Heavy Athletic Events
The Caber Toss
This competition is what you've come to see. The caber is a wood pole or log measuring about 18 feet long and weighing 100-125 lbs. From a crouching position, an athlete lifts the caber by the narrower end, while its thicker, more unwieldy end points skyward, and then runs to build up momentum. He stops dead and heaves it end over end to achieve a "twelve o-clock turn", so the caber lands pointing away from the thrower at a 12 o'clock position. A judge runs behind the athlete and if the toss is successful he scores it as on the face of an imaginary clock. The Caber Toss is scored on accuracy rather than the distance of the throw. A caber that fails to flip is not recorded.
Putting the Stone
This popular contest is derived from an ancient clan ritual. Each chieftain's "stone of strength" was situated at the entrance of his castle. Before entry was granted, every visiting clansman was obligated to test his strength by throwing the stone for distance. Kansas City's Stone Throw competition follows the "Braemar" (standing) style. In the Braemar competition, the athlete must put a 22 lb. stone with one hand, from a stationary position. The athlete is not allowed to move his feet forward until after the stone leaves his hand.
The Hammer Throw
 The history of this event is much debated. Some suggest that, like throwing the weight, the hammer is analogous to the ancient mace. Others claim it derives from a simple contest between village smithies. Whether of military or agrarian origins, it has grown into an internationally recognized Olympic event. Not to be confused with its all-metal counterpart used in the Olympics, the Scots' hammer has a wooden shaft made of cane, an overall length of 50 inches and comes in two weights: "Light" (16 lbs.) and "Heavy" (22 lbs.). Both are thrown standing-style, with the athlete swinging the hammer three times in a circle overhead before releasing it straight behind the thrower. The hammer throwing competition at the Kansas City Games involves the "Light" hammer only.
Throwing the Weight for Distance
This competition consists of two similar but separate events. Both are derived from ancient tests of military skills, and are very reminiscent of the ancient mace. The contest involves hurling a light weight 28 lb. and a heavy weight 56 lb. as far as possible. With a combination of balance, rhythm, and power, this is often considered a graceful athletic event.
Throwing the Weight for Height
In the "Weight for Height", an athlete tosses a 56 lb. weight up and over a horizontal bar using only one hand. Each athlete is allowed three attempts to clear a marked height before the bar is raised. The victor is the sole thrower who can clear the highest bar.
The Sheaf Toss
This event originated with farming traditions in Scotland. It involves tossing a sheaf of hay weighing 20 lbs. with a pitch fork over a horizontal bar suspended between two uprights. The sheaf of hay has now been replaced with a burlap bag filled with bailing twine, but the other rules remain the same. Each athlete is allowed three attempts to clear the horizontal bar.If the sheaf fails to go over the horizontal bar, the contestant is eliminated. After each successful round of tosses, the bar is raised two feet. The athlete with the greatest height over the bar is the winner.
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