Camilla Jessen
Several participants had manipulated their stones, which is illegal at the World Championships.
The World Stone Skimming Championships, held last week on the tiny Scottish island of Easdale, took an unexpected turn when several participants were disqualified for cheating.
An Annual Event
The Scottish island Easdale is normally home to just 61 people year-round.
But last week it was flooded with over 2,000 visitors for the annual championship. All gathered to witness who could skip a stone the farthest across the water.
But behind the fun, the cheers, and the sea breeze, something wasn’t right.
A Cheated Championship
Organizers discovered that some participants had polished and shaped their stones, violating the event’s strict rules that all stones must be naturally found on the island and unmodified in any way.
Every stone is required to pass through the “ring of truth,” a device that ensures stones are no larger than 3 inches (7.62 cm) in diameter.
“They had shaped them so they were perfectly round and fit our gauge perfectly. We didn’t notice they were suspiciously round,” said Kyle “Toss Master” Mathews, one of the event’s main organizers, speaking to the BBC and DR.
A Natural-Only Rule
In other countries, like Denmark, everyone is given an identical stone for fairness.
But the World Championships take pride in their local, natural-only rule. That’s why the revelations hit so hard among the tight-knit community of skipping enthusiasts.
“It’s Not About Money – It’s About Integrity”
“It is very serious, also because there’s no money at stake,” said former Danish champion and national organizer Nikolaj “Smutnik” Winding.
“It’s your honor and integrity as a true smut enthusiast that’s at stake.”
According to Mathews, the competitors who broke the rules quickly confessed once confronted — but not before raising serious questions about fairness at the highest level of the sport.
Why Shape Matters in Stone Skipping
Round stones give skimmers a big advantage. The smoother and more balanced the stone, the more spin and distance it can achieve.
“You get some spin in the stone, which is important so it doesn’t sink,” explained Winding. “The more spin it has, the easier it will bounce on the water. So when you have a round stone, it’s easier to get it to spin.”
That edge is exactly what the World Championships aim to avoid, insisting that all competitors rely on the natural quirks of locally sourced stones.
Despite the Scandal, History Was Made
Though the controversy cast a shadow over the event, it didn’t stop the competition from going forward or from making history.
Jonathan Jennings, an American competitor, became the first U.S. winner of the World Championship, dominating the men’s event with a combined distance of 177 meters across three throws.
“I Was Given a Gift in the Form of a Stone”
“My uncle always told me I was given a gift in the form of a stone. He always said there are tournaments out there that you have to find because you’re going to win them,” Jennings told NBC’s Lex18.
For Jennings, being a “professional rock nut” is often met with skepticism, but this weekend, there was no doubt he was the best on the water.
This article is made and published by Camilla Jessen, which may have used AI in the preparation
