Stone skipping
Encyclopedia
Stone skipping is a pastime which involves throwing a stone
with a flattened surface across a lake
or other body of water in such a way that it bounces off the surface of the water. The object of the game is to see how many times a stone can be made to bounce before sinking.
is called rimbalzello, in Russian
this game is called "baking pancakes" (pech blini), in Ukrainian
, it is called "letting the frogs out" (zapuskaty zhabky), in Polish
, "letting the ducks out" (puszczanie kaczek). In Hungarian
it is called "making it to waddle" (kacsáztatás). In Spanish
it is called "making white-caps" or "frogging(?)" (hacer cabrillas or hacer sapito), among other names, in Catalan
, "making step-stone bridges" or "furrows", or simply "skipping stones" (fer passeres, fer rigalets, llençar passanelles). Also, in Estonian
, it is called "throwing a burbot
" (lutsu viskama).In Bengali
Stone skipping is played in the name of Bengachi (frog jumps). In Andhra Pradesh
Stone skipping is played in the name of Kappa Gantulu (frog jumps). In Portuguese
, it is called either "peixinho" (little fish) or "conchinhas" (little seashells). In French, it is called "ricochets", and in Swedish
as well as in Finnish
it is called "throwing a sandwich", if translated literally. Czech language
mostly uses dělat (házet) žabky/žabičky (to make/throw little frog
s – countrywide, especially in Central and North Bohemia and Czech Silesia
) or kačky/kačeny/kařery/kačenky/káčata/káčery/káčírky (ducks/drakes/ducklings, East Bohemia and parts of Moravia
) but there are many other local and dialectal words: rybičky/rybky (little fish
es), mističky (saucer
s), talíře (plates/dishes), podlisky/podlíšky/lyšky (wagtail
s), potápky (diver
s), pokličky/pukličky (pot-lids), plisky, plesky (flap
s), žbluňky (plop
s), šipky (dart
s), bubliny (bubble
s), židy (jews), páni/panáky (sir
s/figure
s), babky (gammer
s/wagtail
s), panenky (doll
s/girl
s/dragonflies
), převážet panenku Mariu (to ferry
Virgin Mary) and many others.
The pastime is also called stone skimming, stone skiting, and ducks and drakes in the UK
; and stone skiffing in Ireland
according to Jerdone "Jerry" Coleman-McGhee, in his book, The Secrets of Stone Skipping.
, sanctioned world championships for four years from 1989 through 1992 in Wimberley, Texas; the next official NASSA World Championships is expected to be held at Platja d'en Ros beach in Cadaqués
, Catalonia
, Spain
.
The world record according to the Guinness Book of Records is 51 skips, set by Russell Byars on July 19, 2007. The previous record was 40 skips, set by Kurt Steiner at the Pennsylvania Qualifying Stone Skipping Tournament on September 14, 2002.
A stone skipping championship of a different nature takes place every year in Easdale, Scotland
, that competes for distance as opposed to number of skips. Every year since 1997, competitors from all over the world have taken part in the World Stone Skimming Championships in a disused quarry on Easdale Island, using stones made from Easdale slate. The 2007 winner was Dougie Isaacs from Scotland. Eric Robertson won in 2008. David Gee was the 2009 winner. Dougie Isaacs won the title again in 2010 and in 2011, making him the World Stone Skimming champion with the most titles in the competition's history.
An early explanation of the physics of stone-skipping was provided by Lazzaro Spallanzani
in the 18th century.
Research undertaken by a team led by French
physicist
, Lydéric Bocquet, has discovered that an angle of about 20° between the stone and the water's surface is optimal. Bocquet and his colleagues were surprised to discover that changes in speed
and rotation
did not change this fact. Work by Hewitt, Balmforth and McElwaine has shown that if the horizontal speed can be maintained skipping can continue indefinitely. Earlier research reported by Bocquet calculated that the world record of 38 rebounds set by Coleman-McGhee, unchallenged for many years, required a speed of 12 m/s (25 mph), with a rotation of 14 revolution
s per second.
Rock (geology)
In geology, rock or stone is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. In general rocks are of three types, namely, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic...
with a flattened surface across a lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
or other body of water in such a way that it bounces off the surface of the water. The object of the game is to see how many times a stone can be made to bounce before sinking.
Names
In North America it is also referred to as "skipping rocks". In ItalianItalian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
is called rimbalzello, in Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
this game is called "baking pancakes" (pech blini), in Ukrainian
Ukrainian language
Ukrainian is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. It is the official state language of Ukraine. Written Ukrainian uses a variant of the Cyrillic alphabet....
, it is called "letting the frogs out" (zapuskaty zhabky), in Polish
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
, "letting the ducks out" (puszczanie kaczek). In Hungarian
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
it is called "making it to waddle" (kacsáztatás). In Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
it is called "making white-caps" or "frogging(?)" (hacer cabrillas or hacer sapito), among other names, in Catalan
Catalan language
Catalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
, "making step-stone bridges" or "furrows", or simply "skipping stones" (fer passeres, fer rigalets, llençar passanelles). Also, in Estonian
Estonian language
Estonian is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1.1 million people in Estonia and tens of thousands in various émigré communities...
, it is called "throwing a burbot
Burbot
The burbot is the only gadiform fish inhabiting freshwaters. It is also known as mariah, the lawyer, and eelpout. It is closely related to the marine common ling and the cusk...
" (lutsu viskama).In Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
Stone skipping is played in the name of Bengachi (frog jumps). In Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
Stone skipping is played in the name of Kappa Gantulu (frog jumps). In Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
, it is called either "peixinho" (little fish) or "conchinhas" (little seashells). In French, it is called "ricochets", and in Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
as well as in Finnish
Finnish language
Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
it is called "throwing a sandwich", if translated literally. Czech language
Czech language
Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
mostly uses dělat (házet) žabky/žabičky (to make/throw little frog
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
s – countrywide, especially in Central and North Bohemia and Czech Silesia
Czech Silesia
Czech Silesia is an unofficial name of one of the three Czech lands and a section of the Silesian historical region. It is located in the north-east of the Czech Republic, predominantly in the Moravian-Silesian Region, with a section in the northern Olomouc Region...
) or kačky/kačeny/kařery/kačenky/káčata/káčery/káčírky (ducks/drakes/ducklings, East Bohemia and parts of Moravia
Moravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
) but there are many other local and dialectal words: rybičky/rybky (little fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
es), mističky (saucer
Saucer
A saucer is a small type of dishware, a plate that is specifically used with and for supporting a cup – a cylindrical cup intended for coffee or a half-sphere teacup for tea. Additionally, the saucer is a distant cousin to the plate. The saucer has a raised centre with a depression sized to fit a...
s), talíře (plates/dishes), podlisky/podlíšky/lyšky (wagtail
Wagtail
The wagtails form the passerine bird genus Motacilla. They are small birds with long tails which they wag frequently. Motacilla, the root of the family and genus name, means moving tail...
s), potápky (diver
Diver
Diver or divers can refer to:*Diving, the sport of performing acrobatics while jumping or falling into water**:Category:Divers*Underwater diving**:Category:Underwater divers**Scuba diving, in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater...
s), pokličky/pukličky (pot-lids), plisky, plesky (flap
Flap
Flap may refer to:* Flap , a hinged surface on the trailing edge of an airplane wing* Roof flap, an aerodynamic feature of race cars* Flapping, one of the basic mechanics of flight in birds...
s), žbluňky (plop
Plop
Plop is an onomatopoeic term for the sound of an object falling onto a surface or onto water.It may also refer to:* Kabouter Plop, the eponymous hero of the Belgian children's TV and comic strip series...
s), šipky (dart
Dart
-Dart:In popular culture* Dart , an Image Comics superhero* Dart Feld, the central character of the PlayStation RPG, The Legend of Dragoon* Wraith dart, an attack spacecraft on Stargate Atlantis....
s), bubliny (bubble
Bubble
-Physical bubbles:* Liquid bubble, globule of one substance encased in another, usually air in a liquid* Soap bubble, a bubble formed by soapy water * Antibubble, a droplet of liquid surrounded by a thin film of gas-Arts and literature:...
s), židy (jews), páni/panáky (sir
Sir
Sir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...
s/figure
Figure
Figure may refer to:*A shape, drawing, or representation*Figure, wood appearance*Musical figure, distinguished from musical motif*Shaping a mirror on a reflective telescope*Noise figure, in telecommunication*Dance figure, an elementary dance pattern...
s), babky (gammer
Gammer
Gammer is a UK hardcore and Hard Dance producer and DJ.Gammer made his first appearance in the Hardcore scene during 2002 and since he has gone on to be a very successful and prolific producer, being best known for his extensive discography on the revamped Essential Platinum label...
s/wagtail
Wagtail
The wagtails form the passerine bird genus Motacilla. They are small birds with long tails which they wag frequently. Motacilla, the root of the family and genus name, means moving tail...
s), panenky (doll
Doll
A doll is a model of a human being, often used as a toy for children. Dolls have traditionally been used in magic and religious rituals throughout the world, and traditional dolls made of materials like clay and wood are found in the Americas, Asia, Africa and Europe. The earliest documented dolls...
s/girl
Girl
A girl is any female human from birth through childhood and adolescence to attainment of adulthood. The term may also be used to mean a young woman.-Etymology:...
s/dragonflies
Dragonfly
A dragonfly is a winged insect belonging to the order Odonata, the suborder Epiprocta or, in the strict sense, the infraorder Anisoptera . It is characterized by large multifaceted eyes, two pairs of strong transparent wings, and an elongated body...
), převážet panenku Mariu (to ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
Virgin Mary) and many others.
The pastime is also called stone skimming, stone skiting, and ducks and drakes in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
; and stone skiffing in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
according to Jerdone "Jerry" Coleman-McGhee, in his book, The Secrets of Stone Skipping.
Championships and records
The North American Stone Skipping Association (NASSA), founded by Coleman-McGhee, in 1989 and based in Driftwood, TexasDriftwood, Texas
Driftwood is an unincorporated community in northern Hays County, Texas, United States. It lies along FM 967 north of the city of San Marcos, the county seat of Hays County. Its elevation is 1,043 feet...
, sanctioned world championships for four years from 1989 through 1992 in Wimberley, Texas; the next official NASSA World Championships is expected to be held at Platja d'en Ros beach in Cadaqués
Cadaqués
Cadaqués is a town in the Alt Empordà comarca, in the province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain. It is on a bay in the middle of the Cap de Creus peninsula, near Cap de Creus cape, on the Costa Brava of the Mediterranean...
, Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
The world record according to the Guinness Book of Records is 51 skips, set by Russell Byars on July 19, 2007. The previous record was 40 skips, set by Kurt Steiner at the Pennsylvania Qualifying Stone Skipping Tournament on September 14, 2002.
A stone skipping championship of a different nature takes place every year in Easdale, Scotland
Easdale
Easdale is one of the Slate Islands, in the Firth of Lorn, Scotland. Once the centre of the British slate industry, there has been some recent island regeneration....
, that competes for distance as opposed to number of skips. Every year since 1997, competitors from all over the world have taken part in the World Stone Skimming Championships in a disused quarry on Easdale Island, using stones made from Easdale slate. The 2007 winner was Dougie Isaacs from Scotland. Eric Robertson won in 2008. David Gee was the 2009 winner. Dougie Isaacs won the title again in 2010 and in 2011, making him the World Stone Skimming champion with the most titles in the competition's history.
Scientific explanation
Lazzaro Spallanzani
Lazzaro Spallanzani was an Italian Catholic priest, biologist and physiologist who made important contributions to the experimental study of bodily functions, animal reproduction, and essentially discovered echolocation...
in the 18th century.
Research undertaken by a team led by French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
physicist
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
, Lydéric Bocquet, has discovered that an angle of about 20° between the stone and the water's surface is optimal. Bocquet and his colleagues were surprised to discover that changes in speed
Speed
In kinematics, the speed of an object is the magnitude of its velocity ; it is thus a scalar quantity. The average speed of an object in an interval of time is the distance traveled by the object divided by the duration of the interval; the instantaneous speed is the limit of the average speed as...
and rotation
Rotation
A rotation is a circular movement of an object around a center of rotation. A three-dimensional object rotates always around an imaginary line called a rotation axis. If the axis is within the body, and passes through its center of mass the body is said to rotate upon itself, or spin. A rotation...
did not change this fact. Work by Hewitt, Balmforth and McElwaine has shown that if the horizontal speed can be maintained skipping can continue indefinitely. Earlier research reported by Bocquet calculated that the world record of 38 rebounds set by Coleman-McGhee, unchallenged for many years, required a speed of 12 m/s (25 mph), with a rotation of 14 revolution
Turn (geometry)
A turn is an angle equal to a 360° or 2 radians or \tau radians. A turn is also referred to as a revolution or complete rotation or full circle or cycle or rev or rot....
s per second.
Further reading
- Spinning Flight: Dynamics of Frisbees, Boomerangs, Samaras and Skipping Stones, Ralph Lorenz, Copernicus New York, September 2006 ISBN 0-387-30779-6
See also
- Skip bombingSkip bombingSkip bombing was a low-level bombing technique developed by Italian pilot Giuseppe Cenni flying German Junkers Ju 87 Stuka aircraft during attacks on Allied ships off the coast of North Africa, between May and October of 1941...
- Bouncing bombBouncing bombA bouncing bomb is a bomb designed specifically to bounce to a target across water in a calculated manner, in order to avoid obstacles such as torpedo nets, and to allow both the bomb's speed on arrival at the target and the timing of its detonation to be pre-determined...
- RicochetRicochetA ricochet is a rebound, bounce or skip off a surface, particularly in the case of a projectile. The possibility of ricochet is one of the reasons for the common firearms safety rule "Never shoot at a flat, hard surface."-Variables:...
– bullets can ricochet off water, similar to stone skipping