O.K. first of all there’s a Stone Skipping World Championship competition that’s held annually in Scotland – If you didn’t know that existed until now, you’re not alone.
You also might be surprised (or not) that with almost any competitive event there those that choose to take shortcuts to gain an advantage.
The annual World Stone Skimming Championship is apparently not immune to such nefarious tactics and now finds itself mired in a cheating scandal.
Officials at the event, which was held on the island of Easdale, discovered that several competitors were using stones that appeared to be machine-shaped, with some even sporting artificial notches to improve their throw.
And that’s a big no-no in a contest where the rules require stones to be naturally occurring slate from the island itself.
Kyle Mathews, the event’s “Toss Master,” (which sounds dirtier than it is) said he received calls from participants who feared the rock-solid integrity of the sport was at risk to sink like a stone.
Mathews spoke with the (alleged) rule-breakers, who (after being confronted) admitted to the violations and were promptly disqualified from the competition. To their credit they were deeply apologetic and accepted the decision without protest.
To prevent future controversies, organizers are now considering requiring competitors to choose from stones that are pre-selected by officials.
[Scottish Mail] [YouTube: BBC Scotland] [Daily Mail U.K.]
