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C. Smith
Admin Group Retired Joined: 8/30/04 Location: Antarctica Status: Offline Points: 6661443 |
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Posted: 1/26/09 at 5:10am |
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Well, we've clearly gone off course. Debate away in this thread now.... |
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Gamecock
Groupie Joined: 8/05/08 Status: Offline Points: 95 |
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WOW! they are just falling left and right. I'm sadden by this. I look forward to throwing in the south this year.
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greynolds177
Postaholic Joined: 4/12/07 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1752 |
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Oh Jesus Sorry to hear about the Games going down guys. It is a real worry |
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A.D.Inverness 1999-present; MWC2006, World Championships 2007, MWC2009 and MWC2014. Organiser of Guinness World Record for Caber Tossing. Scottish Masters International Hall of Fame Inductee 2014.
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weaselking
Postaholic Joined: 6/16/05 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1099 |
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The festival's are going down. Games can & will continue as long as we're willing to get together to throw. Just be more work, is all.
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We can evade reality, but we cannot evade the consequences of evading reality. - Ayn Rand
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JWC III
Postaholic Joined: 8/30/04 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1277 |
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First of all, these are the times when we all need to volunteer to help. Go and volunteer to help or at least show up early to help and stay late to help. Volunteers make the game work. I agree that many festivals are going down and that is leading to more "stand alone" games. I know that there are a certain segment of our community that hate these types of game and think they are "back yard" affairs, but in tough times, you make tough choices. For example: My understanding is that St. Louis is not having their full festival this year, but the local athletes will hold an "athletics only" games in Sept. A new games on the radar is Omaha. They have a festival there and have had for years, they are ADDING athletics this year so a new one on the radar. BUT, this will be run by NAHA the new strongman/HG hybrid. Purists may hate this, but if it draws a crowd and makes people come back..... Volunteer! Offer to help in some way! That will go the fartherest to make these games work out. |
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Thom Van Vleck
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greynolds177
Postaholic Joined: 4/12/07 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1752 |
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Interview with NAHA Co-Founder D.J. Satterfield
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A.D.Inverness 1999-present; MWC2006, World Championships 2007, MWC2009 and MWC2014. Organiser of Guinness World Record for Caber Tossing. Scottish Masters International Hall of Fame Inductee 2014.
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JWC III
Postaholic Joined: 8/30/04 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1277 |
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Gerry, first of all, DJ and I have discussed this issue and thought that at least for the time being it wouldn't be mandatory, but I guarentee you that once this gets off the ground that bigger meets it will be mandatory and I would hope eventually it would be required at all meets. The idea is that initially there will be a lot of strongmen do this as a one time deal and at least in my area the economy is not so hot and I can't see asking these guys to invest in a kilt until they are sure they are going to stick with it. To be honest, I have made the kilt optional for my C class athletes for years at the Kirksville Games and maybe, just maybe 5% have not worn a kilt and usually the next time they come they've invested in one. Maybe your comment was more tongue in cheek and didn't require this long response, if so, my apologies. I don't always catch the inflection.
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Thom Van Vleck
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Mr. Natural
Postaholic Top 10 in the USA - '02-'08 Joined: 7/24/07 Location: NY Status: Offline Points: 1168 |
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Yeah, no un-kilted athletes and no english!
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Big Ed
Senior Member Joined: 9/02/04 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 443 |
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Well I for one am happy that my festival board gave me a bigger budget. The entry will be up soon on the website at ww.sahga.org or just email me at edcosner@hotmail.com Got a new one this year with having the C class guys go through a 2 hour seminar with James Parman before competing..this is at no additional charge to them. Gonna cover the basics and rules so there will be no need to help them once the competition starts!! |
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D.J.
Senior Member Joined: 8/07/08 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 291 |
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First of all, I don't know how one of my interviews landed in the "Games Cancelled" thread, but with that said, Thom has hit the nail on the head. It comes down to simple economics. Guys/Gals(newcomers and strongman competitors) that are going to try the highlander meets, to see if they like them, are not going to need an additional $75-$200 kilt investment. For us to require all athletes to wear a kilt would be like us to require all athletes to wear Rehband equipment, like the strongman competitors. We are equal and are not going to favor one over the other. And like Thom stated, it is our hope and plan, that when things are up and going and have grown like we plan, everyone will be wearing kilts. D.J. |
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North American Highlander Association, Inc.
www.nahighlander.com |
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Trainerterry
Postaholic Joined: 9/09/04 Location: Suriname Status: Offline Points: 1155 |
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that is an aweful analogy |
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"A man has to know his limitations" - Detective Harold Callahan
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D.J.
Senior Member Joined: 8/07/08 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 291 |
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Terry, Awful or not, you get my point. Why should we favor one side of our sport over the other? What everyone fails to realize is that we are a stand-alone sport. We are not trying to mimc or copy the highland games or strongman. We are a combination. If we were trying to be another HG or SM, then the rules, guidelines, etc. would be completely different. |
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North American Highlander Association, Inc.
www.nahighlander.com |
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=Travis=
Senior Member Joined: 7/27/06 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 520 |
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I totally understand where you're coming from in not wanting a newbie to spend money on a kilt until they know they are going to stick with it, but football players wear football uniforms and it is called Highlander... |
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JaysonTisdale
Senior Member Joined: 12/04/06 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 151 |
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Allow me to put my $0.02 in here.
The games in Gulfport, Mississippi decided to have Pros last year (2008). Imagine the scare we had when the market decided to drop just a month or two before our games in November.
To my surprise, our gate attendance was DOUBLE that of the previous year and the inclusion of the Pros encouraged massive positive comments from the general public. So much feedback from the average patron on top of the loving words from my group of Pros prompted the Games Committee to extend my budget to allow a women's flight, two more Pros along with more perks for my athletes.
The only explanation I can offer as to why our games are not only continuing but expanding is that of enthusiasm. Show your local Games Committees that you are excited to participate and even better would be to volunteer your time to help make things possible. If you are excited about the games, others are likely to become excited also. It's contagious
Many of you throwers just don't understand the massive planning and man-power needed to put on a festival. The term 'It takes a village' seems inadequate sometimes. You really need to get involved if you want games to keep happening. If you don't, then there is nobody to blame but yourself.
Get out there and get your community stirred up about the games and you won't have the Festival committees so scared to spend money on what we all know is a great time to be had by all. |
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greynolds177
Postaholic Joined: 4/12/07 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1752 |
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Wearing my Games Secretary's / A.D.'s hat - I have to say that Jayson has really hit the nail on the head. On of the major challenges facing Highland Games / Festivals / Community today is that we are starting to see the retirement of the baby boomers. Before we talk about the credit crunch and the impact that will have upon the sponsorship of Highland Games, we need to reflect upon the fact that here in Scotland - Highland Games are being squeezed on three sides. 1. The Committee stalwarts are not being replaced 2. The Heavies are not being replaced 3. The Judges are not being replaced We are going to face shortages in each of those areas quicker than you think and we have to start thinking about what we are going to do. One point regarding the recession. We need to get the message out that this could be one of the best years ever for us to design our Games to appeal to our LOCAL COMMUNITIES. If people are not going away on vacation or are looking to entertain their kids cheaply - Highland Games can be an attractive day out. All the latest research indicates that families are looking for active experiences instead of passive ones - so anything that you can stage which the kids can take part in will give you a massive advantage. ------------------------------------------------------------ -- With regard to the Highlander name - I do feel strongly that the kilt should be worn. Anyone who says that they cannot afford a kilt should be allowed to buy one with their membership card and pay it off in installments. I think it was Hannibal that said " If we cannot find a way. We will create one". I do not buy into the poverty excuse That is just an opinion but the day that we start forgetting where you come from is the day that you will forget where you are going.
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A.D.Inverness 1999-present; MWC2006, World Championships 2007, MWC2009 and MWC2014. Organiser of Guinness World Record for Caber Tossing. Scottish Masters International Hall of Fame Inductee 2014.
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WALLY.OLECIK
Postaholic Joined: 10/10/08 Location: W. Seattle, WA Status: Offline Points: 1594 |
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+1 to both Jason and Gerry!
Games need to be thinking positively instead of running scared! Cutting back (or worse yet, postponing for a year) is like a self-fulfilling prophesy. As a trustee in the association that puts on the Games at Enumclaw, WA (the Claw), l went to our recent budget meeting expecting to hear a bunch of sniveling about having to cut back. l had a speech in my head about how cutting back was a self-fulfilling prophesy. To my surprise, for once everyone was on the same page. Not only did we not cut back, we bumped our budget up a little! |
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JWC III
Postaholic Joined: 8/30/04 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1277 |
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Well, I guess my final word on the kilt is that, while I have three of them and I love to wear mine, when I was in Scotland I never saw a single Scot wearing one outside of the festival, and most at the festival weren't wearing one, and the kilt we wear today is not what our ancestors wore but a modern vestige of it. I can wear a yarmulke and it don't make me Jewish (even if I am circumscised). I live in an area where a blue collar or a green collar (farmer) is the norm and if you tell these boys the first thing they need to do is put on a kilt they will kick your ass. It ain't Scotland where the kilt is ingrained in the psyche. I had the owner of a local autobody shop tell me that he refused to sponsor my event for several years JUST because of the kilt. But once we got him on board (his surname is Scottish, but he's about 10 generations removed from the "old country") he now owns a kilt and wore it in a local parade recently and literally LOVES it. By the way, he drag races and owns a harley and looks like he belongs in one. Once I won him over, I won over half the town. I have to pick my battles and my objective is to win the war. Kilts are important, but they don't make you Scottish. The kilt CAN be the outward sign that you have bought into it and I bet I've been responsible for at least a hundred purchases. You wait and see, I think that this Highlander stuff is going to draw a whole new layer to the Scottish Games and Sport kilt should give me a commission. BTW, I'm coming to Inverness and I think it is was a Fantastic experience in 2006. I can't afford to come, but I'm coming and I'm bringing my KILT! |
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Thom Van Vleck
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brandell
Postaholic Joined: 8/29/04 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 2433 |
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Wear the kilt or go throw track and field.
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greynolds177
Postaholic Joined: 4/12/07 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1752 |
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Delighted you are coming over - i will alert the local breweries to increase their production. Totally accept where you are coming from with the kilt by the way. Get them involved THEN work your magic is an acceptable plan B.
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A.D.Inverness 1999-present; MWC2006, World Championships 2007, MWC2009 and MWC2014. Organiser of Guinness World Record for Caber Tossing. Scottish Masters International Hall of Fame Inductee 2014.
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cstclair
Groupie Joined: 8/10/07 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 72 |
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my 2 cents Been to a couple of TF competitions and Highland games as well. I noticed a lot of difference between them beside just what the athletes were wearing. Another thought. Weren't kilts banned at one point? Would forcing people to wear them not be viewed as the same thing? St.Clair |
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brandell
Postaholic Joined: 8/29/04 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 2433 |
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LMAO +1 |
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