Highland Games athletes to compete at Museum Day

By Ian MacKay

The people taking part in the Highland Games competition during Museum Day on Sunday "are the most supportive athletes that I have ever met," said Arlene Nichols.

"We are not competing against each other, necessarily," said Nichols, who expects to compete with husband AJ on the museum grounds on the southeast edge of town. "We are always trying to one-up ourselves and get better and better."

They expect to do traditional Scottish Highland events, likely capping the afternoon with the caber toss, where, running, they try to flip a log over so that the skyward end lands, then falls facing directly away from the launch position. Most points go to the toss that lands pointing closest to 12 o'clock — a straight line from the athlete's approach.

The other events will involve hurling weights, including stones, the farthest distance, other than in the weight over bar, for the highest toss.

The missiles in that event weigh 56 pounds for men and 28 pounds for women, and the bar often starts at eight feet off the ground, Nichols said.

"I think in Regina we had people throw up to 14 feet, and it can go up from there," she said. "That's one of my favourites and I like hammers, too."

The competitions will likely begin with open stone – launching a 16- to 22-pound (for men) stone in track and field's shot put fashion. Weight for distance involves a heavy ball attached to a chain with a handle. Heavy hammer uses a missile much like that used in track and field's hammer throw but from a standing position, without taking steps, Nichols said.

"I was the first (woman) when I started and now there are about three of us, at least, that have picked it up," Nichols said.

Many of the competitors will take part in the Tisdale Highland Games on June 13 and at Highland Carnage 3 at Big Manitou Lake near Marsden on Aug. 8, Nichols said.