Antigonish Highland games

     We were excited to end our trip along the Northumberland Strait in Antigonish at the 2018 Antigonish Highland Games. Neither one of us had ever been to a highland games before so we were very much looking forward to the dancing, the caber toss, hammer throw, etc.  The first highland games in Antigonish were held in 1863 so the games have a long history. There was a lot to see and do during the weekend and the weather was beautiful.

    The weekend started with a parade to kick off the festivities. It was a good parade with many, many participants. The town was excited, anxiously waiting with their lawn chairs at the side of the road for hours before the parade. The parade consisted of many marching bands, all of which would be competing throughout the weekend, businesses with their floats, the mayors of various towns, walking clowns and other characters handing out candy and other goodies, many classic cars and of course, several fire trucks.

  The following photos show the best of the parade:

     Below are some of the vehicles in the parade. Some are classics and some are unique. The first photo of a car with two front ends. It drove down the street back and forth as the two drivers tried to move along. 

This is the way to travel

      The modern day Highland games include the following:

     Highland Dancing of all ages and styles

      Caber Toss: The competitors must "pick" (pick up) the caber, run and toss it so that it flips over directly opposite from him. This is the most well-known event of the games.

     

     Hammer Throw: The goal is to attain the greatest distance. Your feet are not allowed to move so boots are worn with a long spike at the toe which is dug into the earth which helps maintain footing during the rotations. The competitor must rotate or "wind" the hammer to gain momentum before releasing it into the air.

        The 56 lb. Weight for Height: The Weight for Height uses a 56 lb. mass attached to a round handle that athletes must heave over a bar using a technique that does not allow foot movement. Only one hand is permitted for the throw.   Each athlete gets three attempts to clear each height.  The bar is then raised incrementally until only one successful hurler remains.

     The 56 lb. Weight for Distance: Sometimes referred to as "The Widow Maker", the 56 lb. weight for distance is the most technically and physically difficult of weighted events. The implement is a 56 lb. mass suspended from a chain attached to a round or triangular handle that can be no longer than 18 inches. Standing in a 7'6" by 4'6" lined area, the athlete must release the implement and maintain control in this confined space. The athletes typically use a two spin technique to generate speed and throw the weight as far as possible.

     Tug of War: This was my favourite event. There were only two teams this year but they had to pull twice (two out of three). The home team won two pulls but it wasn't easy. If you can imagine pulling for 15 minutes and if no team has pulled the other over the centre line by then, you had an extra 5 mins. of pulling. It is hard on your hands (no one wears gloves) and other parts of your body where the rope will rub. Many wear long sleeves or jackets to protect skin. The pullers cannot not have any part of their body touch the ground, except feet of course. The anchor person at the end of rope can touch the ground with their hands.

     Piping and Drumming Bands: Solo and pipe bands compete at different levels. Below is the massed bands performing.

    It was a glorious weekend full of activities, events and places to see. The sun was shining. We even got some nice colour to our pale winter skin. There were so many exciting moments where you were literally sitting on the edge of your seat.