Kamloops Highland Games

**Old Hippie** · 13th July 09, 02:21 PM

This weekend was the Kamloops Highland Games. It's a little smaller gathering than some, but well attended and lots of fun.

First thing on the agenda was meeting Laurie Harder, fellow XMarker and another Kamloopsian...

He brought his grand-daughter to the games -- her first experience up close and personal with the bagpipes. He's wearing a really nice Black Stewart, one of only two black tartans I saw. I needed pockets to hold snacks and water bottle, so I'm wearing the UK Workman. Couple of well-turned-out dudes, I must say.

This games had basically three events -- piping, dancing and heavy games. There were a couple of vendors set up, and a booth for the Kamloops St. Andrews Caledonian Society, but outside of that it was all business all the time.

Evidently, the heavy games grew out of historical tests of strength and courage. Since I'm an amateur anthropologist, I was able to form some tentative conclusions about their origins.

During the 1600s the Scots were rather poor and could not afford cannons. Cannon balls were cheaper. Even cheaper, of course, if the opposing team delivered them to the Scots during battle. The Scots would then simply pick up the cannon balls and hurl them back...

If cannon balls were not coming in fast enough, large stones would work also. You can't see the large stone here, but you can see why a "set of blacks" is needed at a heavy games...

Another event apparently got invented when a Scot missed his mark and struck his foot with a large hammer. Having done this myself, I can imagine that his buddies thought it looked great fun, particularly if beer was involved. I've hurled a tool in my time, but nothing like this...

One of the players was a chap who showed up and wanted to try his hand. He evidently was a "Strong Man" competitor and is thinking about switching to heavy games because, let's face it, tight jeans really aren't comfy for throwing heavy things around...

He did well, so maybe he's had experience.

Historically, we know the Scots were great engineers, and had a large hand in the development of the steam engines that powered the Industrial Revolution. In my opinion, this next event developed from the sport of hurling steam engines over telegraph wires...

That's 52 pounds of cast iron the lad is energetically hurling over the bar. If memory serves, the lady in the kilt watching him is his wife. She throws a mean engine block, too...

The Strong Man got close...

And this fellow's hand slipped, for an early release...

The relaxed looking judge in the white polo shirt looked a little less relaxed when the weight came down right in front of him and took out the bucket of rosin.

**Old Hippie** · 13th July 09, 02:22 PM

The industrial abilities of the Scots were not limited to steam engines, of course. They also built a massive network of electrical distribution lines by hand, setting the poles in a fashion that evolved into a heavy games favourite...

This particular stick weighed in at 84 pounds. First throw, and it was a perfect "12 o'clock." After a few goes, the lads decided they were being a bit sissy and switched to a 113-pounder.

More of the "little" caber...

While the lads (and one lass) were tossing large weights around, the rest of the lasses were on the dancing stage. There was too much frippery and canopy in the way to take good pictures, but all classes of dance were on display: Flora, Jig, Hornpipe and so on. The lasses' jig evidently involves some grimacing and fist-shaking at an imaginary husband...

There was one young lad doing the jig as well, but he stayed out of my line of sight when the camera came up.

During the opening ceremonies there was a "mass fling" that brought all the dancers on stage. Most of them in shorts because it was too darn hot to wear dancing kit any longer than necessary...

Over to the piping. I understand that it's traditional to play "Scotland the Brave" while marching into the competition ring. What I had forgotten was that after you've heard it twice for each band it's stuck in your head for about a week.

To paraphrase Burns, "A band's a band for a' that." Simon Fraser University fielded over half the bands on the grass, with Grades 4, 3, and 1. The Kamloops Pipe Band, a band from Kelowna, and some other nearby locales made up the balance of the bill. SFU's Grade 1 band is 5-time World Champions, and when they played it was easy to see why. Some very high class piping all around from all bands.

At the end of the competition they piled 'em all together for another rendition of "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina"...I mean, "Scotland the Brave."

On the way out I had to get a snap of the wares on display at one vendor's stand. My first encounter with these...

And that was about it for the day. Hope you enjoyed the pictures!

:ootd: