Highland Games Athletes. What kilt and what's under the Kilt?

**Ayin McFye** · 18th June 08, 07:52 AM

To start off this is not your typical "what's under your kilt" thread, so go ahead and find one of the other hundred posts on the topic if that's what you're looking for.

Hello to all the Athletes, I know that most if not all of you that compete in the highland games wear something underneath so as to not flash the entire crowd. My question is what do most of you typically wear? I've heard that UnderArmour makes some great shorts and underwear as well, and was probably going to wear these when I go out and compete. Any thoughts?

Also I know it's required to wear a kilt when you compete, my lightest weight kilt is my sportkilt which I'm assuming will do just fine. I'm pretty sure you don't want to wear your tank out there on the field while you're competing. What kind of kilts do you all wear when you compete?

**Yaish** · 18th June 08, 08:39 AM

Sportkilts are very common, and they sponsor a lot of games so their name is out there. For competition they are perfect, it's literally what they were designed for.

That being said, I don't use mine for anything but kicking around the house. Currently I'll either wear my Utilikilts (especially if I am attending the games myself, as the pockets let me hold my valuables without interfering with my throws) or my Stillwater Standards.

I had the chance to handle one of the new Stillwater Thrifty kilts recently, and I intend to buy a couple just for Games kilts. As light or maybe even lighter than the Sportkilt, velcro fastenings, and a nicer look than the SK.

One thing to be wary of is getting tacky on a nice kilt. That stuff is impossible to remove from clothing if it gets rubbed in, so don't wear your tank. I have seen guys out there throwing in one, but I don't recommend it.

For underwear I will either wear boxer briefs or bike shorts under the kilt. Both provide adequate coverage though the bike shorts will allow you to change out of the kilt in public if necessary, where boxer briefs are a little revealing for that. Boxers are a little too flimsy to give good coverage I think, and tighty whiteys are just the worst invention the world has ever known.

**Ayin McFye** · 18th June 08, 09:05 AM

Originally Posted by Yaish

Sportkilts are very common, and they sponsor a lot of games so their name is out there. For competition they are perfect, it's literally what they were designed for.

That being said, I don't use mine for anything but kicking around the house. Currently I'll either wear my Utilikilts (especially if I am attending the games myself, as the pockets let me hold my valuables without interfering with my throws) or my Stillwater Standards.

I had the chance to handle one of the new Stillwater Thrifty kilts recently, and I intend to buy a couple just for Games kilts. As light or maybe even lighter than the Sportkilt, velcro fastenings, and a nicer look than the SK.

One thing to be wary of is getting tacky on a nice kilt. That stuff is impossible to remove from clothing if it gets rubbed in, so don't wear your tank. I have seen guys out there throwing in one, but I don't recommend it.

For underwear I will either wear boxer briefs or bike shorts under the kilt. Both provide adequate coverage though the bike shorts will allow you to change out of the kilt in public if necessary, where boxer briefs are a little revealing for that. Boxers are a little too flimsy to give good coverage I think, and tighty whiteys are just the worst invention the world has ever known.

LOL I agree on the tighty whiteys. I own a Stillwater thrifty also, so maybe I'll practice in both and see which one I like more. I just recently tried boxer briefs, i'd been wearing just regular boxers for as long as I can remember, and I won't ever go back to regular boxers now.

What is Tacky and what event would it be likely to get on you? Caber Toss?

**auld argonian** · 18th June 08, 09:08 AM

I was just looking at the UnderArmor website the other day and they make two versions of a boxer-brief sort of pair of shorts: a long legged and a short legged version.

Best

AA

**Yaish** · 18th June 08, 09:28 AM

Tacky is any of a number of sticky substances the athletes use on certain implements to assist with grip. I don't like it myself, so I use latex palmed garden and tool gloves, like you often see fish handlers wear. They give very good grip without leaving a residue over everything.

Tacky is commonly found on the hammer handles, caber ends, and the WFD handles. It's often a pine tar/rock tar sort of mxture, something like a super sticky tree sap. Imagine the freshly cut end of a Christmas tree but 10 times stickier.

WD-40 will take it right off your hands, but that doesn't work for clothes (it'll stain of course). Then plain dish soap will clear the WD-40.

**Brian F** · 21st June 08, 02:02 PM

Originally Posted by Ayin McFye

What is Tacky...?

I would probably assume some people use rosin, which is the tacky substance used in bull riding to help cowboys hold onto their ropes.

I know rosin is super hard to get off of clothes, and super sticky. I once saw a cowboy put his rosined glove onto a gate, and go to leave, only to find he couldn't pull his hand off the gate.

Just my two cents.

~Yeti

**Arizona Scot** · 23rd June 08, 02:15 PM

So Kris I thought I might just add my two cents in on this thread. I just ordered a SWK thrifty in the Gordon modern, nice and light and only $28.00 so I figure that if it gets dirty or something on it no big deal. It also has the velcro so that it is really adjustable, I also plan on picking up some compression shorts from one of the local sporting good stores before the games.

**Alan H** · 24th June 08, 01:49 PM

I alternate between lycra exercise shorts and colored boxer briefs.

As for tacky, I have Larry Brocks stuff, it's fantastic but it IS a mess. In terms of gloves, I have something similar to the latex-rubber gloves, only thinner and I really just wear it on my right hand to help with the blisters i get from practicing WFD.

Note that vegetable oil will also remove tacky stuff.