draft beers). The 2017 entertainment line-up includes An Dro, Kennedy’s Kitchen, Soltre, Highland Reign, and the Caledonia Kilty Pipe Band.
For more information on the festival, call Fiddler’s Hearth at 574-232-2853. The festival is sponsored annually by the Michiana Celtic Society, Fiddler’s Hearth, South Bend Parks & Recreation, and Downtown South Bend.
