Participants from Alaska and even Hawaii competed in the 2022 Kachemak Bay Highland Games last Saturday and Sunday. Zach Fraley of Homer and Stephen Byrd tied in the men’s open category with a combined score of 16 each, where the lower the number the better. Maddie McClain won the women’s open category with a score of 17.5.

In the men’s amateur division, Danny Autrey won with a score of 10. In the men’s light division, Scott Far won with a score of 10.5, in the men’s novice division Karl Olson won with a score of 10 and in the master’s division (age 40 and older), Robert Moody won with a score of 10.

In the women’s amateur division, Gabriella Rinehart won with a score of 9. In the women’s light division NJ Farr won with a score of 12, and in the women’s novice division, Jill Parks won with a score of 12. In the women’s master’s division, Morgan Ashcraft won with a score of 9. She also set a new Homer and state record with a height of 17 feet in the weight-for-height event.

In the Highland games, athletes compete in weight-for-distance events like the Braemar stone, light and heavy weights, and light and heavy hammers. They also compete in weight-for-height events where a weight is thrown over a bar or a sheaf of hay is thrown over a bar using a pitchfork. The highlight of the games is the caber toss, where athletes attempt to flip a large log end over end and land it directly in front of the thrower at 12 o’clock. Danny Autrey made a successful throw of the Homer challenge caber, an 18 foot, 11 inch log weighing 110 pounds.

The Kachemak Bay Highland Games also featured games specific to Homer, including the keg throw and the halibut toss, a weighted and stuffed bag that looks like a halibut. Autrey won the halibut toss with a distance of 34 feet, 8 inches, and Maddie McClain won with a distance of 20 feet, 3.5 inches.

Norma jean Farr throws the Braemar stone at the Kachemak Bay Highland Games on Saturday, July 2, 2022, at Karen Hornaday Park in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Michael Armstrong)

Evelyn Delgado participates in the sheaf toss at the Kachemak Bay Highland Games on Saturday, July 2, 2022, at Karen Hornaday Park in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Michael Armstrong)

Norma jean Farr makes a successful throw in the weight-for-height event at the Kachemak Bay Highland Games on Saturday, July 2, 2022, at Karen Hornaday Park in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Michael Armstrong)

Chris Carr throws the caber at the Kachemak Bay Highland Games on Saturday, July 2, 2022, at Karen Hornaday Park in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Michael Armstrong)

Danny Autrey throws the caber at the Kachemak Bay Highland Games on Saturday, July 2, 2022, at Karen Hornaday Park in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Michael Armstrong)

Dave Hancock throws in the weight-for-distance event at the Kachemak Bay Highland Games on Saturday, July 2, 2022, at Karen Hornaday Park in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Michael Armstrong)