Kamloops Highland Games

[Old Hippie]

This weekend was the Kamloops Highland Games. It's a little smaller gathering than some, but well attended and lots of fun.

First thing on the agenda was meeting Laurie Harder, fellow XMarker and another Kamloopsian...



He brought his grand-daughter to the games -- her first experience up close and personal with the bagpipes. He's wearing a really nice Black Stewart, one of only two black tartans I saw. I needed pockets to hold snacks and water bottle, so I'm wearing the UK Workman. Couple of well-turned-out dudes, I must say.

This games had basically three events -- piping, dancing and heavy games. There were a couple of vendors set up, and a booth for the Kamloops St. Andrews Caledonian Society, but outside of that it was all business all the time.

Evidently, the heavy games grew out of historical tests of strength and courage. Since I'm an amateur anthropologist, I was able to form some tentative conclusions about their origins.

During the 1600s the Scots were rather poor and could not afford cannons. Cannon balls were cheaper. Even cheaper, of course, if the opposing team delivered them to the Scots during battle. The Scots would then simply pick up the cannon balls and hurl them back...


If cannon balls were not coming in fast enough, large stones would work also. You can't see the large stone here, but you can see why a "set of blacks" is needed at a heavy games...



Another event apparently got invented when a Scot missed his mark and struck his foot with a large hammer. Having done this myself, I can imagine that his buddies thought it looked great fun, particularly if beer was involved. I've hurled a tool in my time, but nothing like this...



One of the players was a chap who showed up and wanted to try his hand. He evidently was a "Strong Man" competitor and is thinking about switching to heavy games because, let's face it, tight jeans really aren't comfy for throwing heavy things around...



He did well, so maybe he's had experience.

Historically, we know the Scots were great engineers, and had a large hand in the development of the steam engines that powered the Industrial Revolution. In my opinion, this next event developed from the sport of hurling steam engines over telegraph wires...



That's 52 pounds of cast iron the lad is energetically hurling over the bar. If memory serves, the lady in the kilt watching him is his wife. She throws a mean engine block, too...



The Strong Man got close...



And this fellow's hand slipped, for an early release...



The relaxed looking judge in the white polo shirt looked a little less relaxed when the weight came down right in front of him and took out the bucket of rosin.