Boot throwing Blog

It’s time for news and blog update.

This winter has been awesome to go cross-country skiing for several months now on,  even here in Southern Finland and there is still time to go ski before snow melts. So I’ve done a lot of skiing in this winter in contrast to the previous winter when there was able to ski only few weeks. Enjoyable!

a frozen cross-country skier

Anyway summer and boot throwing starts slowly come to my mind. It is interesting outdoor season to come after the decision to ban ‘grip’ sprays in this throwing sport. I do not have previous experience in throwing with glove. How do I get a good grip on boot in future, and what if it is raining? How will glove work then? So after indoor nationals I’ve been looking for a variety of gloves from different stores and I have become familiar to vinyl, latex, leather, and other specialty gloves. And there are good options available. This is like the lost glove hunting

the lost glove hunting

Excellent spring time and happy Easter for all! See you soon!

-toni

Finally long outdoor season is now over for boot throwing and athletics.  Weather was drizzle on Sunday morning in Jokela at the last Cup competition.  Again I did 12 competition throws  (Men Open and Men 35). My first throw was the longest (50,20m)  and I thought it was such a good throw in these weather condition.  Run-up proceeded fairly directly when i resisted accelerate the pace quietly and calmly, and focused on the end of the throw. From time to time wet boot was in itself challenging and the grip was hard to find so couple of my throws escaped out of the sector from the right. Here are two videos of my throws today (filmed by Jari Isokorpi). Thank you all and see you at the indoor throwings. Bye now!

Boot throwing competition Autumn Cup of Southern Finland 4 in Jokela 25th October 2009. See more: bootthrowing.com

South Finnish Autumn cup 3 took place in cold weather and on my way to Jokela there were thick snow came from the sky. The temperature was about 0C-1C so hands were freezing cold Anyway after a good warm-up and stretching we were ready to throw again. I did overall twelve competition throws into two series (Men, Men35) and today my best was 50,70m. I noticed that my plant leg hits too rarely to the perpendicular direction of throw. As soon as the plant leg hits to the right place, meters will come more. It succeeds now too rarely, often it hits too much left or otherwise remain incomplete. Well, one more comp to go in this outdoor season and then it’s time to rest and time to retreat practice. During the winter training I have to get more power and speed on my legs, explosive strength. The whole  rotation acting must be done faster. Maybe we will soon go cross -country skiing Here are couple of videos of my throws today (filmed by Jari Isokorpi).

Boot throwing competition Autumn Cup of Southern Finland 3 in Jokela 18th October 2009. See more: bootthrowing.com

South-Finnish Autumn Cup is on halfway now. There was sunny but rather cold weather at the second competition on Sunday. No tailwind at all and results are throughout little bit worse than a week ago. I made my best throw with flexible green boot and technically poor performance. Anyway, in warm-up throws we also tried to throw with one New Zealand’s boot which was very different than we were used to. The boot has very short shaft so it’s hard to get ‘floating’ in the air in a correct flying position.  It weighed about 1kg and size was about 43. It was quite a experience. Maybe this boot has to be thrown heel first :). Here are two videos of my throws (filmed by Jari Isokorpi).

Boot throwing competition Autumn Cup of Southern Finland 2 in Jokela 11th October 2009. See more: bootthrowing.com

Masters athletics season ‘09 is now over for me and it’s time to focus on boot throwing in Autumn. I purposely left boot throwing less in this summer and concentrated more in track & field. I’ve already participated in a couple of tuesday’s boot competition in Hakunila and next event is South-Finnish Autumn cup in Jokela. There have been discussed what makes the boot throwing fun in the Bootthrowers’ House. I thought what it is for me? It is the challenge of boot throwing, and the sum of many other things:
-to find your own limits
-all the time you can learn to better.
-throwing the boot in a correct position is difficult (different venues, changing circumstances, different boots, how do I transfer kinetic energy straight to the boot and so on).
-to succeed sometimes in throwing and see the boot gliding in the air.
-to meet good throwers and learn from them.
-joy of physical activity and pleasure of throwing.
-to make new friends and having a good time with them.

Let’s hope windy conditions for the remaining competitions and see you at the Field

I took part in Championships of Helsinki on Thursday 14th May.  The venue was made on grass and little tailwind blew occasionally to the throwing direction. Through the competition I varied between two stiff boots (right foot) which I felt good. My best was 50,43m.  After the capital region champs we threw also Open final and age groups so there was enough throws for me today And great atmosphere between competitors!

I’m happy for my results in 4th competition of South Finnish Spring Cup. The day before Jokela Cup I have a javelin throw competition in rainy Salo and I am not confident how my body reacts today’s boot throwing contest. I felt little bit sore. In spite of that my leg work and run-up seems to be improved little by little during the season. Today my main goal was concentrate on fast and accelerative run-up speed and still maintain correct throwing technique and do some relaxed throws. I also focused that my throwing arm waits until the plant leg is down and hip is turned to the right direction. This works very well today and I’m happy of that. Here is one video of my throws:

Boot throwing competition Spring Cup of Southern Finland 4 in Jokela 10th May 2009. See more: bootthrowing.com

There was sunny and warm weather in Jokela Cup today. It was a great competition for me. I varied between stiff black and flexible green boot in my throwings. Even if there was quite heavy side/tailwind blowing I liked to throw low arcs. I managed to do 54,01m with stiff black one and 51,21m with the green. My plant leg was firm but my run-ups I made with too slow feet again. More speed and sharpness are needed to my leg work and run-up. I find it sometimes helps to get leg work faster while running-up, I just imagine my feet are moving on hot coals. This is like imagery exercise And my right foot could be contacted to the ground little bit longer during the pull. Anyway boots went right position from the beginning and the result was my season best. This is good to continue! Here are 2 videos of my throws (filmed by Jari Isokorpi).

Boot throwing competition Spring Cup of Southern Finland 3 in Jokela 26th April 2009. See more: bootthrowing.com

Sunny and windy competition, but still quite cold in Jokela today. There was occasionally quite heavy side/tailwind blew in the 2nd cup competition. I was delighted of getting to try the new green boot on windy conditions even if my fingers grew numb. Before the competition I decided that I use new boot through both comps, Men Open and M35 Open finals, and I increase my run-up speed a little bit more. My best shots were 49,70m and 49,18m, and I constantly tossed over 47 meters, so I was happy for that. 50m line was so close, but it’s surely coming when weather is getting warmer. Here is a video from Boot throwing competition Spring Cup of Southern Finland 2 in Jokela 19th April.

Boot throwing competition Spring Cup of Southern Finland 2 in Jokela 19th April 2009. See more: bootthrowing.com

In Jokela was this year’s first comp and the weather was cold. At the competition I tried little bit too hard and there was no relaxedness in my throwings at all.  I did 2 throws with the black Siili and 10 throws with the green one (right foot boot).  In my throw the boot slowed down and I twitched it? when the plant leg hits the ground and when I started to pull after the last turning. This works better with the old version but not the new one. So it rushed down quickly after 40m flight. New boot needs to be thrown with long and smooth accelerative pull. This emphasizes with the new version. Anyway I’m not disappointed of my season opening in cold weather condition. This was good start (S.B 47,26m). This is video from one of my failed attempts with new Siili boot:

Boot throwing competition Spring Cup of Southern Finland 1 in Jokela 13th April 2009. See more: bootthrowing.com

Outdoor season 09 begins. First competition will be  South-Finnish Spring Cup of Boot-throwing in Jokela, Finland on 13th April,2009.  I’m hoping that the venue isn’t snowy anymore. It is going to be WET & MUD competition and that’s for sure On the next day I compete in Vantaa.

Happy Easter to everyone!

Easter basket