Highland Games-State Championships-Caber Throw (49 images)

The Caber Toss is probably the most well-known heavy lifting events at Highland Games and is my favorite. It's a true test of balance, control, technique and sheer strength. No-one really knows for sure what the origins of this contest are. Some say it started out as a way for Scots to bridge fast-flowing streams or rivers using the materials to hand. Others believe Highlanders would flip huge logs up against castle walls as a way of breaching their defenses during a siege.

The caber is a full-length log, usually between fifteen and twenty-two feet long, and weighing between a hundred and one-hundred-eighty pounds. Contestants have to life the caber vertically, cupping the end with both hands (one end of the log is whittled down to a suitable size for this) and then hold it balanced against their body. 

Once balanced, the thrower has to run a forward for a short distance and use their momentum and upper body strength to literally toss this huge pole into the air, with the aim of sending it end over end in line with the direction of the contestants run. The top end of the caber should hit the ground first, with the lower end then arcing over it to fall to the ground. The height and distance that the caber is thrown can look impressive, but judging isn't based on either of those things. Instead it looks for the position the caber comes to rest in. The aim is to have the caber land directly in front of the contestant, in line with his/her run. (Note the judge standing behind the competitors.)

Yep, LOTS of photos in this post - it's for the competitors!