Beaver Island Celtic Games - July 23, 2005
Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2005 6:01 pm
Following is a press release relating to the upcoming Beaver Island Celtic Games which will be held the weekend of the 22nd of July. There will be a demonstration event at 3pm on Friday with the main games through the day on Saturday. Be sure to join us.
Kilted strongmen from across
> Michigan will be converging on Beaver Island July 23
> for the first Beaver Island Celtic Games.
> These large men will be competing on the island in
> seven traditional Irish and Scottish strength events
> designed to test their skills and power. In addition
> trying to throw large, heavy objects farther than each
> other, they will entertain the crowd with their
> on-the-field antics and provide valuable history
> lessons in Celtic culture.
> "It is a lot of fun to watch the athletes of the
> Celtic games compete, not just to see their skill at
> throwing weights and large trees that look like
> telephone poles, but because of the history you can
> learn in the process," said athlete and Scottish
> bagpiper Jeremy McBain, of Charlevoix, an organizer of
> this event.
> McBain will be one of the 13 athletes taking part in
> the Celtic games.
> The athletes will be competing in seven traditional
> Celtic strength events. For distance, they throw 28
> and 56 pound weights with one arm, 22 pound hammers
> and large rocks. For height, they throw another 56
> pound weight straight up in the air with one arm, as
> well as use a three-pronged pitchfork to toss a 20-25
> pound burlap bag filled with twine in the air.
> These Celtic strongmen will also be tossing the caber
> - one of the best known Celtic heavy events.
> The caber is a 18 foot to 20 foot long, 150-plus pound
> tree that has had all of its branches removed, making
> it look like a long telephone pole. The athletes hoist
> the caber straight up in the air and balance it on
> their shoulder. After a brief run, they throw it
> straight up in an attempt to get the pole to flip
> end-over-end.
> The goal is to get the end that was in their hands to
> land directly away from them. The closer the get to
> this goal, the more points they receive.
> Throughout the games, the athletes and judge will
> provide commentary about the events and their history.
> The lessons are filled with Celtic pride and humor.
> Each of the athletes will also be wearing the
> traditional Scottish kilt of their individual clans.
> National rules for Celtic games dictate that athletes
> must wear kilts in competition.
> The results of the games will be used in the athletes
> national rankings with the North American Scottish
> Games Athletics association.
> In addition to watching the action on the field, the
> audience will have a chance to show off their strength
> along with the athletes in the Beaver Island Stone of
> Strength.
> The Stone of Strength is a 90-plus pound boulder that
> must be picked up by a contestant, lifted into the air
> and, after a short run for momentum, thrown for
> distance. The winner of this event will have their
> name written on the stone for all to see.
> Plans are also in the works for a traditional keg toss
> for athletes and audience members. In this event, a
> competitor takes an empty beer keg and throws it in
> the air for height, using only one arm.
> The Beaver Island Celtic Games are being hosted by the
> Beaver Island Historical Society in connection with
> its Museum Week. While there is no fee to watch the
> games, T-shirts commemorating the event will be sold
> and donations are being accepted. Proceeds from this
> will go toward paying for the games and to raise
> funding the Beaver Island Historical Society.
> McBain said, "We are hoping to expand these games in
> the future to be more of a weekend event in the fall
> and include more competitors and more Celtic-type
> events, such as music, food and dancing. This year's
> game is just the start of something great."
> The games will begin at 9 a.m., Saturday, July 23 at
> the Beaver Island ball diamonds, near the north Beaver
> Island lighthouse. The games will run until around 5
> p.m.
Kilted strongmen from across
> Michigan will be converging on Beaver Island July 23
> for the first Beaver Island Celtic Games.
> These large men will be competing on the island in
> seven traditional Irish and Scottish strength events
> designed to test their skills and power. In addition
> trying to throw large, heavy objects farther than each
> other, they will entertain the crowd with their
> on-the-field antics and provide valuable history
> lessons in Celtic culture.
> "It is a lot of fun to watch the athletes of the
> Celtic games compete, not just to see their skill at
> throwing weights and large trees that look like
> telephone poles, but because of the history you can
> learn in the process," said athlete and Scottish
> bagpiper Jeremy McBain, of Charlevoix, an organizer of
> this event.
> McBain will be one of the 13 athletes taking part in
> the Celtic games.
> The athletes will be competing in seven traditional
> Celtic strength events. For distance, they throw 28
> and 56 pound weights with one arm, 22 pound hammers
> and large rocks. For height, they throw another 56
> pound weight straight up in the air with one arm, as
> well as use a three-pronged pitchfork to toss a 20-25
> pound burlap bag filled with twine in the air.
> These Celtic strongmen will also be tossing the caber
> - one of the best known Celtic heavy events.
> The caber is a 18 foot to 20 foot long, 150-plus pound
> tree that has had all of its branches removed, making
> it look like a long telephone pole. The athletes hoist
> the caber straight up in the air and balance it on
> their shoulder. After a brief run, they throw it
> straight up in an attempt to get the pole to flip
> end-over-end.
> The goal is to get the end that was in their hands to
> land directly away from them. The closer the get to
> this goal, the more points they receive.
> Throughout the games, the athletes and judge will
> provide commentary about the events and their history.
> The lessons are filled with Celtic pride and humor.
> Each of the athletes will also be wearing the
> traditional Scottish kilt of their individual clans.
> National rules for Celtic games dictate that athletes
> must wear kilts in competition.
> The results of the games will be used in the athletes
> national rankings with the North American Scottish
> Games Athletics association.
> In addition to watching the action on the field, the
> audience will have a chance to show off their strength
> along with the athletes in the Beaver Island Stone of
> Strength.
> The Stone of Strength is a 90-plus pound boulder that
> must be picked up by a contestant, lifted into the air
> and, after a short run for momentum, thrown for
> distance. The winner of this event will have their
> name written on the stone for all to see.
> Plans are also in the works for a traditional keg toss
> for athletes and audience members. In this event, a
> competitor takes an empty beer keg and throws it in
> the air for height, using only one arm.
> The Beaver Island Celtic Games are being hosted by the
> Beaver Island Historical Society in connection with
> its Museum Week. While there is no fee to watch the
> games, T-shirts commemorating the event will be sold
> and donations are being accepted. Proceeds from this
> will go toward paying for the games and to raise
> funding the Beaver Island Historical Society.
> McBain said, "We are hoping to expand these games in
> the future to be more of a weekend event in the fall
> and include more competitors and more Celtic-type
> events, such as music, food and dancing. This year's
> game is just the start of something great."
> The games will begin at 9 a.m., Saturday, July 23 at
> the Beaver Island ball diamonds, near the north Beaver
> Island lighthouse. The games will run until around 5
> p.m.