3 Stones Across The Water – The 1st Annual SYRCL Stone Skipping Championship

Grab your 3 favorite stones for the 1^st Annual Stone Skipping Competition happening Saturday, September 17^th from 1:30-3:30 pm. Hosted by SYRCL as part of the Annual River Clean-Up, the event takes place at Bridgeport in the South Yuba River State Park.

The Grand Poobah of Stone Skipping along with other merry judges will count your skips—maybe you will be our first champion taking home a trophy and cherished title!

• For more information: www.yubariver.org
• To enter: Print out an entry form to reserve your spot today.  Entry donation fee may be paid the day of between noon and the start of each competition at Bridgeport on Sept. 17
• Entry/Donation Fees: Youth (12 & under) – $2 • Amateurs (13-18) – $5 • Adults/Pros: (19 Years & Older) – $10
• Where: Bridgeport, South Yuba River State Park
• Details: Bring your own stones (6 stones total) – 3 stones per competitor for each level of competition, plus 3 extra stones for any possible play-off

Here’s hoping your stones have a perfect plink!!!

Definitions used by the Mackinac Island Stone Skipping & Gerplunking Club:

Plink – A clean cut skip, usually at the head of a run; heavy water shows between hops.

Pitty-Pat – Short skips at the end of a run with light water showing between skips.

Plonk – A stone that sinks on the first hit of the run.

Skronker – A stone that never hits water or anything.

Agnew – A stone that hits a person.

Get to Know Some of the Judges

John Leonard – Growing up on the banks of the great Okeanos, John discovered the many benefits of stone skipping at a tender young age. Over the years, as he pursued a career in the crazy and superficial world of marketing, he has sought refuge (and spiritual renewal) by skipping stones. On a late summer evening in 2007, while skipping stones on the South Yuba River, he achieved nirvana and had a vision about creating the 1st Annual SYRCL Stone Skipping Championship. History will be made on Sept. 17 at Bridgeport.

Nick Messer – Hails from New Jersey and will be making his debut as a stone skipping judge but has vast experience throwing rocks as a youth!

Gary Reedy – Our very own SYRCL RiverScience Director has many years of rock skip experience on rivers everywhere from the Rogue, Kalamath, Trinity, Smith and of course the Yuba River.

Sarah Phillips – SYRCL’s Americorps Watershed Coordinator is thrilled to be a part of this inaugural event bringing her enthusiasm and smile to this role.

Kaitlyn Hacker – SYRCL’s Americorps River Monitoring Specialist states, “I believe that this is my calling in life!”

Alex Ezzell – Has been known to sculpt the perfect stone over many millennia through a process of skipping, retrieving, skipping, retrieving, and so on – as a Plonker is transformed into a Pitty-Patter and eventually a Plinker.   .   .  .  . . …”

Reinette Senum – Reinette Senum is a ‘skipper,’ herself. She has skipped school, skipped work, and skipped down the road a few times. The only thing she hasn’t skipped is a city council meeting. She takes that seriously.