And the Tossing Champion Is......

The 1st Annual Highland Fling Caber Tossing Champion Trophy
created by Professor Alfonso Avalanche

Loch Avie saw the first Highland Fling Caber Toss Competition this past Saturday afternoon. It was a grand event, very well attended and with some very skilled competitors.

When I first thought of hosting a Highland Games event, I knew that we MUST have caber toss. There is very little else that represents traditional Scots competition than this. Having not heard of any caber events in SL prior to this one, I contacted my good friend, Professor Alfonso Avalanche. The Professor and I discussed exactly what I was looking for, and after he returned from some well-deserved time away, he began work on the prototype of the caber and competition meter. I happily tried the device out one day in the Loch - and it worked beautifully. A perfect and simple to use device, which allows one to toss the caber when in mouse look. The meter judges how straight the caber is tossed (on a north/south axis), distance, and straightness, and scores each toss from 0-1000.

Mr. O'Toole at the line for his first throw.


Mr. Exrex Somme awaits his turn at the toss as Baron Wulfenbach looks on.

There were some very skilled tossers in the match. In the final round, 3 tough competitors were in a toss-off as they were tied at 988. Baron Wulfenbach, Mr. Hotspur O'Toole, and Mr. Roy Smashcan.

The Baron's final toss.

Mr. Roy Smashcan makes his final attempt

At the end of the competition it was Mr. Hotspur O'Toole with a nearly perfect score of 999, who took home the trophy.

Slainte, sir! Well done!

The rest of the story

As mentioned previously, I was working in the Loch last evening when my secure channel rang. Being suddenly called into service I dropped all items of construction, and contacted my particular friend, learned colleague, and MI 5 top operative, Ms Kate Nicholas.

Quite suddenly we were on our way to a classified operation, some of which I can now share with you (minus the top secret bits) having passed the information to appropriate military personnel hours ago. I was to survey and report the status of the Neualtenburg fleet.

Kate and I wound our way through the streets of Neualtenburg quite easily.


I had selected my mainland-operative costume for purposes of anonymity and this worked extraordinarily well. The Neualties did not know what was happening.

Finding the docks, I flew over the so-called ships of war.


Thinking that these pleasure crafts might hold hidden armaments, I thoroughly reviewed the builds with the new photographic equipment provided by my fantasitcally brilliant intellegence agency scientist, K. I am not at liberty to discuss specifics with you at this time. Suffice it to say that the appropriate individuals in the war department have been informed of my findings.

During my time in Neualtenburg, I established contact via the æthernetwork with Her Grace, Gabrielle Riel, of Carntaigh. We remained in contact throughout the operation so that covert extraction might be secured should it be required.


Meanwhile, Kate set up a station on the docks, collecting information needed for scientific research and the war efforts as well. When I joined her, we determined that we should leave a calling card for our enemy lest they feel too comfortable here behind their own borders.





(above) Kate posts the Caledon Expeditionary flag wondering if it will even be noticed.

Once the scientific portion of the operation was completed, Kate returned to headquarters to begin her analysis.

I determined to remain a little longer and attempt to discover any aircraft hangers. To my surprise, one lighter-than-air craft specimen was in plain view. A full examination was once again completed.


Could this really be all their airfleet has to offer??


Rather suddenly I heard loud noises coming from multiple directions at several meters away. Understanding that my position was being triangulated, I contacted Her Grace Carntaigh to send the closest extraction force. The call was sent out over the secure æthernetwork channel. I was more than pleased to make it safely to the planned emergency extraction site in time to see the DaVinci copter coming in for a landing.




Colonel O'Toole managed to get us air-borne before the local militia and everyday citizenry of Neualtenburg were able to get to my location.

Shortly after we were in the air we began to have engine trouble. I was most thankful to see Virrginia Tomobola in her bicycle-balloon offering escort to us. I am unsure what weaponry may be available on her flying machine, but thankfully we were able to set down safely outside the reach of their military.


We rested for a while in the tents of a gypsy encampment and plotted our next actions after I contacted the war department to notify them of my safety, and to make initial report.

For a full report from the extraction team please read this æthernet site.