Shinty Bids To Beat The Weather | |
01 April 2019 With a significant number of matches postponed during the first month of the 2019 shinty season, the Camanachd Association is on the verge of announcing plans to counter the problems caused by wet pitches. The new plans are certainly set to make a splash and involve adapting the current shinty equipment to conquer the elements. Extensive research at Fort William University has focused on testing adapted equipment during matches where there is significant surface water on the pitch. Using the latest technology, holes have been drilled through the base of camans to allow any surface water to flow straight through the stick as it is swung. This results are encouraging and should allow games to take place where they have previously been postponed. The work is being led by Professor Ross Ronald who said: “Our initial tests indicate that using camans with a series of holes inserted, the correct diameter for the conditions, allows shinty to be played on a wet surface. The water flows through the stick before it makes contact with the ball. We will continue testing equipment and the next phase will see the use of punctured shinty balls which allow similar water flow to prevent the ball getting heavy. Camanachd Association members on the Nautical Working Group are excited about these developments and feel the new equipment could drastically reduce the number of postponements at both the start and end of each season. New sponsors are also being sought with Scottish Water believed to be interested. Once testing is complete, a paper seeking final approval will go before the Camanachd Association Board and the new equipment could be in place before the season ends. |