Strength From The Highlands: Caber Tossing
Posted on Wednesday, June 15th, 2016 by John Wood
Caber tossing is one of the most famous events at the Scottish Highland Games. A caber is a log, usually made of pine or larch, which the competitor stands upright and then hoists end over end. Scoring is not based on height or distance thrown but how closely their throws approximate the ideal 12 o’clock toss on an imaginary clock. If successful, the athlete is said to have “turned” the caber.
If no one can ‘turn’ a particular caber, it can be cut down a bit to give a better opportunity to do so but a caber that has been successfully turned remains intact from that point forward. Since cabers are made from natural wood, each one differs in length, weight, taper, and balance, offering a unique challenge.