The World Stone Skimming Championships: ABOUT
Official Rules of the World Stone Skimming Championships are:
- All stones must be of naturally formed Easdale slate and be no more than 3 inches in diameter at its widest point
- Each contestant will have 3 skims per session. No person can have more than one session. No person can participate in more than one team
- The stone must bounce on the surface of the water no less than 2 times before being considered a valid skim. The length of the skim will be judged to the point where the stone sinks into the water. The longest skim in each category will be deemed the winner. (In the event of a tie see rule 6).
- Competitors are not allowed a ‘run-up’ when throwing. Both feet must be on the platform when throwing.
- The point judge will signal an invalid skim by showing a Red disk. A Green disk will be shown after a valid skim. The throw judge will record all throws and in all matters, his/her decision will be final.
- A skim will be deemed invalid if:
a) the stone does not bounce at least 2 timesorb) the stone bounces or sinks outside of the designated skimming area
- In the event of a tie for Overall Champion, the winner will be decided in a cumulative, 3-skim ‘Toss-Off’. This is judged by the cumulative distance of their 3 tie-break throws. A ‘Back Wall’ hit will count as 63 metres. In the event of a tie in all other categories, the placings will be decided on a cumulative total of all 3 stones skimmed.
- Team Names cannot be similar to another Team Name
- Team members must register when registering individually
- There will be 7 categories:
- Adults: any person aged 16 years or more; Open and Female subcategories
- Juniors: any person aged 10 – 15 years inclusive; Open and Female subcategories
- Children: any person aged 9 years and under; Open and Female subcategories
- Old Tosser: any person aged 60 years or more; Open and Female subcategories
- Team: a maximum of 4 people of either gender and any age mix
- Bertie: the best Easdale Islander
Categories and entrance fees:
Adult (16 and over): £14
Old Tossers (60 and over): £14
Juniors (age 10-15 years): £7
Under 10s: £7
2018 Bertie: Jamie Melville
Categories
The competition is split into Adults, Juniors and Under 10 categories, with each category further divided into Female and Open subcategories. There are also the Female and Open Old Tosser categories for those entrants who have reached the experienced and veteran heights of no longer being in their 50s! Entrants to this section will throw at the same time as the other adults in the order in which they register. Be sure and mark your registration form if you wish to enter this category!
The Donald Melville World Stone Skimming Cup is presented to the over-all winner. ‘The Bertie‘, named after the event’s founder, is presented to the Easdale Islander who skims the furthest. ‘The Old Tosser Walking Sticks‘, are awarded to the male and female contestants over 60 with the longest skims.
Teams
In the Team category, members register as individuals as normal but, in addition, name the team that they are taking part in. Teams must consist of up to four individuals, of either sex, and any age category. Their three throws count towards their individual entry AND towards the Team entry.
Team members will have the total length of their three throws added together, then each team member’s individual total will be added together to form the team total. The winning team will be the team that throws the largest cumulative distance thrown by all four entrants.
An individual can win in both the individual event and as part of a team from their one lot of three throws.
Origins of the World Stone Skimming Championships
The World Stone Skimming Championships were started in 1983 by the late Bertie Baker, and then lay fallow until they were resurrected in 1997 by Eilean Eisdeal (The Easdale Island Community Development Group) as a fundraising event.
Contestants hail from around the world and the championships now attract over 300 participants and many spectators. Anyone of any age and any level of skill can enter the championships.
Funds raised at the 2024 World Stone Skimming Championships
£13,500 for Eilean Eisdeal
The Championship itself raised £13,500 as part of Eilean Eisdeal Community Development Group. This money is vital for the upkeep of Easdale Community Hall, Easdale Island Folk Museum and Easdale Harbour.
10% donation
To thank the local community and volunteers who worked so hard over the weekend Eilean Eisdeal is donating 10% of the money raised, £1350, to local community groups as follows:
- £500 Seil and Easdale Community Council
- £250 Scottish Air Ambulance Service
- £200 Seil Film Club
- £200 Seil Sound
- £200 North Argyll Volunteer Car Scheme
The Championships do not just raise money for Easdale Island!
Additional Money Raised
- £600 for Easdale Primary School – raised by parking payments donated by Seafari
- £1300 for Seil Community Hall – raised from the Pre-Skim Concert and £460 raised from Car Parking payments
- £300 for RNLI Oban – raised from bucket collections on the day
- 200 Trees for Seil Bio-Diversity donated by championship sponsers, Alba Trees
A massive thank you to everyone who took part in 2024’s championships. We believe these championships can be of significant benefit to our local community and look forward to making the 2025 event better.
