Words from a Pro...

It occurs to me that I've now been in the games 13+ years and recently was at a games referring to someone's throw as similar form to Carl Braun - the thrower looked at me with a "who's that?" look. 

Looking through videos from 10 years ago, I see Harry MacDonald, George Chiappa, Harvey Barkauskas, Karl Dodge, Ken Starnes, Larry Satchwell, Carl Braun, Steve Jeck, Ben Plucknett, Jim McGoldrick, a very young Kurt Pauli, Phil Martin, Jeff Bain, Bert Budge, Al Myers, Matt Sandford, Alistair, both the Aitkens, Gordon Martin, and others that many of today's throwers just don't know...

What's funny is the very first memory of several pro's... I'm curious as to what everyone elses first memories, or specifically 'words' were said from a Pro to you.

To me... from Harry MacDonald it was "man..your boots stink" in 1993 at Texas.  One of my favorites was Bruce Aitken who said "I think he's going to eat me" to Vierra at the Fergus games... not understanding the scottish accent, I just smiled and nodded to Bruce.  First thing I heard Phil Martin say was at Loch Norman in 1994 when a girl passed by with a cupcake... off he went with a "hey, that looks good" (I think he actually got a bite too).

Dave 

I remember mine....

Was 2003 at the New Hampshire Highland Games. I had just thrown what I thought was the new Am WOB WR at 17'-7" (stand bitches!). Matt Sandford came over to me with my head still down recouping... and said "Hey, nice throw. Cangrats." I looked up and was speachless...

The same comp HBIII came was sitting near me and asked "Why the hell did you go in at 12'?!! Fukin' amateur!!!"

What a day!

In the Spring of 1978 while training shot and discus with Brian Oldfield, the subject of Highland Games came up.  O promised to bring some HG weights out to the track the next day.  He had several years of HG experience, but I had never tried any of the events.

We putt some stones, threw some wfd, and did a 56 over the bar.  Seemed pretty fun, although Big O beat me in everything that day.

Brian then tells me about a HG in Long Beach, CA next Saturday.  He says we can fly down from San Jose that morning, throw heavy stuff all day, and at the end of the day, some guy will give us some money.  (Sounded pretty good to me.  And it was.)

Chief 

I have been fortunate to meet Bill Anderson on several occasions, He is a real Gentlemen. It was the Dinner for the MWC in 2002 at a place call Morrisons in Woodland top notch place. I was sitting across the table from Mr. Anderson and he had just finished a story about wrestling a Sumo wrestler in a visit to Japan. So I asked him if he wanted a whiskey, he said that would be fine so I went up a bought 3 shots of whiskey one for him, Mike North and myself. Got back to the table and made a toast, and bottems up. Boy you should have seen his face when he realized he just got a shot of ballitines Bourbon. He started waving his hands (umpire gesturing he's safe) saying no good no good. $9 a shot. He looked at me and smiled and waved his finger at me. Meaning he owes me one. So if you guys go over to Scotland buy him a shot of Bourbon.

At my first competition (Texas Scottish Festival in 2004) I was taking some video of the Pros after competing as a Novice. Ken Lowther walks up to me and says "It's a dollar a throw".  I say that I'll pay it and he laughs.  He then proceeds to provide color commentary on the other throwers in WFD.  After the games Greg Hadley was kind enough to give me some general training ideas.

Now as far as my favorite Dave Brown memory, which I told Dave about at this year's Texas Scottish Festival, it comes from last year's TSF.  Dave walks up and asks me how it's going.  I tell him that I won the heavy hammer and finished second in the light hammer.  Dave walks over and picks up the scoresheet.  He turns to me and says "Wow, you lost the light hammer by 4 inches that has to really hurt".  My response was "Yeah but I won the heavy hammer by 2 feet". Dave responds, "So that means you were obviously better in that event, but 4 inches means it could have gone either way."  Can you guess what words went through my head every time that I trained hammer since then????

99.9999% of the pro's are awesome and willing to give some tips-just let them throw there event first(i learned this early on)highlights

1)meeting Ryan Vierra at loon Mtn-getting my picture with him& asking him some training advice& giving him a 911 NYPD pin for his kilt

2)Doug macDonald-putting his hand on my shoulder as I was the last USA team memeber to get 14 feet in 56wob at Usa vs Canada-man the way he talked-so calmly-get me so into the zone.nailed it

3)drinking with the pro's on saturday nite at the Worlds In New Hampshire-not understanding a thing Bruce Aitken said,laughing at Woult-getting my picture with all the pro's and realizing I look like there little brother-who would have thought 6-1 240 was tiny

4) going to breakfast with dave Barron @ Alexandria when he invited Rusher and a eurpoean athlete who ddin't speak english(samuelson)to join us-I thought Samuelson & Rusher were going to eat me

5) going to a brazilian steak house in Alexandria with Jumbo McClelland,Craig Smith,Kearney Smith, watching in horror as they motioned for more beef-the waiter had fear in his eye

6)picking Don "Hollywood's mind for hours as he devours sandwich after sandwich-when I suddenly realize he;s eaten my wife and kids-hero's-oops I'm in trouble 

anytime there is a pro at a game i usually try and talk to him and without being a pest-pick his mind for training/practice ideas-they are ambassadors of the sport and I enjoy talking to them finding out new ideas

I would have to say that my first encounter with a pro was a pretty cool one as well.

It was my second throw ever (and being from a state that had never had any highland games, at that time, and doesn't put a lot of time in field events) the year was 1998, the place Estes.  I was trying to get video of the pros from behind the hammer cage.  Someone walked in front of the camera and stayed there (I believe that it was Carl Braun).  Well, I wasn't going to say anything, afterall it was there event.  But Ryan Vierra leaned over and grabbed is kilt and said: "move, he is trying to get video".  I was very impressed.  Thanks Ryan.

Since then there have been several great tips and tricks from various pros.  You all are great people, but then again, I believe that we have the best buch of people in this sport anyway.

Snider wrote: I was at the Wisconsin Highland game and was going though some very difficult times in my life. Chris Rusher walked up to me and told me to hang up my Cell phone. I was talking with my soon to be ex-wife and I was very upset. He gave me the scottish athlete hug.. It was all good from then on. Great MAN and even help me though my divorce with long phone conversation.

Agreed on Rush, Total class act

Wow…let’s go back to 1994 at my first Pro games in Fresno, Ca.  I just came off of a major win by winning the amateur championships in Pleasanton.  I started off by winning the first two events (the stones) then from that point on without me knowing Carl Braun decided to do some commentary during my throws into my camera….he was saying “That was an amateur throw” on about every throw.  I ended up placing 2^nd that day to Harry Macdonald and felt good about my performance.  I get home to review and study my throws and with a surprise, I hear Carl uttering those words “That was an amateur throw”.     

At first I was pissed, but then it turned into motivation…to the point where it was obsessive.  I was training twice a day for 6 day a week with little to no time off…my wife thought I was going nuts...I watched that video nearly everyday that winter just waiting to prove myself the next year.  I started the season off with huge PR’s and a major overall win in Florida…I felt relieved, and then it turned into gratification.   

After a while I looked at that and laughed…I sometimes think about that and wonder…what would’ve happen if Carl didn’t say those exact words…would I be a different thrower today…that’s how much one person (a Pro) can affect another…and in this case it affected me in a good way, so thanks Carl!