Like so many good ideas (and some bad ones), the story of the World Rock Skimming Championship began in a pub. More specifically, in The Puffer, the only pub in Easdale, a remote island in the Firth of Lonr, Scotland. There, forty years ago, after warming their brains with a few pints of beer, three men decided to test who was more skilled at epostracism, a game that has spread all over the planet and consists of throwing a rock across a surface covered in plastic to make it bounce forward in water.

The odd trio consisted of a Scot, an Irishman and an Englishman, and the result was a championship that, 40 years later, attracted athletes from half the world.

The world of stones. If there are competitions in discus, javelin or even axe throwing… Why not throw stones into the water, a very popular game in Spain known as goat or “frog”, which basically consists of pushing a pebble by bouncing it across the surface of a river, a lake or the sea? Such a question was asked a few years ago in Easdale, a district in the Hebrides of Scotland with a long and productive mining tradition.

There, every year since 1997, they have held a peculiar event that has gained popularity and followers for decades: the World Stone Throwing Championships. The 2024 edition took place on Saturday the 7th with music, a party and, of course, the highlight of the day: throwing pieces of slate.

A World Cup where all laws applyThe event is not a world championship just because the organisers say it is. The Easdale Championship can boast of being a well-known event that has attracted media attention such as the BBC. Guard or DW channel and attracts fans of “stone throwing” from half the world.

Last week’s edition is a good example. It didn’t take long for the organization to fill the 350 slots that the competition was limited to due to logistical reasons, and the competitors included shooters from 27 countries across five continents, including Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Canada, the United States and Bolivia. In other years, the winners have come from as far away as Japan.

Dating back to the 80s. The championship is not only known for its originality. It has a long tradition behind it. Although it has been held almost every September since 1997 – it is not immune to the pandemic – the roots of the event go back even further, to 1983, as the official website recalls.

Its origins are of course painters. What is now a global phenomenon began as an impromptu game between an Englishman, a Scotsman and an Irishman after sharing beers at the island’s only beanbag, The Puffer. The experience was appreciated and continued to be celebrated until it faded away over time. However, in the late 90s, the Eilean Eisdeal association, made up of residents of the Scottish island and enthusiasts working to preserve it, was responsible for taking over the flag.

What is the test like? Like other World Cups: it is subject to perfectly defined rules that all competitors must adhere to scrupulously if they do not want to be disqualified. For a start, the stones must be natural slate from Easdale and must not exceed 3 inches (about 3 inches) in diameter at their widest point.

Each competitor can fire three shots and their bullets must bounce off the water at least twice before sinking. There are several categories of contenders for the championship, including a category for veterans, juniors, teams and locals.

Nothing is left to chance. Or almost nothing. The event requires throwers to position themselves in a specific way, with both feet on a platform when throwing the stone. Champions take home a tray or slate medal, depending on their category; but if there is one clear winner, it is Suda Easdale. Last year, organisers raised £9,000, which they reinvested into the island itself, its school and town hall, the BBC reported.

This is not just any islandThe World Slate Throwing Championship is not just any world championship, just as Easdale is no ordinary island. In fact, it has such a close connection to stones that it seems logical that the slate throwing championship should be held right here in its waters.

Until the 20th century Easdale and the rest of the Slate Islands were a major centre of slate mining. There were a few quarries in Easdale which produced ore for construction, but the industry died out here around 1850. Today there are only about 60 locals living in Easdale, but activity booms every September thanks to sport, stone and happy ideas. In the 80s a group of friends wanted to show off their skills.

Images |Matt (Flickr) and 10 Corso Como (Flickr)

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