Strange

Man wins hay mowing contest with scythe

by Rob Peters | August 25, 2008 at 11:06 am

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I was happy when I saw this story because scythes are tragically under-appreciated mowing tools. With all the concern over global warming and fossil fuels, John Deere would be wise to look into a new scythe line for spring. They would just look cool, too. Like you could wear it on your back and walk into a 7-11 after a vigourous scything, dripping with animal masculinity--the chicks would love it. It would have a whole goth/grim reaper kind of appeal, combined with an attractive environmental flair.

NEW ROSS, N.S. - They parked the John Deere and the Toro, set aside the gas can, and picked up scythes at the 5th annual Mowing Championship in New Ross, N.S., over the weekend.

Perry Veinot of Northwest, N.S., beat out 22 other competitors from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick to capture the title.

The competition involved cutting hay by hand and Veniot won by covering the 25-foot course in just under one minute, with a swath width of five feet, nine inches and leaving a stubble length averaging six inches.

It was Veinot's second consecutive win in the annual hand mowing contest that is sponsored by Rural Delivery magazine and Ross Farm Museum.

The youngest competitor was 14-year-old Kim Gezer and the oldest was 97-year-old Dave Miller from Fall River, N.S.