The caber toss is a famous and important part of the Highland Games in Scotland. A caber is the trunk of a pine tree, with one end thinner than the other. As you might imagine it is very, very heavy. Contestants in this event lift up the huge cabers and toss them into the air, so that they turn over in mid-air, and land on their fatter end before falling flat.
TRY IT YOURSELF
The winner of the caber toss is not the person who throws it the furthest – it’s actually all about accuracy. In order to win, a contestant needs to get his caber to land in the twelve o’clock position from the place he threw it. Even boys who are the best at everything shouldn’t attempt to toss a full-sized caber, but if you want to hold your own Highland Games, then a ‘broom-handle toss’ will work just as effectively. Get together with your friends and see who can get their ‘caber’ to land straightest. Here’s a handy step-by-step guide to the best caber-tossing technique.
1. Take your broom handle (or a pole of a similar size) to a wide open space, and check that there are no members of the public who might be about to get whacked by a flying caber.
2. Bend down and lean the caber against your shoulder so that it is standing upright. Then lift it off the ground.
3. Move your hands to the bottom and clasp them, palm upwards, around the base of the caber.
4. Move the caber up to about elbow height, and keep the weight balanced against your shoulder. Now you are in the throwing position.
5. Take a short run-up, gaining momentum slowly. This is called the ‘approach’.
6. Throw your caber upwards and forwards slightly by jerking your clasped hands sharply upwards.
7. The caber should follow a path as shown, landing other way up. Its end should hit the ground as it stands upright before falling flat.
