In honor of
Tartan Day (April 6 in the United States) have a Mini-Highland Games. Some areas actually have Highland Games to attend, which are fun and fascinating. They have the Hammer Toss in which they throw stone hammers that are heavier than the ones that Angelique and Captain Gabriella Bashby are modeling here.
They also have a caber toss, which is really spectacular to watch as you seen athletes flip what look like telephone poles into the air!
The origins of the caber toss are thought to have come from ancient days in Scotland when Highlanders would need an instant bridge to cross during times of war. Imagine thinking you were safe from your opponent because you have a chasm between the two of you and then a brawny Scotsman drops a tree with his own bare hands and their army keeps moving forward.
Games were invented with the caber to keep the Scotsman fit and ready for battle. The standard caber that is used in the Highland Games is 19 1/2 feet tall and weighs 175 lbs. The object of the game is to toss the caber so that it flips in the air. A perfect score is when the "top" end is nearest the thrower and the "bottom" end is pointed exactly away from the thrower at the 12 o'clock position. Scores are calculated based on the flip of the caber and the landing position in relation to the tosser.
In honor of Tartan Days, we had a Mini-Caber Toss with our friends Aaron and Abbie. We used Tinker Toys and a piece of yarn.
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| The materials we used |
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| The Tinker Toy assembled Caber |
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| The Arena is prepared |
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| Aaron prepares to toss "The Caber" |
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| Not to be outdone by her brother, Abbie prepares to toss "The Caber" |
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| In honor of her perfect score, Abbie does a dance | | | |
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Happy Tartan Day!!!
