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Rock expert to oversee stone-skimming after cheating scandal

Ryley BowmanBBC Scotland News
News imageAlamy Shows a man standing on a rocky ledge and throwing a stone across the water while spectators watch from the opposite shore.Alamy
The stone skimming competition has taken place on the island of Easdale for 42 years

An expert geologist will oversee this year's world stone skimming championships after the 2025 contest was rocked by a cheating scandal which saw several competitors disqualified for tampering.

More than 2,200 people, from 27 countries, attended last year's event on the tiny island of Easdale off the west coast of Scotland.

Rules state that stones must come from naturally occurring island slate, however some were found to have been ground into a "suspiciously circular" shape to help them bounce on water.

Kyle Mathews, the competition's official Tossmaster, told the BBC he had enlisted specialist support from a rock expert to help protect the integrity of the competition.

News imageAFP via Getty Images Shows several bright buckets filled with smooth, flat stones, with a person selecting one from a yellow bucket.AFP via Getty Images

"This geologist has got stones in their bones, they know stones through and through" Mathews said.

"I have full confidence that they will be able to spot anything that has been manually shaped rather than shaped by the beautiful Atlantic ocean waves hitting the beaches of ­Easdale."

Mathews said he was not able to reveal who the geologist was.

"We are going to keep our cards up our sleeves, we don't want to give anyone an advantage there," he said.

News imageGetty Images Shows a close-up of a hand holding a metal measuring plate with three flat stones stacked on it, with engraved text visible on the plate.Getty Images
Stones are measured by judges using the "ring of truth"

The Easdale stone-skimming event was first organised in 1983 by island resident Albert Baker and, after a break, was revived in 1997 by community group Eilean Eisdeal.

This year's event will take place on 5 September.

Entrants choose their own stones and judges use a measuring device, the "ring of truth", to ensure they are no bigger than three inches in diameter.

Each competitor is allowed three skims and stones must bounce at least twice on water before sinking.

News imageWorld Stone Skimming Championships Shows a large crowd gathered along a rocky shoreline watching the stone‑skimming event.World Stone Skimming Championships
Over 80% of attendees came from outside the local area, with many international competitors flying in specifically for the event.

Easdale is the smallest permanently inhabited island of the Inner Hebrides with a population of about 60 people.

The contest is staged in a former slate quarry that was flooded by a tidal wave in 1881.

Last year's event was won by Jonathan Jennings, the contest's first American winner, skimming his stones a cumulative distance of 177m.

After the increased publicity from last year, the event is expected to draw a crowd of up to 3,000 spectators in September.

"We are leaving no stone unturned and taking all precautions to make sure there's no funny business this year," Mathews said.