Falls Fest Highlander, my first "power" meet!

The adventures continue for your Traveling Texan! Three years ago I got into the swing of this highland games thing, and last year I rediscovered my love of lifting heavy things for silliness and fun. What better way to combine those two simple joys than to take part in a NAHA Highlander event? Conveniently enough there is one right around the corner from my neck of the woods, Falls Fest Highlander in Wichita Falls. (http://www.fallsfest.org/)

 

McPherson! MAC! Home away from home...

As I was loading up the car for the final September highland games run, a bit of nostalgia came along and lodged itself in my mind. McPherson two years ago was when and where highland games took a turn for me in a myriad of ways.  This games, this place, these people were what nudged me from being a thrower on games days to becoming a member of the community.  Accepting a new competitor as soon as they set foot on the field is a rare thing; this was the first “away game” for me, and they showed me exactly what the HG community is all about. For this alone I would gladly return to MAC every year, but let’s delve into all the other reasons why YOU should go!

Oklahoma Scottish festival

September’s familiar routine of loading up and driving out of state for a Highland Games continues with our next adventure, The Oklahoma Scottish Festival. Held along the Arkansas River with downtown Tulsa as a backdrop, the festival puts highland games on the center stage.

Iceland in Review

The First Iceland Highland Games, spanning the first weekend in June, were a great success. They were held in the western fjords of Patreksfjörður in conjunction with the annual Seaman’s Festival, which is a remembrance to all those lost to the sea. Pétur Guðmundsson was the Athletic Director for a fantastic long weekend of a mix of Highland Games and Strongman Events, as well as tours of the local areas. The competitors came from all over the world, representing Iceland, Belgium, Holland, Scotland, Germany, Canada, and the United States. 25 competitors from seven countries competed in three classes.

Lucas Highland Games Weekend Recap!

Heading up your own games is always a tricky undertaking for the athletic directors and event coordinators; full of responsibility, risk, and emotional investment in the success of the event. From arranging location, to promotion, to athlete entries, to award planning, it is enough to make your head spin just trying to make a to-do list to even get started. Those that pull it off with aplomb are a rare breed; Doug and Jera Kressly are just such a pair. The first year of Highland Games at the Lucas Apple Festival was a rousing success.

IHGF Women’s World Championships - Recap

Where to begin! Getting the nod from fellow throwers and an invite from the IHGF to the “Women’s Worlds” was a pretty giddy day for me. Any event called a ‘world championship’ is bound to be pretty exciting.

Kansas City Scottish Highland Games - Recap Continues!

June is a month rich with highland games opportunities and Kansas City’s offering is an excellent choice. This year they hosted the Under 190 National Championship in addition to three men’s master’s , three women’s (including a master’s) and three men’s classes. A two day game with three trigs and two height standards on a massive field there is defiantly room for every thrower in your group to stretch out and go for broke on their throws.