How far can you throw a ball that
weighs 16 pounds? How about if it is attached to a three foot
wire with a handle on it? Oh yes, you have to stay inside a
five foot diameter circle when you do it. That is the hammer
throw. Some of the best local throwers will throw that ball
and chain 150-200 feet. They do by spinning around inside the
cirle. One foot acts as the pivot and the other comes down
once every turn to provide balance. The best throwers will
spin four times before releasing the hammer to land inside the
allowable sector. For international competition that sector is
less than 40 degrees.
Use caution if people are
throwing the hammer while you visit the cache. Heed the sign. This
can be dangerous. Be careful out there.
If people are throwing the hammer, you might want to sit down
and watch. If you do, make use of the seating provided. It is in a
safe location. Do not get close to the cage. If the hammer slips it
can hit the netting with enough force to move the netting several
feet toward you.
Some of the people you see out here might surprise you. The
oldest thrower is 92. The younger throwers could easily be in high
school. Washington has some of the leading high school age hammer
throwers in the country. One just earned himself a scholarship to
California (Berkeley) through his expoits with the hammer and the
discus.
The head groundskeeper for the stadium is aware of the cache. If
he is out working in the area don't worry about him finding out
about the cache. He is helping me take care of it. He has my phone
number and will call if there is a problem with the box. While I
have told some of the throwers about the cache, I cannot guarantee
that they all know about it.
Note added 7/18/04: In response to the question by Wienerdog,
the hammer is called that because they used to be hammers. In fact
in Scotland they still throw a wooden handled hammer in the
highland games. Over time the implement evolved to the ball with
the wire.
Note added 5/16/06 There will be construction in the stadium
starting around June 5. The area that includes the cache and the
hammer cage will not be within the construction area and so it
should remain available for the construction period. Construction
should be done by the end of August.
Note added 12/14/07 The construction is long over, but there
will be some next summer. I have added two additional waypoints. If
the gate to the hammer area is locked, then use the waypoints in
order to find two gates that will get you into the right area.
Seattle Parks has added some new gates that lock, but this route is
still open. If there is some kind of activity going on in the
stadium, this route may not be available.