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In Scotland, the caber is usually made from a larch tree, and it can be between 16–20 feet (5–6 metres) tall and weigh 90–150 pounds (40–70 kilograms). [1] [2] The term "caber" derives from the Gaelic word cabar, which refers to a wooden beam. [1] The person tossing the caber is called a "tosser" or a "thrower". [3]
The judging of Caber toss might be deceptive. The straightest end-over-end toss scores highest. If the caber lands on its end but falls back towards the thrower, the score is lower than for any end-over-end throw, but is based upon the maximum vertical angle that the caber achieved (side-judging may involve a second judge).
The caber toss event involves tossing a 22-foot-long spruce log weighing about 125 lbs. The stone thrower event involves hurling a 25-lb. rock shot-put style. The 28-lb. and 56-lb. weight throw events involves using a one-handed throw to heave an iron block with iron ring attached.
Allan was active in many sports, including football, rugby, cricket and athletics at university and notably as a competitor in the Highland Games circuit, becoming world caber tossing champion in 1972. [5] [2] He performed and recorded as a singer, particularly of bothy ballads. [5] [1] Allan died on 13 December 2023, at the age of 84. [4] [7]
The Games features a variety of traditional Highland games events, including the shot put, caber toss, weight throw, weight over bar and hammer throw, as part of an international competition. The shot put is done with both a standard 16 pounds (7.3 kg) shot and with the naturally formed 34 pounds (15 kg) Cowal Stone.
The two books (The Scottish Highland Games in America by Emily Anne Donaldson; Sports and Games of Medieval Cultures by Sally E. D. Wilkins) I've found say 90-150 lbs, with one of them specifying that a caber the article describes (19ft 175lbs) is considered a challenge caber (specifically that a 19ft 160lbs caber is a challenge caber).
Writing for Info, Benn Dunnington gave the Commodore 64 version of World Games three-plus stars out of five and described it as "my least favorite of the series". Stating that slalom skiing was the best event, he concluded that "Epyx does such a nice, consistent job of execution, tho, that it's hard to take off too many points even for such boring material". [12]
The sheaf toss is also a traditional sport in the Basque Country. It is a feature of the annual Sykehouse Show in South Yorkshire, England. Sheaf tossing is also contested in Ireland and Australia particularly at agricultural shows and at fairs ; Irish sheaf tossing differs from sheaf tossing in Scotland and France in that the sheaf is made of ...