Tuna Toss is one of the oldest sports on the Australian coast. This famous festival traditionally was held in Port Lincoln, South Australia, as a celebration of the local fishing industry. Tuna Tossing was first held in 1979 and has slowly been entrenched in the Australian culture, continuing to be celebrated to the present date.

How It Goes

Here, players seek to throw the tuna as far as possible. Fresh Tuna was initially used in the competition. This has however changed and since 2008, players use a weighted plastic tuna in the initial rounds. During the final rounds of the competition, players use a 10 kg frozen Bluefin Tuna. Notably, no fish are killed during the Tunarama Festival. Only undersized fishes that have died naturally are used.

Hammer Throwing Technique

The Hammer Throwing Technique is one of the most popular Tuna Throwing techniques in the Tunarama Festival. This method involves spinning the tuna several times before unleashing it. The furthest a player has thrown a Tuna is 37.23 metres. This record is held by Sean Carlin since 1998. Carlin is also the present holder of the Australian hammer throw record.

Tuna Tossing Going Global

While Tuna tossing is an activity that was traditionally an Australian affair, it is now getting reception in many parts of the globe and more so on coastal lines. The event has also been incorporated in the Olympics and other world sporting competitions. Notably, Tuna throwing is also attracting quite a number of sponsors.