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Scottish Athletics
Scottish athletics are very different from most other athletics. First and foremost, they are individual competitions, not team. Second, they are pure shows of strength and skill. Some would have you believe that all the athletic events have origins in military use or farming but the reality is that big men have always liked to compete against each other in matters of strength. The Sheaf Toss is the only event that truly could have use on a farm (tossing a sheaf of hay up into a barn loft) but it is a recent addition to the Scottish athletics. The idea of a bare-shanked Highlander using the Caber Toss to make a bridge across a burn is patently ridiculous it would be much easier and safer to just hold the log upright on one bank and let the other end fall to the farther bank. An argument (albeit a weak one) could be made that the Weight for Distance or Weight for Height were useful war skills when protecting castle or laying siege to one.
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Throw or Toss?
What is the difference between a throw and a toss? Normally the throw is for distance and the toss is for height or, in the case of the caber, accuracy. |
Aside from the size of the athletes (big, huge, gigantic, awesome all these terms understate their size), the most notable feature of the athletes is that they are all wearing kilts. Some of the kilts are a wee bit small for the man (do you want to point that out to him?) and the rest of their apparel is rather non-Scottish. Most athletes will have on tee shirts with Games' logos and athletic socks (no garters or flashings). They are also not dressed "regimentally" due to the swirling motions that they must make (especially in the Hammer and Stone Throws); instead they wear shorts of various types and colors. Queen Victoria would approve. Notice their shoes: in several events the athletes will be wearing shoes with spikes going forward (not down) from the tip of the shoe. These spikes assist the athletes in getting a firm grip to the earth during their exertions.
There is a wonderful camaraderie amongst the athletes. They will lend each other equipment, give advice, and joke freely. Sometimes it is almost more fun to watch the athletes at rest then when competing!