Duluth skipped its way toward competing internationally yesterday at the inaugural People’s Free Rock-Skipping Contest.

Troy Rogers (Robot Rickshaw) helped judge 17 competitors over a two-hour tournament. Top scorer was “Jason,” skipping a pancake-sized rock 10x over a 50-ft. distance which caught 10 feet of air — a skip sending fear through the world rock-skipping community. It didn’t just wow the crowd, I overheard his girlfriend saying, “I didn’t realize you had this talent.”

Another memorable competitor was “Zach,” a kid who showed up late but upended the youth division, out-competed his father, and walked away with a prize.

To balance the scales with Mackinac Island’s (MI) 51st Annual Rock-Skipping Tournament, next year we are calling this the 73rd Annual Duluth Rock-Skipping Contest.

Thanks to all competitors, and thanks to the local businesses that donated prizes: Pizza Luce, Whole Foods Co-op, Sir Benedict’s Tavern on the Lake, Hoops Brewing, Vikre Distillery, Duluth Coffee Company, and Global Village. #peoplesfreeskip