Burly men in kilts are taking over Diefenbaker Park this weekend for the annual Highland Games Festival. This year’s event is even more special because Saskatoon is hosting the 2016 Canadian Heavy Event Championship.
Organizer Jesse Cann brought the games to the city after competing in Regina and falling in love with the sport.
“Originally it was a gathering of the clans of Scotland, these large festivals and Highland Games, but now it transferred into a means to share our culture,” Cann said.
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Most of the events are based on lifting heavy objects like stones, hammers and logs and throwing them as far as possible.
There must have been something in the air because multiple field records were broken Saturday.
“It’s great. I consider the hammer my best event so to come in and throw them well helps. I’m close to being back in the lead or having a share in it so it’s good,” Matthew Doherty said.
Doherty is going for his fourth Canadian Heavy Event Championship this weekend and has placed third at the World Games.
The guys make it took easy, but a power-lifting regime and strict training is key to making it to the Canadian finals.
“It is a very skillful movement, you can’t just come in and muscle it. You have the throw and throw and throw,” Doherty explained.
And to answer an age-old question – yes, the men are wearing something underneath their kilts.
“Yes, thankfully in the case of the athletes. They’re doing a lot of dynamic and fast movements and the kilts tend to lift a bit. That wouldn’t be very family-friendly,” laughed Cann.
The Highland Games continue in Diefenbaker Park Sunday with local competitors.