Scottish Games!

So there's a Scottish Games events in NY that I've been to a few times with the family. Looking for something to do, and not knowing it was going to be 95 degrees in Minnesota that day, Becky and I decided to try the MN Scottish Games out here. We mainly went to see the huge dudes compete in the heavy events (caber toss, 18lb stone throw, 56lb weight throw, etc). Becky brought along a coworker and her fiance, Crixell and Bob. Bob also threw in college, so they were interested in seeing the throwers too. When we got there they announced an open Haggis Hurling competition for the women. We were like, uh...OK. Whatever. Then they announced kids a little later, so we went to watch. Basically, you stand on half a whiskey keg and hurl this piece of meat as far as you can. The kids' is 1 pound, and the adults' is 1.5 pounds. Since the ladies had missed their competition and had nothing to lose, they bet the men to throw the haggis. So we did.


All you do is throw it, there's not really any technique or anything. The trick is staying on top of this whiskey keg without falling off during your follow through. If you do, they honk a horn at you. You only get one try. I'm a big dude, see pictures, so this was my biggest worry. That and what does this thing feel like. A haggis? What is a haggis? Well, traditionally a haggis is oatmeal, meat (or whatever kinds of animal insides are leftover - use your imagination), and spices, all ground and smashed into a sheep's stomach. There's more on history of haggis and haggis hurling at the Official Website of The Association for Scottish Haggis Hurling (apparently this is a big deal). We're throwing a frozen haggis wrapped up in plastic so it's about 8 inches long and 4 inches in diameter. I'm thinking is it wet, slippery, frozen solid, who knows? They had a bag of dry peat we could dip our hands into for grip (kinda like chalk, but not as effective). You also think about how to throw it. Overhand? Underhand? Like a discus? Like a football with a spiral? I was seriously considering the discus style, but a whiskey keg is not big enough to comfortably land on when I'd jump in the air (a reverse, for throwers).

Bob's turn comes and he hurls it out there overhand to 100' 11", good enough for 2nd at the time. My turn comes, and Bob gives me great advice to put your hand around the back of it for a flick at the end, more or less. So I pick up the thing and it's not wet or slippery, or even frozen for that matter. Kinda like spam in a plastic bag, but hefty. Anyways, from my throwing days I know to drive with the right leg as much as you can and move the haggis as fast as you can from behind you to the front. Also get good height on the haggis, so many people throw it harder than me but straight into the ground. My javelin throwers would've been proud. I threw through the point of the haggis!! Look at the picture.


Chest and eyes up, nice block, nice follow through (nice gut). 114' even!!! First place for the moment. The competition had a crowd of a hundred or so random people looking on, and I'd say there were 30 or 40 people who threw it. Now it was nearing the end of the day and the heavy events just finished up. So they announced the men's haggis throw to these dudes and they all came strutting over laughing at the 1.5 pound haggis (one of these guys just threw 56lbs over a 14' bar with one hand). Great. So over come all these huge dudes to kick my ass in haggis hurling. Well, as it turns out all these guys would make really nasty shot putters but really bad javelin throwers (not that I would make a good jav thrower) and they all pretty much gunned the thing straight into the ground too, all around 100 feet. All of them easily had enough power to destroy my throw, but they all sucked it up! One dude threw 110, which was a worry for me while the measured it. But then all the big guys finished up, and it was over! I WON!! This is now the blog of the First Annual Minnesota Scottish Fair and Highland Games Haggis Hurling Champion!! Since it was the first annual competition, I'm the record holder. Apparently the North American record was 120' which was recently broken with a 140'. I found out the world record is 180' set 20 years ago. I think I did fairly well for myself, but get any strong baseball player or jav thrower up there and my record won't stand a chance. Who knows, maybe I'll practice in the off season and come back to defend it next year! But for now, I'm content. I won a can of sirloin haggis, a huge can of single malt whiskey cake, and a 3XL (rather than the other option - medium) t-shirt seen below. I wear it proudly.