Great Scots — Highland Games test skill, strength of competitors

At the festival, a Strong Man demonstration will be held on June 10, beginning at 5 p.m. The games will be held on June 11, beginning at 9 a.m. "We'll have about 75 participants in 10 different classes, which will make them the largest games ever held in Utah," said Loosle.

Those games will attract athletes from all over the country, including both amateur and professional competitors ("yes, there are a few people who actually make a living doing this," said Loosle).

In Scotland, "they say the games are so popular that you could leave one competition and drive to another and never run out," but surprising numbers of games are held in this country. "A lot of people consider Utah one of the best places in the country for the games," said Loosle. The annual Scottish Festival is the biggest event of the year, but "we have about 18 competitions a year."

There are about 60 "hard-core" athletes in Utah, he said, and new ones that come out each time. And they also travel to games in other states.

Loosle's world record, for example, was set at a competition in Sacramento in April. "That was pretty exciting," he admitted. "The top seven pros in the world were there — and those guys are my heroes. So, to do it with them there was almost as fun as breaking the record." His record stands at 18-feet, 3-inches. "I'd been trying to hit 17 feet, and finally made it on my third attempt. So I decided to go for it, and cleared it on my second attempt at 18-3."

Loosle has been competing for "nine or 10 years now." He was introduced to the games in Richfield. "My mom and dad are very Scottish (with connections to the Stewart, Campbell and McDonald clans), and Richfield was holding a Scottish Festival, and they wanted me to come. I went to see the bagpipers, and they were cool. I saw the dancers, and they were fun. And then I saw the guys throwing, and it was like I found my home. I've been doing it ever since."

That's how a lot of people get involved in the games. "I was an EMT on standby at last summer's games," said Brian MacNeil. "I watched the athletes and thought it looked fun." At the minigames, MacNeil was participating in his first competition, "and it is fun," he said. "This is not something you do every day. It's a complete step out of the ordinary."

Robert Stewart was also attending his first games. "I think of myself as a big guy, until I get out here. This is hard work. But it's a lot of fun."