FORGET Game of Thrones - Cumbria welcomes the return of "Game of Stones" in August.

The All-England Stone Skimming Championships will see a fierce battle for supremacy being waged, as reigning champion Ron Long takes on all-comers, which will include two-times champion Kevin Waltham and new stone lord from recent championships in Shropshire, Alex Lewis, at the event on Windermere on Saturday August 19.

Ron’s all-conquering performance in the Welsh Stone Skimming Championships this year makes him the overwhelming favourite for the title in 2017 - but you can challenge him.

Anyone brave enough to chance their arm, against the backdrop of the Lakeland fells, may do so, at a very small charge. Money raised goes to organisers South Cumbria Rivers Trust (SCRT), to fund vital conservation work in the South Lakes.

All ages and abilities will get a warm Windermere welcome at the ‘battleground’ at National Trust Fell Foot Park. A female winner and two junior champions will also be crowned at the event, which runs from 11am to 4pm.

The junior categories are for under-11s and 11 to 16-year-olds and no previous experience of stone battle is required.

National Trust rangers will be entertaining all the family with activities based around stones and the great outdoors. There will also be refreshments on hand from Coniston Brewery, a barbecue and various stalls to browse.

Julius Barratt, a trustee of South Cumbria Rivers Trust, says: "Our wondrous ‘game of stones’ event in the Northern Kingdom should lure anyone in search of national sporting glory, and tempting prizes besides, and allow us to show the indomitable spirit of stone skimmers, who turn out in all weathers and are deterred by nothing.

"This is the first year that our equivalent of darts’ ‘oche’ finds itself located in a World Heritage Site and we hope this will attract more international entrants.

"A daring Aussie has won it in the past, so anything is possible, especially as stone skimming is a pastime that transcends all cultural barriers and has an appeal for anyone with the child inside."

Entry to the championships costs £1 for a child and £3 for an adult. Having paid their dues, each stone warrior has the opportunity to make three stones count when it comes to getting into official English sporting record books.

Each stone must skip on the water a minimum of three times, and within the tournament ‘lane’ as laid out on the water, to register a distance and the winner is then judged on the length of throw achieved.

There is nothing to be lost, other than pride, for those who enter the championships and sometimes the worse the throw the more the amusement, especially for the gathered hoards on the lakeshore.

Head to the All England Open Stone Skimming Championships at any time between 11am and 4pm on August 19. More information can be found at www.scrt.co.uk


Have a skim over our list of handy tips:

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

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

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

· 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.

· 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.

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