Sink or Skim

Easdale is an island blessed with millions of perfect skimming stones after its slate mining industrial past was brought to an abrupt end by a huge storm. Water filled the immense quarries and created the world’s first stone skimming arena. The competition has always been, a community fundraiser, but tensions are mounting between the small island community and the skimmers whose abilities have far outgrown the limitations of the 63m quarry.

Alex Lewis and Dougie Isaacs, the two most capable competitors of hitting Easdale's famed ‘Backwall’, hail from opposite camps. Dougie accepts the limitations of the island with a zen-like two pints of ale attitude to competition. Alex, on the other had, only values one thing - winning.

Sink or Skim was the highest performing programme across all of Scotland's digital channels on its premiering night.

“... a beautifully made piece and it was funny watching it go out and looking at social media because people were going ‘I can’t believe they’re doing something about stone skimming. Is this part of their sport portfolio?’. But by the end of it the same people were going ‘That was really good’.”- Steve Carson, BBC Scotland’s Head of Multi-Platform Commissioning.

Available on

BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000hzs6/our-lives-series-4-sink-or-skim

Release Date

25th February 2019

Duration

29 min

Genre

Documentary Short

Produced/ Directed

Austen McCowan & Will Hewitt

Edited by

Will Hewitt

Sound Design

James Buchan Wright

Animation

Stephen Moir

Original Soundtrack

Bad Mannequins

Country of Production

Scotland, Wales, England, UK

Production Company

Melt the Fly

Broadcaster

BBC One, BBC Scotland