Vol. 4 - Raising Ancient Traditions with New England Stone Lifting
Words: Jillian Conner | Photography: Julie Richards
On the shores of New England, there’s a growing community with its roots in ancient ways. They’re led by Jarrett McPhee (AKA Jrt Mcp), a New Englander with a background in design, a deep love for community-building, and a strong interest in old things. His wife, Emily, and he are frequent travelers, most often visiting places across the globe that hold long, long histories. From ruins to the oldest tree in a given area, Jarrett and Emily love their history. “I really love the continuity of history that we see when we’re traveling, it gives us a real sense of place. Things that are thousands of years old have longer stories to tell.” says Jarrett. It seems almost logical, then, that he would eventually find his way to stone lifting.
Jarrett going big on the Lamoille River in Johnson, VT sporting his "Woolies."
In preparation for his 40th birthday, Jarrett wanted to participate in the Highland Games, a well-known and well-trod strength competition event originating in Middle Age Scotland. When the competition wasn’t accepting new competitors, he and a friend, Steve Sharp, turned their attention to a new goal: getting Jarrett ready to lift a well-known Scottish stone, the Inver Stone. After months of practice, Emily and Jarrett traveled to Scotland for Jarrett’s birthday. They knocked on the door of the stone cottage where the caretaker of the Inver Stone lived, and asked for permission to lift it. The rest truly is history. Jarrett and Steve were hooked, so they kept training together, eventually made it to the Highland Games, and soon after formed New England Stone Lifting (NESL) to share their joy.
Steve shouldering a Goliath Lamoille River stone.
To the uninitiated, this sport may sound perplexing. At its most simplistic, it really is just the practice of lifting large stones for the sake of strength and accomplishment. But Jarrett’s description of it paints a much more beautiful, complex picture. Stone lifting is one of the oldest recorded examples of human community strength. Examples of it exist around the world in Scotland, Greece, Japan, Spain, Polynesia, Iceland, and beyond. The cultural reasons for lifting vary from culture to culture, but traditionally, stone lifting was most commonly used for initiation into manhood or competition for rank. Also, fun. But Jarrett sees something even deeper.
“You get to know the stones like they’re friends,” he says. “They’ve been here a lot longer than us, and they’ll stay here long after we’re gone. There are stones that have been consistently lifted for hundreds and hundreds of years, and there is something beautiful about becoming part of their story, becoming a link in a long chain of humans that have touched them.”
Mikey Swarbrick shouldering a beautiful Lamoille-carved flat stone.
A consequence of America’s history of European immigration and establishment is that any native oral histories of stone lifting were lost, and old world traditions didn’t tend to cross the ocean with the colonists, meaning there is virtually no tradition of stone lifting in North America. So Jarrett, Steve, and a growing number of other New Englanders and other organizations around the country are working to establish one, but with a new take: they’re radically inclusive. NESL has chosen to ditch the gendered initiation traditions common to stone lifting and welcome all walks of people to join their community.
Bryan Clifford getting ready to lift a monster stone, and you know he did.
New England Stone Lifting has a solid core population of about twenty-five lifters that routinely attend gatherings. Each member has their own, beautiful reason why stone lifting has meant so much to them and how they came to find it. For Bryan Clifford, a Massachusetts native and NESL member, stone lifting has meant the opportunity to travel,to meet folks he never would have crossed paths with otherwise, to push past his perceived limits. He describes his favorite stone yet, the 185kg/410lb Husafell Stone in Iceland that can be carried around a stone sheep paddock before being replaced in its spot to prove “full strength”. Accomplishing this feat, says Bryan, and lifting stones in general feels innately human.
Vince Broderick with big success lifting a Lamoille stone on the banks of the Gihon.
Katie Vaudrain moving on up with the hug and lift approach on a long Lamoille stone.
Katie Vaudrain, another member of NESL, came to stone lifting as a practical, socially distanced way to stay fit during the Covid-19 pandemic. She quickly found a “primal sense of accomplishment” in stone lifting, finding it impossible to not find pride in herself and others after lifting a stone at the edge of their limit. She echoes Jarrett’s sentiments on stones as place-makers and story-tellers. “Just as places have stories, stones have stories. Some traveled by glacier, or were used as boundary markers for long-forgotten farms, some have had ceremonial significance, or have even served as a test of strength for hundreds of years, while still yet others are just quiet residents of the forest. In attempting a lift on a stone, you become a part of the story. By promoting inclusivity in our community, we are able to amplify already existing histories while also actively creating new ones together.” says Katie.
Vermont locals giving it their all at the NESL "Try It" event hosted at Johnson Woolen Mills in March.
New England Stone Lifting will continue the heavy lift of spreading their ideals and traditions around the region, with a special effort to make the sport more accessible to all people, no matter their ability level. They’re dependable, rugged, community-minded, and sharply focused on building people up - all qualities we here at Johnson can certainly relate to. In a world that feels increasingly disconnected through technology and media, stone lifting may just be the perfect antidote to whatever ails us.
JWM Proprietor Gene Richards getting in on the action and putting on a show for the crowd.
To learn more about their work or get involved (maybe even lift a stone or two with them!), visit their website or Instagram.
