SPECTATORS and fellow competitors at the All England Open Stone Skimming Championships were left stunned when the defending champion broke the championship record.

Twenty-two-year-old Alex Lewis from Helensburgh, Scotland, stepped up to skim an incredible 98 metres, smashing the 95 metre record which he himself set last year.

He retained his crown with a peerless skim some 24 metres longer than any other.

Alex had earlier doubted his own chances due to a muscle strain in his elbow. He had been in second place on 68 metres in the charity event organised by South Cumbria Rivers Trust. He had just looked on as past champion Ron Long had eased into first position with a 71-metre skim.

Undaunted, he took to the skimming platform at the National Trust Fell Foot Park on Windermere, and sent his stone flying down the course, to set a new championship record for the second year running, in what are the official English championships and one of Britain’s top four skimming events.

Pensioner Ron, affectionately known as the ‘Old Tosser’, never improved on his 71 metres, which resulted in him being pushed down into third, when former winner, Kevin Waltham, defied what had been his on-the-day form and skimmed 74 metres, to take second.

Alex, who trains in the gym to build upper body strength and skims around 100 stones a week, said: “The 98-metre skim was a good one, but it tailed off at the end, just when I was hoping to make it a “centurion” skim. I’m pleased with it though and delighted to have set another record.”

Last year Alex, whose dream is to set up a new event on a course that will allow skimmers to go way beyond the 100-metre mark, went on to compete in Japan, having taken the All-England title. He appeared on the Chris Evans radio show and had a feature in the EasyJet in-flight magazine.

When it comes to skimming, he says: “You don’t need a horse, or special pole and vaulting equipment, or running shoes. You need nothing apart from stones and water. And everyone’s had a go at this sport, because what’s so great about skimming is its simplicity.”

Simple or not, Ron Long’s dream of making stone skimming an Olympic sport could come to fruition. He believes it will become a demonstration event in the European Championships, which will leave it just a step away from inclusion at the biggest sporting event in the world.

But it was the simplicity of the sport and the mesmerising sight of a stone skimming across water and defying physics, as Ron Long says, that attracted hundreds of people to the shores of Windermere, with men, women and children of all ages competing not just for top honours, but for sheer fun and some family pride.

The women’s category title was taken by Christina Bowen Bravery, who threw 41 metres, edging out former women’s champ, Barbara Maher, and her 39-metre skim. In third place, Holly McIntosh threw 33 metres.

In the boys' 11-16-year-old category, Cameron Hunter retained his title with a 51 metres skim, a little short of his winning 2018 distance. This was a full 13 metres further than Ieuan Jones’s throw in second place (38m), with Jones just edging out Jonny Evans in third (37m).

In the girls' 11-16s contest, Charlie Hepper skimmed a magnificent 50 metres, way beyond Cari Jones in second place (31m) and Freya Richards in third (30m).

George Fitzmaurice skimmed to victory with a 36-metre stunner in the boys' under 11s, beating Arthur Hamblin in second (32m) and Alfie Hurn in third (30m).

The winner of the girls' under 11s was Isabelle Hanna (20m). Joint second place went to Evelyn Astbury-Grimes and Erin Robinson (15 metres).

The skimmers will now head to the last of the big four events – the World Championships, to be held at Easdale in Scotland on September 29, where Alex will no doubt be hoping to scoop the title on home soil.