Home > List > Caber Toss

Caber toss is a traditional Scottish sport, and part of the Scottish Highland Games, in which the competition revolves around tossing forward a large tapered pole called a "Caber". The sport is believed to have originated from friendly lumberjacks challenges to toss logs across narrow creeks in order to cross them.

The poles used for the sport are made from larch trees and are typically 19ft 6in long and weighing about 175lbs.

The primary objective of the sport is to toss the caber in such a manner that it turns end-over-end and falls away from the tosser. The distance thrown does not carry any significance. The throw is rather evaluated based on how the caber lands. If the caber fall in a 12 o'clock position it is considered to be the most ideal toss.

The caber should be carried with the tapered end pointing downwards. The tosser carries the caber with interlocked hands and supporting it against their shoulders. Before the toss, competitors run with the caber for a short distance to gain momentum. In competitions, each competitor normally gets three attempts to toss the caber.

Points are awarded for each toss based on how the caber lands. End-over-end tosses with the straightest vertical angle are awarded the most points.

---

---

Similar Sports

• Weight Throw — a family of heavy weight throwing events, in which the objective is to either throw the weight as far as possible or as high as possible.
• Power Lifting — tests of strength on three lifts: dead lift, bench press and squat.
• Weightlifting — competitors attempt to lift weights mounted on barbells
• Hammer throw — an Olympic track and field event in which a heavy weight at the end of a wire is thrown for distance.
• Strongman — a sport that tests competitors' strength in a variety of different ways.

Related Pages

• About the Scottish Highland Games — a traditional Scottish sporting event.
• Haggis Hurling — an unusual sporting event involving throwing a haggis as far as possible for distance and accuracy.
• Complete list of sports
• The Encyclopedia of Sports
• About Sport in Scotland