Skeeting

Describe the traditional summer activities or pastimes of an ethnicity in your world.

For those who grow fruit in the The Vale of Arabour autumn is the season of harvest, winter the season of surviving the cold and spring a frenzy of tree management, pest killing and general all round hard times. Summer though, summer sees the first fruits to see off the hunger of spring; when all that was left was the last apples in the barrel. And with little to do but sit back and enjoy this and wait for the hard work of the autumn, the Vale turns its attention to the important subject of messing about on the water.
And for the everyman, and everywoman of the Vale that means boats - specifically Skeets.
The competition is fierce, but mostly it is a spectator event for it is a chance to get out on the water and do little on what will, hopefully, be a bright summer's day.

History

The skeet has been a common mode of transport around the canals of the Vale, and the more athletic and/or foolhardy will even take their skeets out onto the Harren-var. Since time immemorial, or at least since before anyone could record it as a novelty, summer has been the time for competitions around the use of the skeet. The rules vary from place to place and each village or hamlet sees itself as the perpetuator of the truest, the best user of the skeet.
Whatever the rules of the location, the point is that skeets are where most inhabitants of the Vale want to spend their summer days for on the water it is cooler, and competition is a chance to show off skills and ingenuity. And though there is honour to be found in triumph, most are quite content to spend a summer's day watching the competitors exert themselves while they, the spectators, enjoy a long, cool flagon of cider.

Execution

Whilst everyone can aspire to winning the contest in their home village a true specialist in this king of summer sports is the one who can win contests in multiple villages surmounting not only the difficulties of current, obstacles and, in the case of the village of Huerth, a 10 league portage which takes the best of competitors almost a day to complete, but also the variety of rules designed to favour the local. Well, at least the well informed - should your skeet be painted black, should you be wearing a hat, should it be propelled by a punting stick instead of a paddle. These are the local variations that a champion skeeter needs to be aware of and master in order to attain the glory they seek. Towards the west, the

Components and tools

For this, one needs a Skeet and such ancillaries as the local rules and customs require. A punting stick is often required south of the Harren-var, in place of the more often used paddle; a broad brimmed hat is required in some places but in others the competitors must be bare headed. These rules are seldom written down, so the astute would be competitor is often skilled in argument and logic to make their claim to compete valid.

Participants

There are those who compete, there are those who spectate, and there are those who officiate. Among the latter the scrutineers of rules are perhaps the most influential for it is they who judge on whether the local rules have been met. Great consternation was caused one year when a group of frustrated competitors moved the scrutineers of Arabour to Evestown and vica versa overnight, and the entire Hollin's day meets at both towns were cancelled due to the disqualification of all competitors. In the areas served by the smaller branches of the canal network the trail setters are also key players for it is they who define the route, marking it with scarlet wisps of Dromhair - crossing canals, climbing hills even passing through cottages and middens (or middens and cottages where there were unfortunate grievances still in play).

Observance

Whilst competitive skeeting may happen at any time, most of it happens in the 60 days between midsummer's day and Hollin's day. The competition is at its tightest late in the season and in many places the main events are held in the week running up to Hollin's day (so that one can compete not just in one's village event but in several in the surrounding area. Though competition is fiercest among the young adults, the older and younger will often spectate and travel a day or two's journey from their homes to watch specific events (those on the Harren-var itself being the most popular).

Primary Related Location

The Vale of Arabour