Athletes show strength in kilts at Mount Dora Scottish Highland Fest

MOUNT DORA, Florida. – Celebrating Scottish heritage, Mount Dora hosts the 10th annual Highland Scottish Festival.

News 6 will be there, broadcasting the opening ceremony on Saturday starting at 12:00 noon on News 6+.

You can expect bagpipes, Irish dancing and traditional Scottish cuisine, but there’s also a big competition called the Highland Games that showcases strength and fitness in a variety of challenges.

“Caber Toss is one of the competition events. They are thin logs and vary in length and weight. I train with an 18-foot caber that weighs about 90 pounds,” said Dustin Hamjlui, Highland Games athlete. “You can pick it up and drop it, making sure it makes a full turn before it hits the ground. The score is based on a dial known as the highest score. Everyone has a slightly different approach to getting the caber up and off the ground. I squeeze the cabbage between my palms to pluck it. Some stick their hands underground to raise them.”

For Hamjlui, Highland Games is a tradition.

“My family is from Scotland. They sailed to South Carolina and migrated towards Tampa. Our family clan is the Cameron clan,” Hamjlui said.

His clan is represented in plaid tartan on his Scottish kilt. Hamzehlui has been participating in the Highland Games for five years now. He’s gearing up for the next big thing at the Mount Dora Scottish Highland Festival.

“We are really competing to see how far we can go in improving,” Hamjlui said.

News 6 Insider Guide Crystal Moyer watched Hamzelui train at his Lake County farm with athlete Tara Holcomb.

“I’m not Scottish, but I wear the colors of firefighters. It’s a fireman’s tartan, so I feel like I’m part of it,” Holcomb said.

Holcomb is a Mount Dora Fire Paramedic Lieutenant who became interested in the sport while working at the 2016 Highland Festival.

“I was working as a fireman at an event and they were pulling our fire truck and the guy was like, ‘Hey, do you want to pull your own car?’ I thought, “Yes, I know.” So I drove a truck and beat one of the guys by a couple of seconds, and they said I should be a mountain athlete, so I started throwing in the same year and I still do it, ”said Holcomb.

Athletes at the Highland Games are divided into divisions based on age and experience. Another event involves throwing large pieces of metal and stone into the distance.

“There is a barrier on earth called a trig. It’s basically a starting point from which they measure distance and if you step over it or fall, it’s a foul,” Holcomb said.

In case you’re wondering, yes, all sporting events are played in traditional Scottish kilts.

“It seems a little weird at first, but honestly you get used to it because they are smooth, you actually get a lot of movement,” Holcomb said.

“Very windy. It’s very nice when it’s cool in the morning, you know, it keeps your feet cool,” Hamjlui said.

There is also a so-called “tower” at the Highland Games. These are two poles with a metal rod connecting both.

“There are two types of exercises that require a tower, namely, hanging the barbell and tossing the sheaf,” Hamjlui said.

The bar is set to a certain height depending on the division. You take a weighted bag with a fork … yes, with a fork.

“The object of the game is to get the ball over the crossbar. You can do a spin or throw from a stationary stance,” Hamjlui said.

It may seem simple, but it takes a lot of skill to do it right.

Although it is a competition, the Highland Games encourage camaraderie.

“Once you become a mountaineer, you become part of the family. It doesn’t matter if you’re Scottish or not,” Holcomb said. “I believe that you can go on the field and see any body type, any age. It’s pretty cool that it depends on your ability and you can learn and grow along the way.”

And as Holcomb found out, there are some unique prizes.

“One day I won a sword and thought, ‘What the hell am I going to do with it,’” Holcomb said.

This is just a small part of the annual Mount Dora Scottish Highland Festival, celebrating Scottish culture with Celtic music, traditional food, Irish dance performances, demonstrations and more.

“This is truly a family event. You can try some traditional Scottish food and there will be different vendors with kilts, corsets and other traditional clothing,” Hamjlui said.

The Mount Dora Scottish Highlands Festival takes place at Donnelly Park (530 N. Donnelly Street) in Mount Dora from 18 to 19 February. Buy your tickets before Saturday, February 18th online to receive a $12 discount. Tickets will cost $15 at the door.

News 6 will be present at the event, broadcasting the tartan parade and opening ceremony on Saturday starting at noon on News 6+. The app for your TV is available on most streaming services, including Roku, Apple TV, Firestick TV, and Android TV. Just search “News 6+” in the app store to download it to your smart TV.

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