It could be a heavy games duel for the ages in Okotoks this weekend.
The 17th annual Foothills Highland Games plays host to the Canadian Masters Championships on Aug. 27 at Foothills Composite High School where local competitor Joel Thiessen and reigning national champion Jason Johnston renew their rivalry.
“It’s important to throw well, any athlete wants to do well at their championship event,” said Thiessen, from High River. “You could call it my hometown games, the Games started in High River and this is as close to hometown as it’s going to get for me.”
Thiessen, also the Foothills Highland Games heavy events co-ordinator, brings more than a hometown advantage into the competition.
In his first-year at the Masters level, for athletes aged 40 and over, he’s rattled off a pair of first-place finishes at Highland Games in Fort Edmonton and Red Deer on top of a third place showing at the Western Canadian Championships.
He established new personal bests in the sheaf toss in Glengarry and in his best event, the heavy weight for distance, he established a new Canadian record in Red Deer.
Johnston packs a heavy punch himself.
The highly decorated former national champion used the Western Canadian Championships in Regina to set new Masters benchmarks in the light weight for distance, Braemar stone, light hammer and heavy hammer.
“Currently I’m ranked number one,” Thiessen said. “But JJ will threaten that for sure.”
The competition marks the second year in a row the Foothills Highland Games have played host to a national event on the heels of last year’s open age group Canadian championships.
It speaks volumes about the growing reputation of the Games.
“It shows growth and support from the community and supporting organizations that we’re able to hold larger events like this,” said Foothills Highland Games president Dave Roe. “It has spread through our athletes that this one of the most enjoyable games they come to.
“That helps when trying to attract the calibre of throwers that we’re going to have.”
Time is also on the side of the games.
A number of top level national champions have recently aged up to the Masters level, leaving the door open for a number of field records to continue to be smashed.
A celebration of Scottish culture, the heavy events feature a number of competitions including the wildly popular caber toss and hammer throw.
The fun and games won’t just be for the experts.
Amateur athletes, with either previous competition or Alberta Scottish Athletic Association (ASAA) clinic experience, will get into the throw of things adjacent to the best in the country.
“This is where new throwers learn the ropes, basically,” Roe said. “To climb up the rankings and get invitations to the larger events.”
The ASAA competition and open class gets underway at 9 a.m. ending with the caber toss wrapping it up at 12:30 p.m. The Masters competition runs from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
For more information go to foothillshighlandgames.com
