The IHGF Stones of Strength Championships were a big hit at the Blairgowrie and Rattray Highland Games, with the winners advancing to the 2019 IHGF Stones of Strength World Challenge in Fefor, Norway.

IHGFScottish representative Charlie Blair Oliphant (left) and women’s winner Emmajane Smith (right) at the IHGF Stones of Strength Championships. IronMind® | Courtesy of IHGF

2018 Scottish Stones of Strength Championships
by Francis Brebner
President, International Highland Games Federation (IHGF)
 
An exciting qualifying series was held throughout Scotland with the renown Ardblair stones for athletes to earn a place at the IHGF Scottish Stones of Strength Championships at the Blairgowrie and Rattray Highland Games. The series was organized and run by Scotland’s IHGF representative Charlie Blair Oliphant, a reputable and devoted stonelifter.

Overall, 16 athletes qualified for the men’s and women’s IHGF Scottish Stones of Strength Championships, with the winners then going to the 2019 IHGF Stones of Strength World Challenge in Fefor, Norway, a televised event.
 
The men’s group at the 2018 IHGF Scottish Stones of Strength Championships included Kenny Simm, Janis Skujins, Lewis McLuckie, Jamie Gorrian, Paul Adams, Liam Tweedie, and Jim Gerrard. A large crowd surrounded the stones arena at the stone to shoulder event, with athletes choosing to lift stones of 100, 142, and 151 kg for as many reps as possible in 75 sec. Simm and Skujins tied with 1 rep each on both the 142-kg and 151-kg stones; third went to McLuckie with 1 rep each on the 100-kg and the 151-kg stones.
 
The Nicol stones event was fashioned after the famous Dinnie Stones and consisted of two stones, 114 kg and 138 kg (a combined weight of 252 kg), with ring handles attached. Going for a max distance without dropping the stones, Simm took the win with an impressive distance of 15.00 m over Skujins, who did 11.11 m. Gorrian placed a close third with 10.40 m.
 
The Husafell stone weighed 141 kg and was carried for max distance. McLuckie put up a great performance for the win at 117.1 m, followed by Tweedie at 113.1 m and Skujins at 97.9 m.

In the log press, athletes could choose between three logs at 75, 90, and 130 kg for reps in 75 sec. Gorrian took the win with 3 reps with the 130-kg log. Second was McLuckie with 4 reps on the 90-kg log and 1 rep on the 130-kg log. Third was Skujins with 3 reps on the 90-kg log and 1 rep on 130-kg log.
 
The climactic finish, with the 9 Ardblair stones lifted onto barrels maxing out at the final stone at 152 kg, was close, with Simm setting a top time of 39.34 sec. and Skujins a whisker behind at 40.04 sec. Gorrian completed all 9 stones in 78.11 sec. for third.
 
Overall
1. Janis Skujins
2. Kenny Simm
3. Lewis McLuckie
4. Jamie Gorrian
5. Jim Gerrard
6. Liam Tweedie
7. Paul Adams

A strong lineup in the woman’s group included Emmajane Smith, Pavlina Thomson, Shauna Moar, Ruth Massey, Elizabeth Simm, Leonie Eppy, Nicola Innes, Drew Graham, and Ling Deng.

In the stone to shoulder competition, athletes could choose stones of 48, 65, and 100 kg, doing as many reps as possible in 75 sec. Smith completed 4 reps with the 65-kg stone to take the win. Massey followed closely, doing 1 rep with the 48-kg stone and 3 reps with the 65-kg stone, with third-place Thomson doing 3 reps with the 65-kg stone.

In the Nicol stones, two stones weighing 114 kg and 138 kg (total 152 kg) with ring handles, athletes picked up one stone at a time and walked for max distance. Smith did distances of 23.1 m and 9.0 m, reigning supreme. Simm followed with 20.3 m and 8.0 m and Thomson with 12.6 m and 7.0 m.
 
In the Husafell stone carry, athletes could select from stones weighing 86, 102, and 141 kg,  carrying for max distance. The group chose the 86-kg stone, and again Smith ruled, with a whopping distance of 110.1 m. Massey followed at 79.0 m and Thomson was third at 55.4 m.

Next, athletes had 75 sec. to press a 65-kg log overhead for reps; if the athlete was unable to press, she would flip a 75-kg log end over end for reps. This duel ended in a tie between Smith and Moar with 3 reps each; Eppy placed third with 9 flips of the 75-kg log.
 
The final event of the championships was the Ardblair stones, 5 stones weighing up to 75 kg loaded onto barrels in the fastest time. Smith did all 5 stones in a speedy 17.11 sec. Thomson also did all 5, in 25.89 sec. and Moar was third, with 5 stones in 33.04 sec.

Overall
1. Emmajane Smith
2. Pavlina Thomson
3. Shauna Moar
4. Ruth Massey
5. Elizabeth Simm
6. Leonie Eppy
7. Nicola Innes
8. Drew Graham
9. Ling Deng

The IHGF would like to thank all those who helped in the Ardblair stones qualifying series and the finals of the IHGF Scottish Stones of Strength Championships, and its organizer, Charlie Blair Oliphant, along with judges Charlie and Gill Blair Oliphant, Andrew Cairney, Brett Nicol, and Stevie Shanks; and helpers Liam Tweedie, Mark and Pauleen Sherriffs, Pauleen Sherriffs, Catherine McHendry, Heather Shanks, Lynn Stewart, Mark Haydock, and Dean Kent.
 
Janis Skujins, Emmajane Smith, and Andy Cairney will compete in the IHGF Stones of Strength World Challenge in Fefor, Norway in 2019 .

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