2011 Seaside Highland Games (Ventura, California)

**sydnie7** · 4th October 11, 07:06 PM

Great news about the forecast! We arrive Friday early afternoon on Amtrak, get our rental car, and check into the oh-so-swank Motel 6

to gussy up for Friday night's banquet. Look for my new XMarks tartan skirt to make its debut! (Yes, there will be pictures and details posted next week.)

Saturday/Sunday we will be based at the Clan Donnachaidh tent but out and about as much as possible. Anybody up for Saturday night dinner?

**Neil Clark** · 5th October 11, 10:03 AM

I was thinking about this one next year. Enjoy, guys.

**Calico** · 5th October 11, 04:16 PM

Originally Posted by sydnie7

Anybody up for Saturday night dinner?

Are you going to the Peat-Fire Flame concert at the Sheraton Saturday night at 7:00?

We'd like to have dinner with you, but this event takes precedence. Something before or after?

**sydnie7** · 5th October 11, 05:09 PM

Not going to the concert Saturday. . . I'll PM you our cell phone numbers, let's try to meet up during the day Saturday at least, maybe plan something.

**OC Richard** · 6th October 11, 05:15 AM

I'll be there!

Playing pipes with the LA Scots.

I'll look like this (I'm the piper next to the bass drummer)

**GoodGirlGonePlaid** · 8th October 11, 10:14 PM

Beautiful weather today! I was fortunate enough to meet the lovely Sydnie7 and got a good caber lesson from Allen H (thank you, sir, my legs are jelly this evening

)I'm happy to have met you.

@Droid and @Eclarkhb, have fun and best wishes tomorrow!!! It sure is fun throwing that heavy stuff. I didn't throw it far, but enjoyed every minute and had a great time with the awesome, funny, rockin' and uber tough ladies group!

**sydnie7** · 10th October 11, 03:09 PM

We met up with Calico (David) and wife Jan, also saw AlanH and GoodGirlGP over at the athletics corral. I got just a few camera phone snaps of the goings-on, here's GoodGirl at the sheaf:

Bob and I on Saturday

And the British cars on display

Sorry so few and poor quality! Sunday I wasn't feeling top of the world (little vertigo episode) so I spent most of the day holding down a chair in the clan tent.

**eclarkhb** · 11th October 11, 10:00 AM

Had a great time at the Seaside Games! This was my 1st ever Scottish Festival & games - it was a blast! I ended up winning the Novice division, so I'll be competing at C in the Long Beach I think

Here are some pictures:

Just missed 13' on Weight over Bar (got it on the next attempt):

Game Face on before an Open Stone attempt ;-)

Starting my spin for Open Stone:

More Open Stone:

Me and one of the other competitors (he changed out of his kilt):

Hanging out with Clan Campbell in the tent:

**Alan H** · 12th October 11, 11:23 AM

I managed to win the Geezer in Training class on Saturday, so that was cool. Along the way I scored a MONSTER PR in the heavy weight for distance, and that seriously made the day. The other thing that made the day was meeting Good Girl Gone Plaid, and meeting up with Bob and sydnie7.

eklarb, you went 13 feet with the 56 pounder in your FIRST Games? That's um...ki*k@55. If it so happened that they had you throw the 42'er, that's still pretty darned good...that's what I'm throwing and even though I'm a geezer, I've still got 4+ years training advantage on you.

Numbers, Man! Numbers!

Mine:

WOB - 13 feet with the 42 - happy with this! Hit the bar 3x at 13' 8" but I know what to do next season.
sheaf - 21 feet with the 16..meh. I wanted 23-24. poop

Heavy Hammer... 64-even. That's OK, not great. I've been at 67+ most of the second half of this season. a Good Day starts at 65, so...pppphhhhbbbbttttt.
Light Hammer .... 81-something. Good, but not great. Anything over 80, I can't complain, but a good day really starts at about 84.

Braemar Stone ... 25' 10".. OK, but I really should be well up in the 26's.
Open Stone ... 31' 0.5". Anything over 30 is acceptable, 31+ is a good day, so I can't complain. I wanted 33, though, but this isn't my best rock.

HWFD .... 34' 4"..this is the PR. It's a FOUR FOOT IMPROVEMENT in my previous PR. Am I happy about that? OH YEAH.
LWFD ... 48' 10". Got this in the middle of a series where everything was 46+ except the one I had to bail on, and ate dirt. That's a very solid series of throws for me, no meltdowns. 48' 10" is a good throw, it's just that I wanted 50+

**Alan H** · 12th October 11, 11:41 AM

How'd it go for you, Droid?

Just so you know....Ardenwood Tartan Day Games will be up here in Nor Cal on Saturday April 14th next year. We're going to run an <200 pound class, and I have to limit the field to about 32 athletes, total. If any of you want to come up, that'd be sweet.

The following Sunday is the first Nor Cal Womens Throwing Clinic, where newbs get to try 5-6 events and developing throwers get to spend some quality time with the top A-level women throwers in California. GGGP, Bethany will be there as the caber and WOB coach. IGHF Amateur World Champion, Kris Sisseck will probably be our stones coach. I'm hoping Heather MacDonald will come up and coach the weights. I'd love to get Melissa G. to coach hammers but she's gonna be bum-deep in prepping for the Olympic trials. Beth Burton will be there and I think I'll ask her to talk about training and weights. We're hoping for 15-18 lasses..new and developing... to show up.