Skeptomania - Paranormal / UFOs, etc.

Yaish · Intel Chief

It's a week overdue, but I've finally had the time to get this post together.

Last week I competed in the Monterey Highland Games. This was my second time competing there, last year I was in C class and I won my division. That spurred me to step up to the next class, B's where I've been competing all year. I won my division again this year at Monterey, setting three personal records for myself in the process.

It was actually tied after the last event, with myself and another competitor both having twelve points. The Games are scored such that each event grants you however many points you place. Lowest overall score wins. Phil Harvey and I each had four 1st place and four 2nd place finishes through eight events, for a total of 12 points each. The tiebreaker is traditionally the winner of the Caber event, which I won, though barely.
I had two turns of three attempts, those scoring one perfect 12:00 and another a 10:30. Phil turned an 11:00, then on his final attempt it went over looking like it was going to be a 12:00, but it turned to a 12:15, granting a win by the narrowest of margins.

This was actually the second win I've had, both by ties after the final event with Caber as the deciding score. Good thing I'm good at Caber. Now, on to the pics and vids.

The first event starts out with the Braemar stone, a 22lb stone putted from the shoulder.

This is a 31 foot throw, only three inches short of my best throw ever.

We then proceeded to the Open Stone, a 16lb stone also putted from the shoulder, but this time a run up of some sort is allowed.

This one is a 36 ft throw, about a foot short of my best effort to date.

The next events were both Weight for Distance events, a Heavy and a Light. The Heavy is 56 lbs, the light half that at 28lbs.

This is the Heavy Weight, thrown 24' 3". My personal best by three inches.

Lightweight, tossed 46 feet, less than a foot short of my best ever.

The weights are my worst events. When compared to the World Records in each event, I usually throw about 60% of the record. My weights I'm only about 50%.

Weight Over Bar, also 56 lbs. I can clear 11 ft, WR is around 20.

Vid of same

We moved on to Hammers, again contested in both a Light and Heavy event. The Heavy Hammer is 22lbs on a 50 inch PVC shaft. I've improved a great deal since last year, moving from the high 50's, low 60's to 69 earlier this year. At Monterey I shattered that record, making three tosses of better than 70 ft.

In the hammer cage (so as not to kill bystanders from a wayward hammer)

Video of my 75' toss.

I also set a PR on my lightweight toss, but only by a couple feet. My previous best was 87', here I threw an 89'. I really wanted to break 90 for the first time, but kept over thinking it and screwing with my rhythm.

Ok, now on to the signature event, the Caber. First we turned a "cyber caber". It really a converted light pole, 15ft long and 85 lbs. While the pole is tapered, and it isn't that long it's actually really tough to turn. The steel weighs about the same regardless of the taper, so it's balance point is right near the middle. In caber terms, that's called a 'dead stick', or one that doesn't have a heavy end that wants to turn.
Caber is judged by the upper end landing first, then the lower end continuing to fall away from you, dead away at 12:00 is a perfect score. Dead sticks turn harder than their actual weight/height because the upper end isn't heavy enough to want to fall first. (Think of throwing a dart in the air, how it turns to land point down)

Turning the cyber caber.

That one was just a qualifier. If you turned that one, you got a chance at turning "The Lion", a 17'6", 85lb wooden caber.

My 10:30 toss.

The 12:00. Unfortunately the video cuts short, but it goes straight over.

And this is an example of what happens if the 'foot' gets away from you. Just to show this really isn't that easy.

Also some buddies attempting the cyber caber. Only one turned it.

Nathan finally got it.

Finally, a bit of a medley. A couple weight throws, lots of hammers, and me doing a flip. I swear I can land that, I was just so excited hitting that 75 footer I forgot to put my feet in line.

Finally, a shot of two friends I got into the Games along with me.

Group shot. I was better than ALL those guys that day. =)

Finally a shot on the long drive home...

wrphhi

Yaish. Once again, congratulations. Great post, both informative and entertaining. I know you spent a lot of time composing it and I enjoyed reading/watching it. Do you spend a lot of time training, and/or in the gym? I would assume you do since just about every event requires strength, as well as form/timing.

Raven · Google Meister

Wow, it a few of the tosses, you seemed to be coming pretty close to hitting the guy standing out there, but you just kept missing... better luck next time...

WTB1

Raven you stole my joke. I was going to say...Yaish, you suck. You missed every damn person out there.

Good stuff Yaish, congrats on improving and congrats on being at the top too.

Yaish · Intel Chief

I actually haven't been in the gym in a long time. I should, I know this, but I just cant find the time with everything else I do.

I do try to keep active, and I try to practice for the actual events weekly unless I am competing. I have a full set of practice equipment, including a caber so I can practice all the events at home.

Practice has taken me a lot further since I got serious about it last year. Just to compare last years scores with this ones, see below.

Class rank as depicted by NASGA database

2007 2008
C class, 4th place B class, 12th place

Total points

4414 4772

Braemar Stone

29'2" 31' 2.75"

Open Stone

34'9" 37' 7"

Heavy Weight for Distance

22' 10" 24' 3.5"

Light Weight for Distance

42' 8" 46' 9"

Heavy Hammer

66' 1" 75' 4.5"

Light Hammer

85' 2" 89' 4"

Weight over Bar
10' 11'

Some of the scores for the 2007 season came after I started practicing heavily, so they are actually better than most of the year. Most of those throws were made in November, in one of the final games of the year. By that point I was already well on my way to B class.

paul68 · Shaved Ape

I love that "cage" of netting. I keep imagining a 22 pound chunk of iron thrown at speed meeting it, and sailing on through as if it werent even there.
Good stuff Yaish.

Yaish · Intel Chief

You'd be surprised how well that Cage holds up Paul. I've lost a few hammers into it myself, and even seen the Pro's/A's lose a few, and it stops the weight. It gathers and stretches about 10 feet before it stops the hammer, but it'll stop it eventually. If the net was strung tight then yeah, I'd have no doubt it would go through.

It's actually an NCAA wire hammer cage, so it's specifically designed for it. Some Games use panels of portable fencing, but I don't like those as much. Too much bounce back, potentially putting the thrower at risk.

Throwers usually put tacky (a sticky pinetar like substance) on their hands when throwing. I prefer the latex palmed gloves you see, as it gives me great grip but more control. I let go when I want to let go, not when the tacky breaks free.

LAMZY

Jolly good show!!
To bad your arn't comming to Portland.

Astrea

That was awesome, Yaish. Congrats.

murphy · Horse Nazi

I noticed that while you were in the process of throwing the heavy weight, you actually had the time to pull up your kilt to show of your tat.
Smooth!!