Edited to correct wrong numbers.
Imagine how excited you would be flying just above a meandering river on a hot summer day, your belly just skimming off the surface of the cool water. You smile big and bright as you look out at high cumulous clouds surrounded by the blue sky above the green hillside.
You just want to go on forever and ever.
Sounds nice, doesn't it?
As far as we know a rock cannot feel those things, but if it could, one stone could've asked the above question after experiencing the joy of its life this past Saturday at the Rock in River Festival after it skipped a record 53 times to find it's forever home at the bottom of the 2022 Pennsyvalnia River of the Year - French Creek where it meets the mighty Allegheny River in Franklin.
You just want to go on forever and ever.
Sounds nice, doesn't it?
As far as we know a rock cannot feel those things, but if it could, one stone could've asked the above question after experiencing the joy of its life this past Saturday at the Rock in River Festival after it skipped a record 53 times to find it's forever home at the bottom of the 2022 Pennsyvalnia River of the Year - French Creek where it meets the mighty Allegheny River in Franklin.
This one rock looked like most any other if you're not a flat stone aficionado, but when it left the hand of Tidioute's Andy "Big Rock" Severns, like most of the other rocks he threw that day, but it did something no other stone has done in the history of the Rock in River Festival – it broke the 50 skip mark.
In 2020, Dave "Spiderman" Ohmer of Titusville hit 50, but due to COVID, the official PA State Stone Skipping Championship eventhad been canceled. A group of throwers met socially distanced on the banks anyway - simply due to their mutual love of throwing stones and watching them dance across the water. They witnessed Ohmer’s mighty throw and his feat became one for the unofficial record books.
In 2020, Dave "Spiderman" Ohmer of Titusville hit 50, but due to COVID, the official PA State Stone Skipping Championship eventhad been canceled. A group of throwers met socially distanced on the banks anyway - simply due to their mutual love of throwing stones and watching them dance across the water. They witnessed Ohmer’s mighty throw and his feat became one for the unofficial record books.
If Severns' rock had feelings, it would've been beaming with pride. If it had ears as it began to sink it would have heard the underwater muffled cheers that echoed across the valley of the over 100 people up on the hill at Riverfront Park.
As great as that stone is sitting at the bottom of the river now, it is not alone.
Somewhere at the bottom of that river are two stones that have each held the title of Guinness Book record holder. One thrown by the late Russ "Rock Bottom" Byers of Franklin that was two skips shy of Severns' toss Saturday. But the other stone went a whopping 65 times by Max Steiner.
But neither of those were thrown in the Rock in River Festival competition, which hosts the PA championship, one of the four top competitions in the country.
As great as that stone is sitting at the bottom of the river now, it is not alone.
Somewhere at the bottom of that river are two stones that have each held the title of Guinness Book record holder. One thrown by the late Russ "Rock Bottom" Byers of Franklin that was two skips shy of Severns' toss Saturday. But the other stone went a whopping 65 times by Max Steiner.
But neither of those were thrown in the Rock in River Festival competition, which hosts the PA championship, one of the four top competitions in the country.
Severns' becomes the top throw in the competition's history. As it kept going and going across the water the festival judges realized they never had to count that high before. They huddled and came up with 53. A record for the festival but not for the world.
The current world record, 88 skips, is held by Kurt "Mountain Man" Steiner (no relation to Max). That stone sits quietly at the bottom of a Allegheny National Forest lake near Kane, PA. It was recorded, analyzed and counted several times before the number became one of legend.
Severns had many good throws the completion, all but one odd 2 skipper were in the highest of the day, including a few in the 40s. His aggregate score for six throws was well over 200.
The current world record, 88 skips, is held by Kurt "Mountain Man" Steiner (no relation to Max). That stone sits quietly at the bottom of a Allegheny National Forest lake near Kane, PA. It was recorded, analyzed and counted several times before the number became one of legend.
Severns had many good throws the completion, all but one odd 2 skipper were in the highest of the day, including a few in the 40s. His aggregate score for six throws was well over 200.
Saturday's conditions must've been pretty good because several competitors recorded impressive high scores. Second place went Aaron "The Kracken" McCracken of Oil City. He competed against all odds while undergoing treatments for cancer over the last year. WIth 46 skips, McCracken tossed one further than any previous Rock in River champion too.
Third place went to the 13-year-old David Ohmer, son of four-time champion Dave Ohmer. Earlier in the day, the younger Ohmer won the amateur competition and qualified to compete in the professional division with a toss of more than 30 skips. His younger brother, Luke, also qualified and admitted his older brother was a better skipper. David's third-place throw of 44 gives him family bragging rights for a little while, as he bested his dad this year.
Third place went to the 13-year-old David Ohmer, son of four-time champion Dave Ohmer. Earlier in the day, the younger Ohmer won the amateur competition and qualified to compete in the professional division with a toss of more than 30 skips. His younger brother, Luke, also qualified and admitted his older brother was a better skipper. David's third-place throw of 44 gives him family bragging rights for a little while, as he bested his dad this year.
One of the fun aspects of the competition is the nicknames that are given, usually by the announcer who tries to add a bit of fun color to the event. Some of the names stick like those listed above - Russ "Rock Bottom" Byers, "Kurt "Mountain Man" Steiner and Dave "Spiderman" Ohmer.
Nicknames for this year's top three are Andy "Big Rock" Severns, Aaron "The Kracken" McCracken and David "The Foot" Ohmer - though it's a little unclear if that one will stick. His little brother's nickname, however, has potential - Luke "The Electric Luke Orchestra" Ohmer.
Below are more photos from the event.
To read 2020's story click here: http://www.8and322.com/eight--322/we-dont-want-to-see-any-kerplunks
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