I drove 20-minutes to the parking lot and hopped into the waiting shuttle. (I know the suspense is killing you, isn’t it? Where could I possibly be going?!? I just love telling stories!) Me and two other people sat in the huge, air-conditioned shuttle that drove us to our destination. I made small-talk and informed my co-riders that this was my first time…they advised me to make sure I checked out the athletic competition going on, as it was really the highlight of the day. I nodded and smiled, “Oh yeah! That’s the only reason I’m going. An old friend is competing and I came to watch him.”
The shuttle pulled up to the entrance of Greenmead Historical Park in Livonia, the host sight of the 2011 Detroit Highland Games. I stepped out onto the lush, green grounds of the old village and was instantly welcomed by the sounds of bagpipes and drums. I strolled down the path, lined with flags of Scotland,various Celtic Clans and the USA and took in the sights around me. I’d never seen so many men in skirts! Kilts were the attire of choice, and rows of tents featuring Celtic crafts, merchandise and collectibles and Scottish foods dotted the landscape. The day’s events featured two stages of continuous entertainment, a Pipe Band Competition, a Highland dance competition and the “Parade of Clans.” Everywhere I looked, there were small groups of musicians dressed in traditional Scottish garb scattered throughout the area. Not one time during the day did the sounds of bagpipes and drums stop. You could hear it echoing through the trees all day long. Then, I found the athletics field. That’s what I was really there for…the Heavy Athletics competition. It was marked off with flags and bleachers were set up for the crowds that would soon be pouring in. A large tent housed the athletes competing and the other three sides of the field were spotted with spectators. I was early. The Amateur competition was going to start at 8:30 a.m., so not too many people were there yet. I saw some big, burly dudes warming up at the other end of the large field. They were throwing rocks.
Yes. They were literally throwing rocks...huge, giant rocks. You see, the Scottish heavy athletics honor their roots and have this competition to pay homage to the Highland warriors who would keep in shape between battles by competing amongst themselves with everyday items. A stone, a blacksmith's hammer and a tree trunk (caber) became tools for building strength for battle. The Heavy Athletics event at Greenmead draws top professional athletes from all over the world and I soon found out it is the premier Highland Games in the country!
I spotted my old friend and he came down the field to see me. Hugs and friendly banter exchanged, the competition was about to get under way. I was ready to cheer on my old friend and snap all kinds of pictures… I was taken to school that day. The athletes were competing in several different events. The first was the Stone Put. (That’s why they were warming up throwing rocks.) Much like the shot put in a track and field event, they had to lob a 22-24 lb. stone as far as they could, doing some fancy, spin, twisty thing.
Next was the 28-pound Weight Throw. This was where they grabbed a block of iron attached to a short chain with a ringed handle and again, whipped that sucker around and tossed it across the field using a fancy, spin-twist thing again. It was very medieval. I felt like I was watching Gladiators.
For the third event, they did something called the Hammer Toss. You’d think they just whip a regular old hammer across the yard…kind of like throwing a baseball. (You know, I’ve seen my husband do that when he gets mad trying to fix stuff.) But no. It’s more like some ancient tool of torture, with a wooden handle (that’s probably 3-feet long or more) and a huge metal ball at the end of it. They put glue on their hands to keep a hold of the thing and they even have special shoes! Unlike the Stone Put and the 28lb. Weight Throw, the competitors are not allowed to spin for this event. They put these blade things on the end of their boots and jam them into the grass so their feet stay stationary. Then they swing this insanely long hammer-weapon around their body and head like a nun-chuck. They face their backs to the crowd and with their feet planted firmly (and stuck into the grass with their crazy-blade-shoes) they swivel their hips like Elvis Presley on speed, rotate their entire body and then whip this almost 4-foot, 16 lb. hammer of death backwards over their shoulders. I saw the first guy do it and thought three things. (1) Damn. That guy would win any hula-hoop contest. (2) It takes a man comfortable with his own masculinity to move like that wearing a kilt. And (3) MY GOD! They are going to need a chiropractor tomorrow! I couldn’t imagine the twisting back and hip pain throwing that hammer must inflict on these guys.
Finally, they did what the crowd was waiting for…the Caber Toss. Sounds innocent enough, right? Ha. You would be mistaken. The caber toss is where the athlete picks up a large LOG, which in case you didn’t know it, is basically a TELEPHONE POLE, weighing around 130 lbs. They pick it up from the bottom end and have to balance the entire weight of the pole with the palms of their hands. (Which again, they smear glue on to help them hold onto it. If it were me, I’d slather on a bunch of that Super Glue or Mighty Putty on them. You remember that stuff, right? Billy Mays used to advertise it for those As Seen On TV products) Anyhow, once they manage the feat of picking it up and balancing it, they have to RUN with it, hoist it up slightly higher and heave it into the air, hoping to get the Caber (i.e. telephone pole) to flip end over end. How it lands on the grass determines their score. It is crazy, insane and nuts to watch. I was in awe. Simply amazed. I also said, (out loud to no one in particular) "I need to get these guys to build me a new deck. 'Cause they can sure haul lumber."
Sure, it’s a crazy, old-fashioned cultural competition…yet...we watch. And it is AMAZING. After watching these (for the most part) regular guys do this, I decided that I complain far too much. I mean, I moan and groan about carrying a 40-lb bag of dirt in my garden, or a 20 lb. of dog food into my house from the trunk of my car….and that’s just ridiculous. We are capable of so much more! The human body is capable of sooo much more than we give it credit for. We are a lazy, couch-potato, instant-result society and seeing this old-school competition reminded me of how hard our ancestors had to work for everything…And more importantly, what our bodies are capable of doing. You don’t have to go lift a telephone pole, but it wouldn’t kill you to go for a walk around your block. Our bodies were meant to move. Our legs and our feet were meant to be used. Our arms and hands should be used for more than the extension of the remote control. Work in your yard...pull some weeds…haul some dirt. Do some work. You may hurt for a bit, but you will feel alive and you will reap the rewards of putting your body in motion. (And your yard will probably look nicer too!)
Seeing my friend, Danny, lift that caber not once, not twice, but three times, amazed and inspired me. So, when I go out for my six-mile run tonight and I’m feeling tired and sore and want to stop….I will picture him in my head, throwing a telephone pole. After all, moving my legs a little bit is much easier than that. I can handle trotting a few more blocks if he can throw a telephone pole.
Here’s to a new adventure for you all…Make an effort to MOVE this week.
For your inspiration and amazement (and with his permission) I’ve posted the video of my friend, Danny Bradley, tossing the caber. (That bag of dirt doesn’t seem so heavy now, does it?)
Please click the FB Like Button at the bottom of this post if you liked it!