True or False...

[sorcererdale]

The standard height and weight of a caber in the ancient Scottish sport of men's caber throwing is 10 feet in height and at least 100 pounds.

True or False


I don't know that much about cabers, just from what I have seen and what has been talked about here. But here is what was on my Fact or Crap calendar today.

There is no standard size or weight for a competition caber. The only requirements are that half the competitors must be able to toss it and that it be made entirely out of wood. Most cabers are between 15 and 19 feet and weigh between 110 and 160 pounds. The caber throw - which dates back to the 16th century, when the skill was necessary for Scottish warriors to cross rivers - is judged for accuracy, not distance.


DALE.

[Splash_4]

Hmmm, now you have me wondering. During the Stone Mountain Highland Games in Georgia, most of the athletes had trouble turning the caber in both the senior and the open divisions.... What does that do for the 1/2 part of the statement?

[Barclay]

I don't know that I've ever attempted a turn on a 10' caber - they are usually a good bit longer (or at least seem a good bit longer ). But yes, the weight and height standards cited are spot on.

So, true....with a caveat: The NASGA says that there is no determined height or weight of the caber, just that half the competitors can turn it; the SSAA says "The caber is a tapered log approximately 19 feet long and weighing 100 to 130 pounds (These weights and measurements vary at different games depending on the field of athletes and the terrain)" (http://www.thessaaa.org/rules.htm). So it depends on the ruling body, as well. Further, from Ancient Worlds (http://www.ancientworlds.net/aw/Post/601319 ) "The caber is a tapered wooden pole, anywhere from 16 to 22 feet long, weighing between 100 and 180 pounds."

[beowulf67]

Most cabers are 16-20 ft long and the weight can vary greatly. I've seen some that were 80 or 90 on up to monsters that were close to 150lbs.
The toss is judged on accuracy. If you turn the caber your toss is judged like it's on a clock face, and 12 o'clock is perfect. If it doesn't turn you are judged on the angle of your toss.

[Piper]

I run Highland Games at some blackpowder Rendezvous in my area. I'm familiar with the vague standards for the Caber (although we try to keep ours on the smaller side of the scale, we're only out there for fun). I've always been skeptical of the idea that the event originated from the practice of throwing a log to bridge a stream in battle. It seems that you would need more reliable accuracy at a time like that, whether you were attacking or retreating. I suspect that it may have had it's beginnings during logging or land clearing, when our competitive natures led us to make a contest of part of the task.

[Yaish]

Yeah, I doubt the bridge crossing history too, but in general a 10 foot caber no matter how heavy would be an easy turn.

Length makes for a much tougher caber to turn than weight does. SAAA uses cabers that average between 14-18 feet, and from 90-150 lbs. There might be some smaller or larger in there, but generally those are good length/weights.

If more than half of a class cannot turn the caber at all, or if everyone turns it easily, it means the judge chose a bad caber.

In the class I compete in a "good" caber is about 14 or 15 feet long, and about 120 lbs. It's long enough and heavy enough you wont be able to turn it unless you have near perfect form. However, if you do hit your toss just right, you'll get a turn between 11 and 1 o'clock.

Now a 10 foot, 100 lb caber? I might be able to flip that twice before it lands.

[beowulf67]

Yaish,
You're right about the length being the most important factor. A really long, light caber can be very hard to turn because it'll wiggle around like crazy while you're trying to get control of it.

Remember, once you've picked the caber off the ground it is live, and eventually it will attack.

[IEScotsman]

Very interesting stuff guys. Great info!

[Big Mikey]

I understand cabers go really nice with smoked salmon>

[Dreadbelly]

Hmm... I thought they would be heavier than that. If it wasn't for my gimpy leg, I could probably do real well caber tossing...

I base this on the fact that I can pick up and throw 150ish pound people, and toss them around like toys. Not that I'd do that any more mind you.

I had always thought that the telephone poles being thrown were 300 pounds or something.