WHILE the Olympic athletes will be going for gold in Rio this August, the Lake District will be crowning a new sporting champion.

One of the quirkiest championships in English sport takes place on Windermere on Saturday August 20, when the All England Open Stone Skimming Championships make a splash on England’s biggest lake.

Leading competitors who view this event as the highlight of their year are already practising hard, throwing stones in such a way as to abide by the rules of having the stone skip across the water at least three times, keeping within a lane. After that, it’s all about the distance and the ‘regulars’ – mainly contestants in the men’s competition – certainly record impressive distances.

But regular stone skimmers can be as erratic as javelin throwers and, if not on form, can lose to anyone capable of skimming a fair distance, particularly if the weather conditions are iffy.

That has been proved several times in the past, with complete unknowns arriving and upsetting the apple cart, by being crowned All England Open Stone Skimming Champion.

The beauty of the All England Stone Skimming championships is that absolutely anyone can enter, whether they are a child, a busy mum having me-time at the weekend, or dads and lads.

There are separate competitions for men, women, under 11s and 11-16 years, as well as a team competition ideal for families, groups of friends, or colleagues.

The other huge thing about the event is that it is the country’s official championship, so the winners’ names enter the official record books.

You can literally leave the office on a Friday and return as an English sporting champion on a Monday!

Entry costs £3 for an adult, £1 for a child and £10 for a team, with proceeds going to the organiser – South Cumbria Rivers Trust – which runs the championships to raise money for vital conservation work in and around the rivers of the South Lakes.


Overseeing the contest, as usual, will be Julius Barratt, a trustee of South Cumbria Rivers Trust. He will be approaching this year’s competition with a fresh pair of eyes, having been asked to officiate at the first ever Guinness World Record distance-based stone skim, where the very first record was set by Scotsman Dougie Isaacs, who skimmed a distance of 107.4 metres – one far beyond anything seen on Windermere thus far.

Julius says: “Cometh the stone skimming, cometh the man. Something happens when people get a stone in their hand and see an expanse of water ahead of them and it is a truly addictive pastime, as well as sport.

“The great thing about the championships is that literally anyone can win and we’re holding out for a new hero this year. Although there are a set of contestants who take it quite seriously, there are hidden stars in our midst – men and women who learned to skim as kids and are really very good at it.

"Stone skimming is very much about the family and it is a charming thing to do with the kids, whilst unwinding by the sea, by a river, or especially on a calm and even lake. Anyone who has a go will soon find why it is a pastime rooted in the hearts of very many people.”

The All England Open Stone Skimming Championships will run from 11am to 4pm on Saturday August 20, at the National Trust’s Fell Foot Park, at the foot of Windermere, near Newby Bridge.

Contestants can just turn up and register. Some prizes, as well as titles, will be awarded.

Tips from the experts

Anyone wishing to quickly perfect the art of stone skimming can follow these tips from the National Trust and other experts:

1. Choose a flat stone that you can hold in the palm of your hand.

2. Hold the stone with your thumb and first finger out and rest the stone on your second finger.

3. Adopt a sideways stance and flick the wrist as you throw and release the stone.

4. Throw the stone as forcefully as possible and keep as low as you can when throwing it, bending the knees. You should try to get the stone spinning in as flat a line as possible and can even try to get level with the water, before you throw.

5. Let it hit the water at an angle of about 20 degrees (watching stones skipping across the water, in this fashion, inspired Barnes Wallace to invent the bouncing bomb). The heavier the stone, the less the angle should be.

6. Watch some of the videos on YouTube, if you need more help.