This is the most well known and popular of the heavyweight Scottish events. The competitor must "pick" (pick up) the caber, run, and toss it so it lands straight out from him at a 12 o'clock position. The caber is tossed for accuracy, not distance. The judge must "call it" just as the caber hits the ground. A side judge will sometimes be used to determine if the caber rotated through 90 degrees - if not - it's a "Fifer" and not counted. The Caber can be any size, and can range between 18'-26', and weigh from (approximately) 100 lbs. - 150 lbs. Size is important, but so is the athlete's style. The athlete gets three attempts in this and all the heavyweight events. The competition caber at this years Canadian Championship is a newly cut and hewed red Nova Scotia spruce. Mr. Leo MacDonald our head judge has meticulously chosen a caber that will, no doubt, continue the Antigonish tradition of big tough cabers. Antigonish is known world wide for using cabers that will bring out the very best a thrower can muster in attempting to master the ‘Big Stick’.   The 16 lb. hammer is the lighter of the two hammer events. The Scottish Hammer consists of round head made of lead, and a 50 inch long handle made of wicker, rattan or PVC which is strong and can flex on impact. The competitor vigorously rotates the hammer to gain momentum, and releases it into the air. The throw is measured for distance to where the hammer hits the ground. Most athletes wear special "hammer boots" - a heavy boot with a long spike (bayonet) at each of the toe-ends - which they dig into the earth to help maintain ground contact during rotation. The athlete must stay behind the trig and cannot move their feet until the hammer is released. The style is similar to the Olympic hammer except that the feet are stationary. There is no doubt the hammers will be flying in Antigonish this year. Canadian Record: 140'3" (Greg Hadley)   This event is much like the more familiar shot put, except a field stone weighing exactly 16lbs. is used. It is "put" from behind a "trig"- which is a marker log on the ground - and the athlete may not cross the trig at any time or his/her throw isn't counted. The stone may be "put" either Braemar (standing) or standard style as in regular shot-put fashion. (The stone, weights for distance and hammers are measured to where they hit the ground - and not to where they end up through rolling or bouncing.) The Antigonish Highland Games 16lb. stone is a newly quarried field stone specifically crafted for the Championship by Mr. Joe Arsenault of Arsenault Monuments Ltd. This stone will be used for all future Antigonish competitions. Canadian Record: 52'2" (Matt Doherty)     The little brother of the 56lber, the 28lb. weight for distance is an identical implement only with a 28lb round hunk of lead attached to chain and handle. The trig and athlete technique are, again, similar to the 56 but speed of rotation and distances thrown are faster and further. Considered to be the ‘more civilized’ of the weights for distance, this event features throws up to and over 80 feet. Canadian Record: 91'3" (Harry MacDonald)   This, like many of the events, derives from the farming traditions of Scotland, and grew out of a competition to see who could toss a sheaf of wheat the highest. Today the sheaf is a 20 lb. bag of twine and burlap tightly wrapped to form the implement to be thrown. A standard pitch fork, or if desired by the athlete, a modified standard pitch fork is used to toss the sheaf over a horizontal bar. Competitors get 3 attempts at each height, and getting the sheaf over the bar even once, lets the athlete move on to the next height. Two throwing techniques are used by the athletes. The older style consists of the athlete ‘back to’ the standard and simply flicking the sheaf up and over the bar using arm and back action without moving the feet. The newer and more technically difficult style is the spinning toss. The athletes will use a rotational movement in conjunction with arm and back strength to generate height. The ‘Sheaf Toss’ like the Challenge Caber are not included in the Championship scoring and are additional events contested for prize money and bragging rights. The Antigonish Games does not normally contest this event but for the Canadian Championship, organizers have decided to add this dynamic and crowd pleasing event. Canadian Record: 32' (Douglas MacDonald)       Official Clothing Provider of the CSAF Heavy Events Championship The 56lb. weight for height uses the same implement as the 56lb. weight for distance except that the length of chain between ball and handle is removed. Athletes must heave the weight over a bar using a technique that does not allow foot movement. Favored by the more powerful athlete, this event is a real crowd pleaser as spectators can literally watch the action up close and personal. World class heights of 16 feet and higher will determine the eventual winner of this exciting event. Canadian Record: 17'6" (Douglas MacDonald)   The 22lb. hammer is exactly like the 16lb. hammer except 6 pounds heavier. The rules, techniques and equipment are identical but the rotations are slower and the distances less due to the heavier implement. Contested on day 2 the spectators will be treated to some spectacular throwing as Canada’s best hammer tossers will give it their all to place high in this important event. Canadian Record: 116'7" (Douglas MacDonald)   This event is similar to the 16lb Open Stone event except that this stone weighs exactly 22lbs. and can only be thrown ‘Braemar’ or standing style . This simply means the athlete must throw the stone without spinning. The other rules of ‘putting’ apply and the same box and trig are used. This event really accentuates the athlete’s power and strength as it is not as technically difficult as the spinning style used in the lighter stone put. We are again extremely excited to have had Mr. Joe Arsenault quarry us a new ‘Braemar” stone to be used for the Championships. Canadian Record: 39'2" (Dan Markovic)     Sometimes respectfully referred to as ‘The Widow Maker’ the 56lb. weight for distance is the most technically and physically difficult of the 3 weight events. The implement is a 56lb. round hunk of lead suspended from a chain attached to a round or triangular handle that can be no longer than 18 inches. Known for literally ripping the skin off the athlete’s hand, this event can dislocate a competitor’s shoulder through a combination of centrifugal force and weight of implement. Standing in a 7’6” by 4’6” lined trig, the athlete must release the implement and maintain control in this confined space. The athletes typically use a 2 spin technique to generate speed and throw the weight as far as possible. Throws of 40 feet and further are well within the abilities of these Championship athletes. Canadian Record: 45'4" (Greg Hadley)   An added feature at our Championships this year is the inclusion of the ‘Challenge Caber’ competition. The Challenge Caber event will be open to those athletes that were successful in ‘turning’ the competition caber. The same rules and techniques apply to the challenge caber but it is not an official event that will be included in the scoring for the Championship. This crowd pleasing event is sometimes called the ‘money-caber’ as the athletes compete for a separate purse and bragging rights.  This "stick" is bigger than the "official" caber and again our head judge, Mr. Leo MacDonald, has chosen a very tough freshly cut Nova Scotia red spruce that will not only ‘challenge’ the throwers but will really separate the men from the boys. Do not miss this event that will be contested at the conclusion of the second day of competition.   Acknowledgement  Two specially designed Caber Stands have been commissioned by A.A. Munro Insurance to be used to showcase our mighty cabers at Columbus Field for the CSAF Heavy Events Championships.