OT World’s stone skimmers to make Easdale return
The World Stone Skimming Championships will return to Easdale Island for the first time in three years when they take place in September 2023.
The unique competition attracts competitors and spectators from around the world and on Sunday September 24 the championships will again be hosted by the slate island off Seil after they were last held in 2019.
Easdale has been home to the championships since they made their debut in 1983 and it has since welcomed thousands of global stone skimmers.
Kyle Matthews, from the World Stone Skimming Championships Committee, said: “We are all very excited to have the championships back - the pinnacle of world stone skimming.
“They are such a big part of the island’s identity in the wider world. When you tell people you live on Easdale island they either say: ‘Where’s that?’ or: ‘Isn’t that where the world stone skimming championships take place?’
“The event gets significant international attention, with previous competitors coming from as far away as Japan and New Zealand. On the day itself, we are expecting close to 1,000 in attendance.”
The championships take place in a flooded 19th-century slate quarry and this rock amphitheatre sets the competitors a unique challenge of hitting the “back wall”.
This wall of dark slate towers 20 feet out of the water, with qualification for the final “toss-off” and the chance to achieve skimming immortality the reward for hitting it.
The championships also have several age categories, ranging from the under 10s to over 60s, known as the “old tossers”.
Prior to the championships, there will be a “pre-skim” party on the Saturday evening in Easdale Island Community Hall, which will involving live music and a bar, with later ferries organised for attendees.
Mr Matthews added: “We are really keen that the spotlight the championships bring is used to show off everything this wonderful area has to offer. We would love to hear from any local businesses that would like get involved and support the championships.
“We would encourage everyone interested to go to our website, www.stoneskimming.com, and sign up for our mailing list where we will announce when online registration opens.”