World Stone Skimming Championship

Stone Skipping (Skimming)

Article by: © Michael J. Rosen 2012

"The World Record Holder First Competed to Win a Box of Fudge."

- from www.prostoneskipping.com

Pennsylvanian Russ "Rock Bottom" Byars, skipped a stone an incredible 51 times. It traveled approximately 250 feet and sank right into the 2007 Guinness Book of World Records.

While stone skipping (called "ricochet" in France, "stone skiffing" in Ireland, "smutting" in Denmark, or "ducks and drakes" in England) has been around since the advent of water and stones. (In point of fact, some accounts suggest that Moses skipped the broken tablets across the water after he came back from Sinai and saw the heathens.) Still, it took until 1989 for the North American Stone Skipping Association to establish its bylaws. Today's largest competition is the World Stone Skimming Championship in Easdale Island, Argyll, Scotland, which attracted over 220 competitors from 11 countries in 2007. While American events, such as the Mackinac Island National Tournament, record the number of skips, skippers at the championships in Scotland compete for distance; the record-65 meters (about 213 feet)–was set by Australian Iain MacGregor in 2001.

While there is no perfect size or shape of a stone, Byars recommends his "submarine" technique: He throws side-arm, uses his index finger to increase spin, and attempts to hit the water at a 20-degree angle, proving, once again, it's not the size of the stone; it's how you use it. That, and, according to Rock Bottom, "stretching with a golf club, drinking coffee, and prayer."

Ready to "rock" on the water? Skip over to www.prostoneskipping.com.

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