by Al Myers
People often ask Thom where his fascination with anvils began. It all started with a blow to the head…..
"All right Thom, you just go right ahead! I've warned you enough times about playing under the anvil tree!"
CREDIT: The Braemar Stone Tablet, Volume #4 Issue #2
by Thom Van Vleck
(Webmasters note: Every year HASA, Heart of America Scottish Athletes, would host a winter banquet where impromptu competitions and awards are given out to the members. I always enjoy these banquets, and the camaraderie shared between friends. The best part of the banquet is the “gag gifts”. We each take turns making fun of each other. Sorta like a roast. Today I’m going to share the report from one of the best banquets HASA ever had, the 2002 Winter HASA Banquet, which was covered in the Braemar Stone Tablet by Thom Van Vleck)
This year we had the HASA awards banquet at the community center. Steve and Becky were in charge and everyone was asked to bring a carry in dish. It was more laid back than in the past and I personally enjoyed it. People could hang out, do whatever they wanted (which for us included pulling out a caber and trying to throw it in a tree).
We again had the “Stone Cold Heavies” contest with a WOB contest. I had some mugs made up for awards, everyone that entered could get one. Eleven gus and two gals entered for fun and bragging rights. The final winners were as follows:
Men: Al Myers first (14 ft), Chad Ullom and Thom Van Vleck second (tie) (12 ft).
Women: Lori Myers and Leslie Kress first (tie) (12 ft)
I would like to point out that Kevin McAllister beat out his brother Shawn for 10th place when he touched the bar at 10ft with the handle after both cleared 9ft. Shawn failed to “touch” the bar and in a little known rule, Kevin declared himself the winner by virtue of “touching” the bar.
We had a little impromptu contest where the guys threw the 28 for height. Pretty fun stuff.
As for the awards winners for the year:
Al Myers: Angus Award (top athlete)
Dave Glasgow: Sportsmanship Award
Mike McGhee: Most Improved Award (and most injured, too)
Scott Campbell: Best Newcomer
We then handed out “gag” awards and had a blast. Some notable awards included Dave Henderson’s propeller driven hammer for Steve Scott, who immediately vowed he would throw it “down hill” to pick up extra distance. Below is a report on another gag award (luckily, the editor of this newsletter has a tremendous sense of humor and is a wonderful person…..Paybacks, Al, Paybacks….)
From Al Myers:
Thom Van Vleck accepting the insulated jockstrap award at the 2002 HASA Banquet, given to him by Al Myers. This gag award was given to Thom because he would always host his fall Highland Games on one of the coldest days of the winter.
I had a great time at the HASA Baquet last weekend. I finally got my pictures developed and had a good one of Thom accepting his insulated jockstrap award. I can only guess what he is mumbling to himself as he looks down —
1. “Hey buddies, we are going to get a warm winter!”
2. “This jockstrap is furrier than I am!”
3. “Hey everyone – do you think it could cover this bald spot!”
4. “I wonder how I am going to get this over my kilt!”
5. “If I wore this thing backwards, it would be a thong!”
That Al, He’s a funny man…….Paybacks, you hear me Al, Paybacks…..
(Webmasters comment: So now you know, Thom and my rivalry goes back LOTS of years and he is STILL trying to get the upper hand on me! Since then I have to add Thom’s comment number 6. )
6. ” I better wear this when I visit the Dino Gym so I can have some padding for protection for when I run into the Enforcer!”
CREDIT: The Braemar Stone Tablet, Volume #4, Issue #4
by Thom Van Vleck
This issue we spotlight a relatively new athlete to HASA: Scotty “Caber Killer” Campbell. (Scotty elicited these comments recently)
Scotty "The Caber Killer" getting ready to slay another caber. That's me standing there with my hand on the caber and head bowed. I'm PRAYING that the Caber Killer won't turn this nice innocent caber into firewood! (photo credit Al Myers)
I first met Scotty at the Heathen Games (AKA Wakenny Games, Festival of Beltane, and Seamus’s Follies). It was there I first detected his disdain for the big stick. In particular when the rest of us were turning their biggest stick with our eyes closed and one hand tied behind our back, I noticed that the Caber Killer first showed his face, much like Bruce Banner turning into the Hulk. Scotty couldn’t get a turn and he slammed the stick down (at the time I thought it was an accident), and snapped the end. But now, I know it was the ……CABER KILLER!!!!!!
Liam had these comments in regards to the Backyard Games:
Yes, I agree wholeheartedly. Fine games. Except for the weather. Try to order better weather next time. And maybe you could use a rubber tree for your next caber. Then maybe Scott “the Caber Slayer” Campbell can be thwarted in his attemp to rid the universe of evil timber. The rain forest must shudder at the mere mention of his name.
Then “Big Shot” Al Myers weighed in (pun intended) with this comment:
As for a good solution to keep Scotty from breaking cabers, just put a price sticker on them!!!
AD’s beware. The Caber Killer is lurking near your meet this summer. Unless, of course, he becomes too whipped after his wedding and we never see him again. (Sorry, Scott, couldn’t resist, I guess you’ll show her who wears the pants in your family…..uhhhh….poor choice of words.)
CREDIT: The Braemar Stone Tablet, Volume #5, Issue #1
by Thom Van Vleck
(Webmaster’s notes: The following is an editorial written by Thom Van Vleck 10 years ago in the Braemar Stone Tablet regarding his dislike of the spin in the Highland Game height events. I found this editorial very ironic and humerous on so many levels because since then Thom has totally changed his tune and is now an advocate for the spin. He has used the spin in the 42# WOB to set a World Record and numerous game records. But he sure gives a good argument why the spin should be banned!!!! How does it feel Thom to have to EAT YOUR WORDS??????)
Thom Van Vleck utilizes the spin in the Weight Over Bar to perfection. In 2005, Thom set the All-Time World Record in the 42# WOB with a toss of 20'6". He has won or tied in the WOB at 3 World Championships (2004, 2007, and 2010). (photo credit Kevin Viet)
Recently, there have been some innovations in technique in the highland games. Namely, the spin on the sheaf and WOB. I have talked to a great many people about this and want to make their voices heard and to give my own opinion. You don’t have to like it, or even agree, but I think this is something we need to address before it goes too far.
A couple of years ago we began to see a few guys spinning on the sheaf. This year Harrison Bailey (I think) began spinning on the WOB. This has started to push some records up, and will no doubt continue to do so. I am opposed to the new techniques on several grounds.
First, they are dangerous. About a hundred years ago a woman was struck and killed in Canada by a wayward hammer. The man that threw it was so despondent he never competed again. I know how I would feel if I were responsible for a tragic accident. I would feel just as responsible as an Athletic Director who allowed unsafe practices to go on. It was also around that time that there was an innovation in technique. The athletes began to spin with the hammer. Yes, much like the Olympic hammer, the athletes would spin and throw the hammer. However, they quickly realized how dangerous this was and the practice was stopped. I feel that spinning with the sheaf could lead to serious injury as I witnessed Mike Smith flatten a metal chair with a wayward sheaf toss (old style) in McPherson a couple of years ago. A twenty pound sheaf could seriously hurt an adult and kill a child. I won’t even go into what a 56 could do raining down from 15 plus feet in the air.
An answer to this would be to create large safe areas, but you push the crowds back when you do that and isolate the athletes even more. That is a problem within itself. Many venues I have been to are limited to a confined space and a large field is out of the question. I want the crowds in as close as they can get, especially the children. Otherwise, why not go throw in somebody’s back yard?
My second issue with the techniques is they take away the power events. The Sheaf and the WOB were relatively simple to execute and the strongest guys would usually prevail in these events. There was no hiding your true level of strength. Making them technical will take away from that aspect. You also have a great many guys that are strong and love this sport, but have difficulty with the spinning events who will now be left out. I will admit that I am one of those guys. The WOB and sheaf, as well as the caber, were my best events. I do not consider myself athletic, but I have built considerable strength over the years through weightlifting. By making the event more athletic you will alienate a majority of athletes who are either not as athletic, don’t have the time to work on technique (i.e. have jobs, families), or do this for the love of the sport. YOU TAKE AWAY FROM THE SELF-BUILT ATHLETE WHO MAY NOT BE BLESSED, BUT CAN BUILD ON WHAT HE OR SHE HAS THROUGH WEIGHT TRAINING.
Al Myers (left) and Thom Van Vleck (right) squared off against each other a couple of years ago in a 56# WOB contest, infamously referred to now as the WOB Border War. The rules of the contest required it be a traditional standing toss, in which the spin would not be allowed. I issued this challenge to Thom because I felt he had snubbed the standing toss and everything he once believed in! Chad Ullom served as the official, and due to his incompetence the outcome was questionable as to who had actually won. We each claimed victory, but Chad determined it a tie. (photo credit Chad Ullom)
An answer to this issue would be to only allow the spin in the A class and Pros. The idea being that once you reach that level you should have worked on the technique enough that you would be safe as well as guys capable and have the time to master the style. I do not agree with this, but would go along with this solution.
Third, it is hard on equipment. I have run meets and they are quite expensive. Al Myers made a good point to me that I feel every athlete should hear. On average at a good meet the AD will spend about $100 per athlete. The most I have ever paid for entry is $20. The rest is absorbed through sponsers, gate (which we all know is not great unless you are in a huge games), and straight from the pockets of the AD’s. Plus sweat and toil equity. I personally don’t want to have 3 sets of sheaf standards and WOB standards for back ups because the others are getting tore up. And they will be once everyone starts doing these styles. You run one meet and you will see how tore up the equipment gets and just how expensive it is to fix it back up.
The simple answer would be to make the athletes more financially responsible. Higher entry fees or make them agree to pay for repairs to anything damaged by an errant throw. I don’t want to do this at my meets so I will likely limit the Super A’s to the option of the spins and only if they can demonstrate they have mastered it enough in warm ups they won’t be be a threat to anyone.
While I personally would like to do away with the spinning styles this is not my sport to make demands. I am not a cry baby and will adapt if that is what I have to do. I have just heard so many complaints about it I felt I should lead a charge. If no one follows then I will look foolish (as I have many times before) and walk back and get in line with my fellow athletes to learn the new styles. If you agree, get on the chat rooms, talk to the AD’s, and organizations (NASGA, RMSA, SAAA, SSAA, etc). Let’s make the push to make hard decisions on this matter before it goes too far. Otherwise, it is moving along and until someone get hurt the athletes are going to do whatever it takes to get an edge.
CREDIT: The Braemar Stone Tablet, Volume #3, Issue #2
by Al Myers
(Webmasters note: This was a story I wrote for the Braemar Stone Tablet several years ago that applied to Highland Game training, but it contains ideas that can be applied to All-Round Weightlifting as well. I had actually forgot that I had written this!)
Nothing inspires your training as much as good training partners. I was fortunate to have two of the best training partners around when I was training the Highland Games. This is the three of us when we competed together at the 2005 Inverness Highland Games in Scotland. Pictured left to right: Chad Ullom, Al Myers, and Scott Campbell
The throwing season is upon us again! Time to dust off those hammer boots and put a new coat of paint on the throwing implements! It always amazes me how fast the winter goes and all that off-season weight training that you have been doing to make you a better thrower never seems to be enough. It is now time to hit the throwing field and put in time with the throwing weights. I want to share some of the things I have learned (mostly the hard way!) about how to make your training more productive. These are the 5 most important things to focus on in making your training better.
1. Set workout times – This is critical. It is too easy to procrastinate if you don’t have a scheduled workout time. Saying too yourself that I’ll workout a couple of days this week after work, if I’m not too tired, if it is not too hot or cold, if nothing good is on TV, won’t do it! Even if time only permits one workout a week, plan for that day and then no matter what DO IT!!! Remember, the highland games are not a leisure activity!
2. Keep a training log – How in the world are you going to be able to evaluate different training programs if you don’t have a good record of what you have done? I know, there days that really suck and you wish not to remember them, but at least put something in a training log! Maybe you are over-training? Maybe you have a nagging injury that is keeping that one throw down? These are the things you want to avoid and by looking at what you have done leading up to it, it may be avoided in the future. This is where a log helps! I often look back at my log from previous years and evaluate training programs that worked for me and those that don’t . Remember, it doesn’t really count if you don’t write it down!
3. Set Goals – I know, everyone knows this. You always hear guys saying I want to do this and I want to do that. By next August, I’m going to throw that light hammer 150 feet!! Yeah right!!! There are goals and then there are dreams!!! To me, goals are something that you are actually taking steps in working towards, whereas dreams are those thing that you imagine doing while sitting on the couch eating Doritos. Goals need to be specific, and along with them the steps needed to accomplish them. They need to be realistic, and they need to be short-term. Long-term goals are okay, but will not give you the focus you need today! Again, write these goals down, and develop a plan to achieve them. Remember, real success is achieving what you set out to do!
4. Get information – To be a better thrower, you need to continually learn. Never tell yourself that you know it all. Listen to the experts. Look at tapes. Read everything you can get on the games. Get feedback from other athletes. Spend time watching other throwers and studying them. Then after you do all of this, forget most of it!! What you ask? Let me tell you something – there are no magic secrets, just good advice and bad advice. It is up to YOU to tell the difference!!! What works for one athlete won’t for another. You have to find out those things that work for you. And whatever you do, don’t change your throwing on game day because someone gave you a good tip right before you stepped up to the trig! Take these “pointers” home and find out in training if they are good or bad. I know that all throwers mean well and want to help out their fellow comrades, but this trick of giving someone a good “pointer” right before they throw is one of the oldest psych-out tricks in the book!!! Get information and study it at home and try to apply it to your training program. Remember, it is not illegal to “steal” throwing information!
5. Have fun – This can sometimes be overlooked. It is easy to put so much pressure on yourself that sometimes fun can be lost. Enjoyment and having fun is one of the reasons that drew you to the games in the first place, but it is easy to drift away from this as you get more dedicated and focused. I know, it has happened to me in the past. Sometimes you have to step back, and ask yourself, what do I need to do to enjoy this more? Maybe you need a different training environment for awhile. Go to the park until they kick you out. Maybe try a new training program. Do a little traveling on the weekends and find other athletes to train with. Training with other athletes will help with training enthusiasm greatly!! In the past, I have done a lot of training by myself, and I can tell you, it is a lot more fun to have other athletes that can share in the throwing agony with you!! Having fun, and enjoying the sport for what it is will go a long way in making those training sessions better. Remember, you can’t set a personal record in every training session, but you can have fun trying.
I know I didn’t address any specifics, but these general points are the ones to focus on first in making your training more productive. You may notice that I didn’t mention anything about having good implements. Good implements are nice to have and may improve your self-esteem, but believe it or not they are not critical in improving as a thrower. I know a lot of throwers that have homemade weights and made a lot of progress with them. Don’t use this as an excuse that you don’t have the weights to train with or the weights you have aren’t Dodd weights. Improvise, get something and start training! I hope that these ideas will help a little in making your throwing season this year the best ever. Consider yourself lucky to be involved.
CREDIT: the Braemar Stone Tablet, Volume #3, Issue #1