Scotland is famous for it’s Clach Cuid Fir or manhood stones… In Crathie, Aberdeenshire, in the shadow of the Inver Hotel, you’ll find one of the most famous manhood stones of them all: The Inver Stone. This famous stone has challenged men for centuries. It is smooth, round, and unusually small for its 265 pounds. Lift it to your chest, like Steve Jeck here, and you’ll entitle yourself to a free pint at the Inver Pub and a place in the record books.
Many cultures have a long tradition of Stone Lifting. Another great example of this is the Unspunnen Stone of Switzerland. The stone is so named for the Unspunnenfest, a cultural festival held near the ruins of the old Unspunnen Castle near Interlaken, Switzerland. This festival, which began officially in 1805, features a celebration of Swiss culture with competitions in yodeling, wrestling, and, of course, stone throwing. Unspunnenfest takes place roughly every 10 years or so, with the most recent event occurring in 2006. As for the the Unspunnen Stone itself, it weighs 184 lbs., and the object of the Steinstossen event is to hurl it as far as possible. Pictured above is Markus Maire, a 35-year old Swiss carpenter who won the 2006 event with an overhead throw of 3.89 meters (12.76 feet).
The Inver Stone
