LAWRENCETOWN, N.S. — Danny Frame sits in the community room at Lawrencetown Education Centre. He’s the first one there. It’s where he teaches at-risk kids and there’s a Gaelic Heritage Day coming up at the school. He’ll be in charge of the highland games part.
Although he’s not in a kilt, he’s thinking of the Scottish heavy games. The caber toss in particular.
Framer, as he’s known, is the Guinness World Record holder for the most caber tosses in three minutes, a feat he accomplish last July in front of a big crowd in Middleton.
Now the Greenwood athlete has another record attempt planned.
“On June 1 I’m going to be attempting another Guinness World Record,” Frame said. “This time it’s a tandem Guinness World Record for most caber tosses in three minutes. Dirk Bishop, who was one of the officials at the record in Middleton really couldn’t believe how many people came out and supported the event and wanted to do one for his highland games that he is part of in Perth-Andover, New Brunswick.”
They talked about it last summer and the paperwork was put in and the attempt is a go.
“So the goal is to flip as many as we can in three minutes. It’s a back-and-forth style so he will flip it and I will flip it for the three minutes. So the goal is to break the record which is 15.”
Frame’s solo record-setting effort last year saw the former CFLer flip the caber a record 16 times. And while many didn’t know it at the time, Frame was suffering from a hip injury during that attempt.
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TRAINING
“We’ve both been training quite hard, but it’s a little challenging because we’re not in the same community,” said Frame, “but we’ve figured out some ways to attempt it in practice to make it work for the record.”
While using two cabers might sound like the way to go, Frame said he and Bishop will be using just one.
“I guess the benefit of that is you’re both using the same caber,” he said. “We can pick the one that feels best beforehand. The drawback is that it has to go very smoothly because when I did my individual record as I finished one the next one was stood and ready to go, where with this one it has to hit and then it has to be stood. But it will give us a little bit of a rest period too.”
Despite being in separate communities leading up to the record attempt, they’ve been able to prepare for the attempt at the Gathering of the Scots in Perth-Andover.
“With this, for training purposes, I’ve done some cardio – so I try to elevate my heart rate for a three-minute span and do different sets of that,” Frame said. “Obviously flipping the caber is the most normal way to prepare for a caber record, but with the weather we’ve had this winter and spring it’s been a little challenging so I’ve modified lifts. I’ll do a modified bicep curl but press it over my head at the same time so it’s similar to what you have to do in a caber.”
FRIENDS
And despite the weather, there has been some actual caber flipping in the lead up to Perth-Andover.
“Luckily I still have some great friends in the area that are willing to stand some cabers for me as well in Middleton at Fitness Experience,” he said, “and you know, just going through the paces for those three minutes is the key. One caber flip is challenging, but doing it for a three-minute span it’s a whole different ball game with regards to conditioning, because it is a ballistic movement to be able to flip a tree end over end. Normally people don’t do it for lengths of time.”
When he set the 2018 record, Frame used a medium sized caber.
“The cabers for this event also have to be a minimum of 16 feet, four inches and 40 kilograms or 88 pounds, which by standards of caber throwing height-wise isn’t a huge caber,” he said, “but again, due to the fact that you’re doing it repeatedly is what makes it so challenging.”
He said the more tired you get the slower your timing, especially if you don’t train.
“It could cost you the record by one little hiccup or two little hiccups,” he said.
TAXING
“When I attempted my individual record in July, during my first minute I was at approximately seven and I finished with 16 which means over the next two minutes I flipped nine, because lactic acid was building – it’s just very taxing to the body,” he said. “So yeah, ensuring that you still have enough stamina is going to be very important. My friend Dirk Bishop has been, again, training outside, but a lot of gym stuff too, so I think conditioning will be fine.”
He said the one benefit for this attempt is that they will each have a little bit of a rest period as a doubles team.
“But also we need to ensure that we have each other’s back,” he said, “and you’ve got to take each rep as the most important rep.”
Frame and Bishop will make their attempt right around opening ceremonies on the Saturday of the games -- between 12 and 1 p.m.
“I’ve competed there for many years,” Frame said. “There’s a special thing going on there this year. It’s the Canadian Women’s Heavy Events Championships, so it’s going to be a great weekend altogether.”
He said it’s a small community that has large support for the games.
“It’s going to be great to see lots of people out there supporting the record but also the women,” he said. “There’s some great throwers. I think there are five from the Maritimes that are throwing too, so it should be just an all-round showcase of Scottish heritage and some great moments of heavy events.
Frame will also be competing in the heavy events – the day before the record attempt.
