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I wonder if a project could be started to 3D scan and precisely weigh traditional lifting stones as a backup if they are ever destroyed? Of course conservation

I wonder if a project could be started to 3D scan and precisely weigh traditional lifting stones as a backup if they are ever destroyed? Of course conservation is the most important part but it would be nice to have a fallback.

hosh 3y ago
While I can see this idea coming from good intentions, it also misses the point. Stonelifting isn't just a physical discipline, it also cultivates other aspects -- honoring the stones, the land, to receive the legacy of all the others who have tried lifting that stone, and to pass on the legacy for future generations of stonelifters. Your strength is developed within that context, and these ethics become intimately entwined with the personal journey. You not only feel more physically capable, but you also know it was grown as part of a larger legacy. That, in honoring the land and the stones to get stronger, some of the stone's and land's own strength has become a part of you. That is huge. I never lifted stones, but I'm involved with other disciplines which also cultivates its own set of ethics. That character-building aspect is often stripped out in modern practices. No 3d replica will ever restore something like that.
- _yb2s 3y ago
  Exactly. An another aspect of this respectful attitude and character would involve accepting the loss if one is destroyed rather than replacing it with a fake. However, precise replicas to already exist for the most popular and widely known lifting stones- the Húsafell and the Dinney stones have been carefully copied and replicated, to allow people to train for the real thing from a distance, and to allow for their use in strongman competitions when removing them from their historical site isn't appropriate or allowed.
hnbad 3y ago
Besides the obvious(?) social reasons this is a pointless endeavor, you're also forgetting that stones are not homogeneous crystals but complex minerals, especially at this size. You could try to find the exact type of rock and chisel it into the right shape but it would still be very different and likely also have noticeable differences in weight distribution and grip not to mention appearance.

hosh 3y ago

While I can see this idea coming from good intentions, it also misses the point. Stonelifting isn't just a physical discipline, it also cultivates other aspects -- honoring the stones, the land, to receive the legacy of all the others who have tried lifting that stone, and to pass on the legacy for future generations of stonelifters. Your strength is developed within that context, and these ethics become intimately entwined with the personal journey. You not only feel more physically capable, but you also know it was grown as part of a larger legacy. That, in honoring the land and the stones to get stronger, some of the stone's and land's own strength has become a part of you. That is huge. I never lifted stones, but I'm involved with other disciplines which also cultivates its own set of ethics. That character-building aspect is often stripped out in modern practices. No 3d replica will ever restore something like that.

_yb2s 3y ago
Exactly. An another aspect of this respectful attitude and character would involve accepting the loss if one is destroyed rather than replacing it with a fake. However, precise replicas to already exist for the most popular and widely known lifting stones- the Húsafell and the Dinney stones have been carefully copied and replicated, to allow people to train for the real thing from a distance, and to allow for their use in strongman competitions when removing them from their historical site isn't appropriate or allowed.

hnbad 3y ago

Besides the obvious(?) social reasons this is a pointless endeavor, you're also forgetting that stones are not homogeneous crystals but complex minerals, especially at this size. You could try to find the exact type of rock and chisel it into the right shape but it would still be very different and likely also have noticeable differences in weight distribution and grip not to mention appearance.