This year’s Stroud’s Brick and Rolling Pin competition on Saturday will have an extra addition.
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As well as throwing rolling pins and bricks, visitors are invited to wear an Akubra-style hat in an attempt to break the current Guinness Book of World Records of the most people in one place wearing Akubra style hats.
1912 is the year the iconic Akubra brand name was founded and is also the number of people Stroud will be aiming to beat, to knock out Kempsey’s record from 2012.
In 1960 the towns of Stroud in the UK and the USA, both brick-making towns, held the first bricking-throwing contest.
With Australia and Canada joining in 1961, and in 1962 Australia suggested including a women’s rolling pin contest.
NSW’s Stroud is now the only town still running the competition.
Bricks, rolling pins and rubber chickens will be flung across the historic town Hunter Strongman and current Australian Champion Brick Thrower, Kurt Livens will return to the 2018 event to defend his title.
Entries for all categories of the competitions open after the official opening at 11.30am.
The world record attempt will be at 12.30pm.
Here’s how we covered it last year:
A near record-breaking 200 people hoisted household items skyward at the weekend for the 57th annual Stroud International Brick and Rolling Pin Throwing Competition.
“It was unbelievable,” committee president Karen Hutchinson said of the number of competitors, an increase of more than 80 from the year prior.
“It’d go close to being a record amount.”
Ms Hutchinson said the increased range of activities played a role in thousands of people flocking to the small town for the annual event.
This year saw the introduction of the Hunter Valley Tent Pegging Team. Meanwhile, a “Back to the Future” street parade, martial arts demonstration and hundreds of stalls offered entertainment alongside the traditional brick and rolling pin throwing.
