The caber toss is a traditional Scots sport whaur kempers toss a big powl cried a "caber" (/ˈkeɪbə/), ordinar duin at the Hieland gemmes. The caber is uisually makit frae a larick tree an can be atween 16–20 feet (4.9–6.1 m) tall an wechts atween 90–150 pound (6.4–10.7 st; 41–68 kg).[1][2] The term "caber" comes frae the Gaelic cabar, a widden bauk.[1]

Caber toss
A caber bein tossed at the 2000 New Hampshire Hieland gemmes
Characteristics
OlympicNa
Kintra or regionScotland
Man throwing the caber, a tapered pole.
Tossin the caber at a Hielan gemms.

The body tossin the caber is cried a "tosser" or a "thrawer".[3]

It is believed tae hae come aboot frae the need tae thraw logs ootower nairie cleuchs in order tae cross thaim, lummerjacks needin tae muive logs bi thrawin thaim in burns,[4] or bi lummerjacks haudin kemps atween thaimsels.

The record fur the maist nummer o caber tosses in three minties is currently haud bi Canadian Danny Frame. He did 16 caber tosses on 20 Julie 2018 at the Heart of the Valley Festival in Middletoun, Nova Scotia, Canadae.[5]

Goal an wey eedit

The main goal is tae toss the caber sae it turns end ower end, fawin awa fae the tosser. Ideally it shid faw directly awa frae the tosser in the 12 o'clock position. The range thrawn isnae important.

The tosser balances the caber upricht, tapered end dounwith against their shoulder an neck, the caber bein stellt bi stewarts an fella kempers while bein placed in position. The tosser then crooches, slidin their interlockit haunds doon the caber an unner the roonded base an lifts it wi their cupped haunds.

The tosser maun balance the caber upricht; this isnae easy wi the swaar end at the tap, an unskilly tossers mey be unable tae stap the caber fawin tae ane side efter liftin it. The tosser then taks a few paces forrit tae gain momentum, an flips the tapered end upwith sae the swaar end hits the groond furst, an, if weel tossit, the caber faws directly awa frae the tosser.

Scorin eedit

The strachtest end-ower-end toss scores heichist. If the caber lands oan its end but faws taewarts the tosser, the score is lawer than fur ony end-ower-end thraw but is based oan the ootmaist upricht squint that the caber gaint.

End-ower-end tosses ur scored accordin tae the hours oan the clock, wi a 12:00 score bein heichist (fawin directly awa fae the tosser), doon tae a 9 or 3 fur cabers that reakit an upricht afore fawin tae the side.

References eedit

  1. a b Donaldson, Emily Anne (20 Januar 2001). Scottish Highland Games in America (New Ed ed.). Pelican Publishing Company. pp. 78–79. ISBN 9781455611713.CS1 maint: extra text (link)
  2. Wilkins, Sally (2002). Sports and games of medieval cultures. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press. p. 138. ISBN 9780313360794.
  3.   Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Caber Tossing" . Encyclopædia Britannica. 4 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 917. Cite has empty unkent parameters: |HIDE_PARAMETER15=, |HIDE_PARAMETER13=, |HIDE_PARAMETER14c=, |HIDE_PARAMETER14=, |HIDE_PARAMETER9=, |HIDE_PARAMETER3=, |HIDE_PARAMETER1=, |HIDE_PARAMETER4=, |HIDE_PARAMETER2=, |HIDE_PARAMETER8=, |HIDE_PARAMETER20=, |HIDE_PARAMETER5=, |HIDE_PARAMETER7=, |HIDE_PARAMETER10=, |separator=, |HIDE_PARAMETER14b=, |HIDE_PARAMETER6=, |HIDE_PARAMETER11=, and |HIDE_PARAMETER12= (help)
  4. English, Nick (8 November 2016). "Caber Tossing: Why Hurling Trees Is the Most Delicate Strength Sport". BarBend. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  5. "Danny Frame sets caber toss world record with 16 flips at Middleton festival | The Casket". www.thecasket.ca (in Inglis). Retrieved 23 Julie 2018.