Mike Smith and Pitchfork Mysteries
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Forum Name: General
Forum Discription: This forum is for general discussion about Scottish Heavy Athletics.
URL: http://www.nasgaweb.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=26
Printed Date: 3/26/26 at 3:42pm
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Topic: Mike Smith and Pitchfork Mysteries
Posted By: CRASH
Subject: Mike Smith and Pitchfork Mysteries
Date Posted: 8/30/04 at 1:59pm
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Last Saturday, Mike Smith valiantly tried to show a few left coasters how to toss the sheaf. However, he did not know why a pitchfork with two tines was not technically a pitchfork. Here is my attempt to answer the Mysteries of the Fork First of all, the sheaf toss has roots on the farms of Scotland. Using pitchforks, young men would attempt to pitch wheat to the storage loft on the barn's second floor. (Per http://www.houseofgordon.com/Games.htm - http://www.houseofgordon.com/Games.htm .) Defintion of "fork" :
Types of "forks": If it has two tines, it is a military or war fork. (Hence, your answer.) For mere surplussage, five or more tines makes it a manure fork, orif it has a d-handle, it is a garden fork. If it is "Andrew's Fork", it has nothing to do with farming tools but more to do with charting/graphing. That, I am sure is more than anyone wants to know. Mike, now you can sleep at night.
------------- Shana The worst thing I can be is the same as everybody else. I hate that. (A. Schwarzenegger) |
Replies:
Posted By: AncientOne
Date Posted: 8/30/04 at 4:15pm
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Shana- "For mere surplussage"? Damn, you're really messed up! -Serendipity ------------- Winners are remarkably adept at figuring out what's required to win. |
Posted By: kspell
Date Posted: 8/30/04 at 4:54pm
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This is one of those things that just get under my skin. "you can't buy a two tine fork, therefore you and use it in comp." Well, one you can buy a two tine fork, and two, I can't buy hammer boots, but that doesn't stop people from using them. Mike, it is a total farse in my never-to-be-humble opinion. ------------- Cheers! Kirk |
Posted By: agm_
Date Posted: 8/30/04 at 11:52pm
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Despite what some may think, the sheaf toss is contested
at a few highland games in Scotland. One of those games is the Halkirk games. Those games also happen to have a great collection of photos online. And if you look at those photos carefully, starting with those on this page: http://www.caithness.org/fpb/july2004/photogallery/thumbs.htm?300?30 - http://www.caithness.org/fpb/july2004/photogallery/thumbs.ht m?300?30 you'll see the sheaf being tossed with a two-tine fork. |
Posted By: Tim
Date Posted: 8/31/04 at 1:05am
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Adam, I say we allow the two prong fork. But then, we also have to have the kilted pole vault too (why wasn't that guy in the bottom picture kilted?).
------------- "Remember, you don't take respect, you can only give it." Myles Wetzel-Forum post 10/2/07 Rock the House |
Maybe we could use the fork as the pole. Wouldn't that make things interesting?Posted By: Richard Doria
Date Posted: 8/31/04 at 4:59am
Good, Lord! We've corrupted the Scots with that stuuupud event. Next thing you know, women will be polve vaulting and throwing the wire hammer at the Olympics. 
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Posted By: Larry Satchwell
Date Posted: 8/31/04 at 6:52am
| Those do look like two tined forks. Personally, I don't see the advantage of one over the other. I never liked the feel of the two tined. Ancient One- did you check out those shots of the sheaf standards? They were some of those mother of all mothers you have in Illinois! |
Posted By: caber1
Date Posted: 8/31/04 at 7:37am
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Where did the weights in the sheaf toss come from? ie:16 and 20
------------- Try,Try And Then Again |
Posted By: CRASH
Date Posted: 8/31/04 at 7:38am
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Originally, the bags were loaded with buttery corn. Actually, I have no idea. Now I have something to research other than preliminary injunctions. But, who do I bill for that? ------------- Shana The worst thing I can be is the same as everybody else. I hate that. (A. Schwarzenegger) |
Posted By: CRASH
Date Posted: 8/31/04 at 7:57am
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One square bale of hay weighs about 60 lbs and there are about 16 flakes per bale. This means that each flake weighs about 4 lbs. A calf eats about four flakes of hay a day (plus grain) Thus, the total weight of hay per diem be approximately 16 lbs (4 x 4 = 16). Maybe a cow eats five flakes a day - to get to 20? I live nowhere near a farm, so I cannot answer that. For more mere surplussage, a bushel of shelled corn weighs 56 pounds (without butter). Think about that the next time you throw the WOB of HWFD!
------------- Shana The worst thing I can be is the same as everybody else. I hate that. (A. Schwarzenegger) |