Mountain Man returns to Pennsylvania rock skipping summit

​The Mountain Man climbed back to the top at the 25th annual Pennsylvania Stone Skipping Tournament.

​Kurt Steiner of Emporium, who won the first contest in 2001, took Saturday’s first place award with 41 skips.

It is the seventh win for the current Guiness World Record holder for stone skipping. Steiner also won in 2001 (25 skips), 2002 (34), 2005 (31), 2011 (39), 2012 (40) and 2015 (38).  

"It's been a minute," Steiner said about his ten year absence from hoisting the trophy.

When asked what he will do now that he is the winningest competitor in PA stone skipping history, breaking the tie with tournament originator Russ Byars, Steiner replied “Now I can retire” with a chuckle.  

Steiner was joined at the top by two other tournament regulars and past champions.

​Dave “Spiderman” Ohmer of Erie came in second with a top skip of 40 and the highest second of 38. Ohmer won the contest in 2013 and 2014 (43 skips each time) and 2021 (45).
​
Andy “Big Rock” Severns of Tidioute came in third with a top skip of 40 and a second skip of 36.

Severns is the only contestant to record 50 or more skips during the competition winning in 2022 (53) and 2023 (50).
​
Enzo Ferrari of Baltimore, Maryland also recorded a toss with 40 skips this year but just missed the podium with a second highest skip of 23.
​
There was a large crowd gathered in Riverfront Park for the contest that typically draws competitors from across the country and sometimes around the globe.

A young man, Joel Lewis from Liverpool, England competed as a exhibition thrower with the pros.
​
There were 55 contestants in the amateur category. Logan “Igneous” Campola won the division with 31 skips.
​
He elected to “go pro” and threw consistently throughout the six-toss competition on his way to capturing the Highest Cumulative Total honor with 178 skips (28, 27, 37, 19, 32, 32).

He was also one of 12 people to record a toss of 30 skips or more on Saturday, representing nearly half of the 25 professional competitors.
​
Along with Steiner, Ohmer, Severns, Ferrari and Campola, contestants in the 30s and their top skips included Aiden “The Wizard” Woolsey of Buffalo, New York (39), Colin “Noodles” Hales (38), Kyle Graff of Soquel, California (37), Jonathan Jennings of Louisville, Kentucky (37), David Michael Ohmer of Titusville (36), Greg Winger of Franklin (33) and Alex Ferry of Warren (31).

Scroll down for more pictures and to read another perspective on the annual Franklin event.

​The following account of the event is from the Guppy Gazette's confluence writer Clint "can't hook me" Dobber.

Below the surface, rock skipping isn't all fun and games

Mayor Charlie Bass and councilmmember Pete Trout were scheduled to meet Saturday to discuss the matters of the confluence. The water has been low this summer and it has the underwater community a bit concerned.
​
Bass was late and Trout was growing more nervous and worried with each passing second. 

There have been a lot of fisherman on the river lately and he was suddenly scared for his colleague and friend. ​
That, and the low water has trapped others in small pools cutoff from the rest of the stream.

Off in the distance he thought he saw through some murky water what appeared to be Charlie swimming erratically as if he didn't seem to know where he was going.

Heading towards the murkiness Trout shouts "Charlie is that you? Are you OK."
​"Huh?" Trout hears answered, though not very clear.
​
As he got closer he sees it is Bass, but he has a huge lump on his head and one eye is closed from the swelling.

"Holy mackerel Charlie what happened to you, are you ok?" ask Trout.

“Those dang rock skippers are back in town," Bass replied finally seeing his friend.
"I hate those guys," Trout said still concerned. "Its like we're being bombed non-stop all day long."
"There I was trying to swim around where they were throwing and I was sure I was far enough away when all of a sudden I hear 'next up Kurt "the Mountainman" Steiner," Bass started to explain.

"Oh that guy," Trout interrupted. "He once beaned two of my cousins one right after the other as they were enjoying a peaceful day up in Red Ridge. He throws rocks an inhuman distance."

"Yeah, but he hurt his shoulder so I figured I was good," Bass continued. "Apparently this Rock in River thing was all tied up with 40 skips and Steiner, who apparently hadn't exactly been throwing great, had one more stone left. I see him looking right in  mt direction and I froze. He threw it right at me. I really thought it would stop before it got to me. It was losing speed and I was counting 35, 36, 37 and I swear it wasn't going to make it another and I was safe. 38 and surely on 39 it was going under. Nope it skips off the water right at me , 40 and I wince as it neared down on me and clocks me square in the temple and bounced off my head on the 41st  and I start seeing stars as I listen to the people on the bank cheer. It nearly knocked me out cold. I thought I was a goner.​"

"you mean he would've tied the others but it bounced off your head?" Trout asked.

​"Yep. He owes me one."

"We used to put out a notice every time these guys were in town to stay clear of the area, guess were gonna have to start doing that again." Trout said. "I Hate those guys,"

"Oh they're ok, it was my fault," Bass said wishing he took a different route to the meeting. "Maybe the Mountain Man will throw me some of the fudge he won."

"Let's get you some ice for that lump, I saw some campers dumping out their cooler a little while ago. over near the bridge."

​"OK."