Skim scandal rocks Scotland: First cheating accusations in 42 years as participants alter stone at world skimming championship
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World Stone Skimming Championship witnessed cheating accusations being hurled.
The World Stone Skimming Championship is held on a Scottish island every year, where cars are not allowed. The legit sport this year witnessed accusations that some people were planning on cheating using doctored stones. They admitted when confronted.
Getting a piece of stone to plop through water multiple times is an actual sport in Scotland, where the World Stone Skimming Competition is held every year. Over 2,200 people from 27 countries reached the island of Easdale to participate in what is a legitimate international sport. However, even something like this has not been left free from controversy, as the current edition has accusations of cheating swirling around. The “world’s first dedicated stone skimming arena" is located at a slate quarry that flooded in 1881. The competition has been held here since 1983. The rules state that for the stone skimming contest, only unaltered stones selected from among the island’s naturally occurring slate should be used. Each rock should be under three inches wide, and its dimensions are checked using a device called the “ring of truth”. Each participant gets three skims, all of which must bounce at least twice to qualify towards their cumulative score. Also Read: Strip club didn't want to pay $8mn in taxes. So they gave the auditor lap dances
Doctored stones at World Stone Skimming Championship
However, this year, rumours started swirling that some people were using "doctored stones". When asked about it, those who were cheating admitted to using unjustified tactics at the stone skimming contest. “Toss Master” Kyle Matthews told BBC Radio Scotland that he heard “rumours and murmurings of some nefarious deeds," Popular Science reported. Matthews told the publication that some stones were altered and looked like they had been ground into more circular shapes to improve their bounce potential. He says this is the first time that something like this has happened in the history of the stone skimming competition. Matthews said, "I think if it had been happening in previous years, they would have told me then.”
Would-be cheaters admitted carving the stones
Some skimmers raised concerns about the use of altered stone. An investigation happened, and those involved were asked to raise their hands, and they did. The competition then went ahead as usual.
Stone skimming is Physics, as a lot of scientific dynamics go into making the perfect throw, and plop. This year's winner is Jon Jennings of Kentucky, who made history on his second visit to the World Stone Skimming Championship. With a cumulative score of 580.7 feet, he is also the first American to win the contest. When asked whether the rounded stones could have won the contest, Jennings said they just "gallop through the water, while more square stones with flat edges slice through the water and give more grip."
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