Imagine lying on a bed of nails, and having weight added on
top of you. That was just one of the amazing and interesting sights at the
McPherson Scottish Festival and Highland Games that ended Sunday, Sept. 23
2012.
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There were the usual bagpipes and dancers with kilts everywhere.
There was sword fighting and vintage
cars, but it was the athletic competition that got a lot of people watching.
In the feats of strength demonstration, a man lay down on a
bed of nails. That seems hard enough, but then they put a board on top of him,
and crushed a cinder block over him. Then a group of children climbed on top of
the board and stood on top of him with the nails still under him. He had a few
scratches but no real injuries.
Other feats included bending nails and tearing phone books
in half, as well as bursting open soda cans full of soda.
The games themselves were also interesting. One was the caber
toss, which is a long pole that looks like a telephone pole. This pole was
about 30 feet long, and to make a successful throw the athlete had to throw it
in such a way that it tumbled over.
Weights of various
types were thrown, and there was throwing a bale of hay with a pitch fork for
distance and accuracy.
This was the 19th festival along Lakeside Park in
McPherson. The weather was perfect for the event, as it often is this time of
year in Kansas.
There are more festivals coming up in Kansas and I will try
to keep you posted.
