Random thoughts after my first Highland Games

[Jack Daw]

Well, as OCR points out even Highland Games within the U.S. are different.
- In the Southwest where I live, you will not see as much brigadoonery because it's too warm (or hot) and humid.

I have been to only 2 Highland games in Scotland, so my experience is limited:
- In the U.S., the focus is still the games, but what seems to draw the crowds is the pipe band and solo competitions that are conducted also during the athletics. These competitions are mostly sanctioned by the U.S. Pipe Band Association (EUSPBA) and the Western version (WUSPBA), who approve the judges and maintain a roster of grade levels for the pipers and bands. Also, there are Highland dance competitions (primarily with young ladies competing), but I don't know anything about their organizational structure.
- In Scotland, there may be a clan host for an athletic event, if it is held in a particular clan territory.
- In the U.S., there will be a clan gathering of as few as 6 and as many as 76 clan associations, their purpose being to hawk memberships and provide shade to existing members. These gatherings can feature: torchlight ceremonies in the evening, tug of war competitions; bonniest knees contests, etc...
- I was surprised to see hamburgers sold at the Highland games in Scotland. At the Taynuilt Highland Games, there were 3 different vendors selling burgers, including a church that buttered the buns. To be fair, I considered it important to sample a burger from each, and 2 of the 3 were quite good and American-like.
- NO brigadoonery in Scotland, but I did see period-people wearing large bonnets and the great kilt at the Taynuilt games - these were not Americans, Jock Scot.
- The period-people in some states in the U.S. can get away with wearing dirks and swords even if it is illegal to wear such blades, because of the circumstances, but are required to be "peace-tied" in their scabbards. I saw no period-people with swords, and I don't recall dirks.
- In the U.S., you see plenty of vendors selling kilts, books, knick-knacks, anything of a Scottish or Celtic flavor. No such thing did I see at the HG in Scotland.
- In the U.S., there are usually 2 or 3 musical groups to perform. I saw nothing of this at the HG in Scotland.

That's my quick-and-dirty list of similarities and differences. To work for me now!

[OC Richard]

To give an example of what I call the "show biz" aspect of California Games, the Caledonian Club of San Francisco's Games design an entirely new logo for each year's Games, quite professional, and many are outstanding. They've realized that while there are some people who will buy a shirt to commemorate their visit regardless of what it looks like, there are other people who will buy the shirt mainly because it's an attractive shirt*. Would any Games in Scotland think of doing such a thing? I didn't see much "marketing" or "self-promotion" in Scotland, it's big here.

Here's the CCSF Games site. Notice all the peripheral stuff mentioned

http://www.thescottishgames.com/

They have a number of different stages with entertainment all day, both days. The site has videos of the different bands you can click on. A nice website!

Here's the 2012 logo



and here's the 2015 logo, 150 years



The Heavy Athletics have their own logo



*The Bridgeport WV Games sell the same unattractive amateurish-looking shirt every year. I've talked to the people, showed them the CCSF shirts, and tried to get them to use professional modern attractive designs, but they have no interest whatsoever, it seems, in selling shirts.

[MacKenzie]

Another slide show http://www.gocarolinas.com/gallery/e...gCSFr/#7134482

Lots more pics from the "historic zone".

[O'Callaghan]

That is my impression too. I wonder if those who are actually able to compare would care to comment? Alan H? Anyone?

The only such Games I ever attended in Scotland was in Bearsden, which is reckonned to the posh part of Glasgow, and was very informal, with no real boundaries, much less any fee to get in. Nevertheless, there were all the usual sporting events, like tossing the caber, etc., in fact not much else happening. Competition was fierce and serious. My late uncle Archie wore a kilt as a spectator and, like most other men in the crowd, brought with him a hip flask full of whisky, there being no refreshments provided that I recall.

In contrast, in the US the actual games seem to be only one of many things happening, and not even the most important, and there are all sorts of vendors flogging everything from kilts to haggis to tacky souvenirs. And of course, they charge you money to get in. In short, it is more commercial, which is no surprise.

[James Hood]

Many Americans have said it well. 'Have only been to Chicago area festivals, which are 2-day events with about 10-15,000 people on the grounds at average times.

A keeper-in-mind: metro Chicago has twice-plus the population of Scotland. "Very diverse."

Agreed; the athletics are part of it, as are the pipe bands. At the finale there are 1000 pipes and drums on the field.

Food is plentiful, 30 vendors and primarily "Scottish-fast," featuring gobs of "haggis" and bangers and yes, turkey legs and hot dogs and tropical smoothies. HUGE beer tents.

Usually 3 very competent bands playing all but one after the other, both days.

Dancing is off to another area as are a good number of clan tents, a British car show, Dogs of the British Isles, whiskey tasting, soccer and rugby.

The VAST vendor area sells everything from order-your-bespoke kilt to claymores and fantasy cutlery to bagpipes and hose and headwear and CDs and books and kilt pins and shortbread pans and canned haggis and fantasy-Renaissance bustiers and skirts to many, many inexpensive and varied-design kilts and tee shirts and a few sweaters and fresh scones and fancy biscuits and sweets.

Attendees are in all but near-pipe band-formal, to much more numerous $19.95 polyester kilts with pleats in front, concert tee shirt and flip flops. Fantasy Rennies can be semi-armoured and toting around enough hostile cutlery to take on the Orcs and no one seems to care. Many attendees guess is near-oid half, are sorta kilted but in the heat /humidity of Chicago summer (this used to be a pestilential swamp), not a large % are TCHD.

Just one opinion....

[Grouse Claw]

Bring some spectators down to New Zealand. We could do with a few more kilts in the audiences.

[OC Richard]

Thanks for that great post James! I've never been to the Chicago Games. They sound great. I like including soccer and rugby!

Are these the Games?

http://www.chicagoscots.org/highlandgames/

They had 21 pipe bands competing in 2014, looks like. (From the Midwest Pipe Band Association site.)

Our San Francisco Games (now held in Pleasanton) feature five-a-side soccer, and shinty. Shinty is the cool thing, because teams come over from Scotland and those guys speak Gaelic.

Interesting that those Chicago Games are only in their 29th year. I would have thought Chicago would have Games dating back to the mid-19th century, like our San Francisco Games (1865).

[OC Richard]

the U.S. Pipe Band Association (EUSPBA) and the Western version (WUSPBA)

For clarity's sake I should point out that EUSPBA is the Eastern United States Pipe Band Association.

[Jack Daw]

For clarity's sake I should point out that EUSPBA is the Eastern United States Pipe Band Association.

Oops! Yes, in my haste in typing, I dropped a word.

[HixwithanX]

I'll bet that none of the Games you've attended have these! The annual Tartan Day Festival in Minden, LA is a small event but they pitch a "big tent!"