It's the Rock In River Festival!

Saturday, August 22, 2009

11:00 am - 4:00 pm

This is the newest Franklin Festival held overlooking the confluence of French Creek and the Allegheny River. This River Festival includes kids games, rock decorating contest, chicken barbecue, boat rides, live music featuring the Ryver Nymphs, and the fun of watching amateurs and professionals (including reigning World Champion and Guinness World Record holder Russ Byars, and  former Guinness World Record Holder Kurt Steiner) compete for the state championship of skipping stone across the water. Children may compete in Gerplunking. Registration for competition begins at noon. An additional attraction is the Elk Street Neighborhood Yard Sale. Click here for directions to Riverfront Park.

Our 2009 competition will once again be sanctioned by the Mackinac Island Stone Skipping and Gerplunking Club, who operate the nationals in Michigan each July 4. The Pennsylvania winner will be entitled to compete in the prestigious "Pro Category" at Mackinac next Independence Day.  A very elite group of professionals from around the world gather on Windermere Beach, a stone-covered beach on Lake Michigan beside ferry boat docks which connect Mackinac Island to Mackinaw City on the mainland.

Officiating the PA Qualifying Stone Skipping Tournament is High Commissioner Brian Barnett of Franklin and his team of judges.  Contestants are asked to submit a small donation ($3 a person amateur, 12 and under $1, pros $10), and although the event is a "bring your own stones" tournament, exotic skipping stones from various parts of western Pennsylvania are usually available for contestants for an additional small donation.

Registration for the competition begins at 11:00; amateur competition starts at 1:00, and the Allegheny Chukker Challenge (pro & celebrity category) takes place at 3:00 p.m.  In keeping with tradition, the winner will receive locally-produced fudge. Click here to see the competition results from 2007 in all categories.

Also: Run, bike, and paddle for prizes in the Allegheny Outdoor Adventure! This non-competitive event is open to all ages and starts at 9:00 at the Franklin trailhead of the Justus trail. You'll finish up just in time to catch the stone skipping activities in the park. Download the brochure with event information and registration form here and here. Download the sponsor pledge form here.

Attention all press: high-resolution photos and info now available here.

7/4/2008

Byars Becomes 4-time World Champ

With a top toss of 25, Russ Byars takes out Glenn "Hard Luck" Loy to take the lead and win the '08 Mackinac Invitational for the second straight year, continuing his reign as the top skipper in the sport.

9/19/2007

Byars Sets New World Record

Byars' July 19, 2007 skip goes into the Guinness World Record book at an amazing 51 skips, beating Emporium's Kurt Steiner. Get all the details, including video footage at ProStoneskipping.Com.

8/25/2007

National Public Radio Covers 2007 Event

WPSU covered the 2007 Franklin event and put together this little news piece.

7/4/2007 Byars Shatters Mackinac Record

Franklin's own Russ Byars steamrolled his way onto Mackinac Island to regain his title as the top skipper in the world. "Rock Bottom" Byars not only regained his title at Mackinac, but set a new all-time record for the venue. Guinness world-record holder Kurt "Mountain Man" Steiner followed closely behind with his own Mackinac first of 30 skips, putting Pennsylvania in the top two positions.  Full story with photo gallery

8/26/2006 Byars Returns to Top Spot There was some question as to whether or not "Mountain Man" Steiner would return to compete this year after injuring his arm in a mountain bike crash. But he did return, and proved himself a capable contender, with a best throw of 36 skips. But Byars edged him out with a best of 38, to take the trophy.

8/23/2003 Franklinite Russ Byars Takes the Win for PA On Saturday, August 23, 2003, Franklin's own Russell Byars successfully secured the current PA title by narrowly outskipping Kurt Steiner with a high smut of 28. He is now qualified to represent Pennsylvania at the Mackinac Nationals on July 4, 2004.

7/4/2004 Byars Goes On to Claim National Championship On July 4th, 2004, Russ went to Mackinac and picked up the national title. Conditions were brutal, with bone-chilling cold and rain throughout the competition. Lake Huron was whipped into a frenzy while the top skippers in the U.S. duked it out for the title. See pictures from the event here.

8/28/2004 Byars Repeats Performance to Maintain PA Title Russ continues his streak by claiming the 2004 title at the Riverfront Park event, by casting an outstanding 35 skips. Could Russ be the Tiger Woods of stone skipping?

7/4/2005 2005 - Byars Is Unstoppable! In an event jam-packed with some of the highest scores in Mackinac history, Russ pulls ahead of the pack in the final round with a record-breaking 30 skips at the Wilmer T. Rabe Memorial Mackinac Invitational on July 4th, 2005, to win his second consecutive world championship. Could Russ be the Lance Armstrong of stone skipping?

8/15/2005 Byars To Be Cast In Independent Film Russ Byars has been booked to provide stone skipping expertise and act as a stunt double for Guns & Butter Entertainment, LLC, in their feature-length film The Book of Caleb, to be filmed around the Delaware River in Philadelphia. Filming is expected to begin this October.

8/27/2005 Steiner Wins it Back! In a dramatic battle for the top spot, Kurt "Mountain Man" Steiner, current Guinness World Record holder, came through in the clutch and ended the reign of Franklin's own Russ "Rock Bottom" Byars.  He is now qualified to represent Pennsylvania at the Mackinac Nationals on July 4, 2006.

"Let he who is without frisbee cast the first stone!"