The ricochets world championships, organized for forty-two years on the small island of Easdale, in Scotland, have been rocked by a cheating scandal. Several competitors were even disqualified after admitting to tampering with their stones to improve their performance. A case which shakes up the small community of pebble throwers on the water, explains an article in the Scottish Sun.
Every year, some 2,200 participants from 27 countries gather on this tiny island with a population of around 60, famous for its natural slate production (slate in English, imagine). According to the regulations, competitors must only use slate stones naturally formed on the island.
However, it was discovered that some candidates had machined their stones to make them perfectly round, which – as all ricochet enthusiasts know – promotes bounces on the water. These suspicious and much too round pebbles were spotted using a tool called the “ring of truth”, used by judges to check that they did not exceed three inches in diameter (7.62 cm).
Everyone is looking for their stone
Dr Kyle Mathews, the organizer of the event and nicknamed the “Toss Master”, told the BBC that the cheaters had admitted their wrongdoing and offered sincere apologies. He also clarified that the competition could impose pre-selected stones in the future to eliminate any possibility of cheating, which would however deprive participants of the pleasure of choosing their own stone.
Despite this controversy, the 2025 competition saw a new winner, Jonathan Jennings, the first American to win the event. His throws accumulated 177 yards of rebounding distance. Lucy Woods once again dominated the adult women’s category, winning her sixth title.
The event is held every year in a former slate quarry, flooded following a tidal wave in 1881. It is organized by volunteers and the funds raised during this high mass of ricochet finance community projects and local charities – last year, 15,000 pounds sterling was raised (approximately 17,300 euros).
The machined stone scandal raises a question: How far are participants willing to go to win, even in competitions considered fun and friendly? The organizers claim to have learned lessons from this unfortunate situation and promise an even better competition next year, while remaining vigilant against the temptation of modified stones.
