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RAW POWER. ANCIENT TRADITION.
The Scottish Highland Heavy Games trace their roots to the Highland gatherings of medieval Scotland where warriors tested their strength and skill. Today, elite athletes from across the Pacific Northwest compete in five classic events at Tam O'Shanter Park each September — and you have a front-row seat, free of charge.
The Caber Toss is the signature event of the Highland Games. A caber is a large, tapered wooden log that's usually made of Scots pine. It can weigh between 100-180 pounds and be 16 to 22 feet long. The goal is not distance. It is precision.
The athlete holds the caber upright with the tapered end down against their shoulder and neck. They then run forward, building momentum, and toss the caber so that it turns end over end. The goal is to have the caber land directly away from the thrower, in the "12 o'clock" position.
The throw is judged using the "clock face method". The thrower marks the points where both ends of the caber land and lines them up with the numbers on a scorecard. A throw that lands closer to 12 o'clock scores higher. Presicion is everything.
CABER TOSS
STONE PUT
The oldest Highland Games event and the ancestor of the modern Olympic Shot Put. Instead of throwing a metal ball, competitors throw a natural stone from behind a board called a trig as far as they can. Raw explosive power meets technical form.
Athletes get three attempts to throw the stone. The throw is measured from the inside-upper edge of the trig to the nearest break in the ground made by the stone. Ties are broken by the next-farthest throw. Pure plyometric strength on full display.
This is nothing like its Olympic cousin. Athletes stand with their feet fixed and hurl a heavy metal ball on a wooden handle - spiining it overhead in a controlled arc before releasing it for maximum distance. Hammer weight: The hammer for men weighs 16 lbs (7.26 kg) and is a maximum of 47.8 in (1,215 mm) long. The hammer for women weighs 8.8 lbs (4 kg) and is a maximum of 47 in (1,195 mm) long.
The athlete stands with their back to the throwing area, winds the hammer around their head, and releases it over their shoulder. The athlete's feet must remain in a fixed position until the hammer is released. Any throwing style is permitted as long as it is deemed safe by the judge.
HAMMER THROW
SHEAF TOSS
A crowd favorite. Using a pitchfork, competitors hurl a 16-20lb burlap sack of straw over a horizontal bar, with the bar rising after each round until one competitor remains.
The Competitors get three attempts at each height. If a competitor misses all three attempts at a height, they are out of the competition. The winner is the competitor who clears the highest height with the fewest misses.
One hand. One chance. Athletes hurl a heavy weight over a progressively raised crossbar using only one hand. The bar climbs until only one champion remains.
The weight must be thrown with one hand only, from a standing position. Each competitor gets three attempts at each bar height. If a competitor misses all three attempts at a given height, they are eliminated from the competition.
WEIGHT OVER BAR
COME SEE IT FOR YOURSELF
COME SEE IT FOR YOURSELF
Heavy Games run all day Saturday and Sunday at Tam O'Shanter Park. Find a spot along the rope line, grab some food, and watch some of the Pacific Northwest's strongest athletes. Admission is always free.
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