Highland Games
Sep. 5th, 2009 08:14 pmWe went to the Wisconsin Highland Games today. Got sunburned and dehydrated. Ate food, drank Scotch. Saw pipe and drum corps, axe throwers, archers, heavy athletics, sheep and duck herding etc. Didn't see rugby, dancing or much combat demonstrations.
We saw two weight throws - for distance, and for height. They were throwing 56 pound weights. Sixty to eighty feet distance, or fourteen to sixteen feet high.
Missed the caber toss. I saw cabers in the distance, so we went over. We saw three attempts - all failures. Then the announcer wrapped it up and said what a privilege it was to see such an exciting competition it had been. Someone had apparently made an almost perfect toss. Oh well. Maybe next year. We also missed the big pipe and drum corp... show. Where all of them gather on the field and play at once. My dad says it's a moving experience to hear that. I'll have to take his word for it.
My dad was in the axe throwing contest with his clan. As of today, they were in first place, but they throw again tomorrow.

( see the video )
We saw two weight throws - for distance, and for height. They were throwing 56 pound weights. Sixty to eighty feet distance, or fourteen to sixteen feet high.
Missed the caber toss. I saw cabers in the distance, so we went over. We saw three attempts - all failures. Then the announcer wrapped it up and said what a privilege it was to see such an exciting competition it had been. Someone had apparently made an almost perfect toss. Oh well. Maybe next year. We also missed the big pipe and drum corp... show. Where all of them gather on the field and play at once. My dad says it's a moving experience to hear that. I'll have to take his word for it.
My dad was in the axe throwing contest with his clan. As of today, they were in first place, but they throw again tomorrow.
( see the video )