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The Saline, Michigan Celtic Festival started as a way to honor Saline’s Sister-City-Brecon, Wales. It was a relationship that started 43 years ago and has remained strong. Many from the city have traveled across the pond to Brecon, and many from Brecon have returned the kindness. Saline High School Marching Band even had the honor of going over and performing in the Welsh city.

This year was the thirteenth Saline Celtic Festival. It played host not only to the usual dancers, pipers, clans, sheep dogs, and more, but also to the eighth annual Masters World Heavy Athletics Competition.  Scottish heavy athletes, over the age of forty, came from around the world to compete against one another; pros and amateurs, men and women, all on one field. 

Most of the athletes came together on Friday night for the special meet and greet dinner. Most were excited to be there because it meant that they could finally meet people that they had only heard of or talked to through athletic message boards.  One highlight of the evening was getting to meet Geir Standal, a professional strongman competitor from Norway, and Anthony Lordi, a professional highland athlete from Switzerland. (He is actually American by birth but has been living in Switzerland for many years.)   While Geir and his wife did speak some English, it took some explaining before they started to catch on to the American sense of humor.

The field was one of great athletes! Eighty total. Professionals and amateurs competed in the same flights, which  were divided up into ages 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-69, 70 and up (Yes, there was a flight of men 70+), 40-49 under 200lbs., 50 and up under 200lbs., women ages 40-49, and women ages 50 and up. (Go Granny!!) This last flight of athletes was a first to the World Masters. With more women competing these days, and many of them in the Masters category, it has become necessary to expand the number of flights.

          Despite the nearly two hour downpour (The Cabermen’s ’08 precipitation record is still unbroken!), it was a good day to throw. Dean Ross of Oklahoma, who competed in the 60-69 class, was able to turn the caber (15’ 3” and 75 lbs) in a perfect 12 O’clock all three of his tries! He was also able to sweep ALL eight events in his flight! Sue Hallen from Illinois, came in second place among women ages 50 and up, despite the fact that she had a broken arm.    

         There were also three world records broken: Harvey Barkauskas of Canada, who competed in the 55-59 class, set the new record for the Heavy Hammer at 84’ 6”. Jim Spalding, who competed in the 50 and up under 200 lbs, set new world records in both the Heavy Weight for Distance (38’2”) and the Weight Over Bar (15’).

People at the game were also treated to the true meaning of WORLD Competition, not only with Geir and Anthony, but also with Kengo Kubota, a native of Japan! He said that he had seen a Scottish Heavy Athletic competition in Tokyo and wanted to try it. He did and loved it! Now when his job in coffee and tea trading brings him to the West coast states, he tries to compete in as many Games as he can while he is here. He also said that he would welcome any athletes who wanted to compete in his home game in Tokyo.

 There were many jokes made by the athletes about the “elderly” competing: “Did you need to take the ramp to get into the dining hall?” “Is there a scheduled nap time at these Games?” My personal favorite was from Dean Ross: “Yeah, they were real nice to us old folks here at the Games. The trophies here are a nice piece of flat stone with some engraving...just like a tomb stone!” Things like that made the day fun! And considering that these athletes can do things that most of us only dream of doing, even into their 70s, I think that they deserve to bear the title of Master.