On a busy Tuesday evening at Ketchikan’s Rotary Beach, several dozen people sitting atop pieces of driftwood or standing in the sand watched as Jordan Rykert, a man with long, blonde hair and a beige baseball cap, marched to the shoreline holding a stone. The fishing guide from California stretched out his arm, pointed to the sky, and let it rip.
His rock bounced across the glimmering water over a dozen times, helping to make him the winner of Ketchikan’s first annual rock skipping competition. Rykert, who’s regularly skipped rocks since the age of 12, said he’s been dreaming about this moment his entire life. He heard about the event through a friend.
“I always wondered why there wasn’t a rock skipping Olympics,” Rykert said. “I feel like that should be like an Olympian thing. Like we should be – the world needs a rock skipping Olympics, which maybe there is one. I don’t know.”
While it’s no Olympic sport, rock skipping can be traced as far back as ancient Greece. Today, there are numerous rock skipping competitions around the world, from Pennsylvania to Scotland.
Ketchikan contest organizer Mackie Stuart said he’s thought about it for a few years. And his friends, who also enjoy rock skipping, helped bring the idea to fruition in just a few days. Stuart said it was largely advertised on social media.
“Oh, I’m bad at it, but I enjoy doing it,” Stuart said. “I don’t know. It’s something about throwing things into the water, makes you feel good.”
Nearly 25 people competed in the inaugural three-round competition – all of varying rock skipping abilities and experience. Some participants’ stones immediately plummeted to the seabed. Others glided across the water, like a bird in the sky. A volunteer stood along the shore with a clicker to count the number of skips.
And the rules of Ketchikan’s contest were simple. Participants had to find their rocks on the island. And they couldn’t be tampered with. Participants paid $5 to compete, and the winner took all.
Rykert, who won a whopping $115 and a handmade cairn trophy, said the best skipping rocks are flat. But the best technique in how you throw that rock can vary from person to person.
“You got to find your style, find your rock, and believe in yourself,” said Maya Chari, who placed second in the competition.
Chari said getting a rock to skip well depends on how hard you throw and spin it. And she said playing an instrument, like a steel pan, can put you at an advantage. That’s because it requires wrist flicking.
Chari, an avid backpacker, said she always collects rocks to skip along the way. And she never shares them, because she knew this moment was coming. She encourages everyone, especially the youth, to compete in rock skipping contests, even if they think they’re bad at it.
“And honestly, if your parents don’t want you to skip rocks, do it behind their back anyways, because it’s worth it,” Chari said.
Numerous rock skipping competitors said the activity is linked to health benefits. It’s peaceful, it’s meditative, and it gets you out in nature. Chari even said, “a rock skip a day keeps the doctor away.”
Rykert, who plans to spend part of his winnings on beer for Chari, said he struggled finding the right rock for the contest. And he was late to the event. But participating ultimately paid off.
He said rock skipping is good for the soul.
“At the end of the day, it’s all about the fun and the joy, and you got to start somewhere,” Rykert said. “You know, the first time you ever tried walking, you probably were pretty bad at it. So, the first time you’re going to try skipping a rock, you got to think about the technique and really focus on that.”
Stuart, the event organizer, said Ketchikan’s rock skipping competition will be held every year. He may even move it to the winter because he said that could be more fun.
Hunter Morrison is a Report for America corps member for KRBD. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution.
