Site Seeing : Go on, put the boot in

By MONIKA FRY

Taihape is hosting the annual World Gumboot Throwing Festival during the weekend of November 3-5, giving the gumboot-throwing fraternity a chance to pit their skills against each other.

Those who wish to put in some pre-festival practice are warned that the organisers do not allow any old gumboot to be thrown.

The boot must be a men's size 8, of standard stock, minimum length 36cm.

It cannot be weighted or lightened but must weigh no less than 964g and no more than 1250g. No structural changes to the gumboots are allowed.

Once these particulars have been adhered to, the gumboot may be held in any grip and thrown by any action the thrower may wish to employ..

Four different entry categories ensure that throwers from 5-year-olds to the over-50s are catered for. There is also a category for a mixed-gender team. The heats are on the Saturday and the finals Sunday.

If the scene of flying gumboots palls, the town hosts several other gumboot-related activities, including a shoot-the-boot and flycast-the-boot competition, as well as the Creative Gumboot National Art Awards, which invite entries in design gumboot, written composition gumboot and novelty gumboot categories.

The first Gumboot Day was held in the town in April 1985 and details about how the festival came about can be found on: Gumboot Day

More information and entry forms for the festival and the Creative Gumboot National Art Awards can be obtained from Gumboot Country Promotions Inc by emailing gumbootcountry@xtra.co.nz