NAGOYA - A stone-skipping tournament on the Nagara River in Gifu Prefecture has drawn attention to 32-year-old Kosei Kigo of Nagoya, whose extraordinary dedication to the childhood pastime includes spending hours searching for the perfect stones, taking private coaching lessons, and competing against some of Japan's top athletes in pursuit of stone-skipping mastery.
The Nagara River in Gifu Prefecture, known for its clear waters and wide riverbanks scattered with flat stones, hosted the 3rd Gifu Nagaragawa Stone Skipping Tournament in May. Competitors faced a simple challenge: throw a stone across the water and see how many times it skips. Behind that simple concept, however, lies a world of intense dedication, technical expertise, and fierce rivalry.
Stone skipping competitions are held both in Japan and overseas, including world championships. Among the sport's enthusiasts, one name repeatedly comes up: Kigo.
"If you're talking about competitors from Nagoya, it's Kigo. He's a very strong opponent," said Ning Hou, who traveled from Yokohama to compete.
"He's the face of the Tokai region," said participant Yohei Kosaka from Osaka. "Because he takes it so seriously, he almost looks obsessive."
Kigo, who works in child welfare, has built a reputation by competing in tournaments across Japan. He finished runner-up at the Nagara River tournament two years ago and is regarded as one of the country's top competitors.
In early May, Kigo and fellow stone-skipping enthusiasts gathered on the banks of the Nagara River for a crucial part of their preparation: searching for stones.
Kigo looks for stones that are flat, thick enough to grip comfortably, and shaped in a way that allows his fingers to catch properly. Stones that are too thin can slip from the hand during release.
Under the direct sun, he spent six hours combing the riverbank. By the end of the day, he had collected a bag full of stones, but only two or three were considered serious candidates for competition use.
"If you're not particular about the stones, you won't get results. Absolutely not," Kigo said. "More important than technique is finding the best stone possible in a riverbank like this."
His commitment extends far beyond stone selection.
Ahead of the tournament, Kigo sought private coaching from Koji Ito, a physical therapist, paying for one-on-one instruction to refine what he calls his ideal stone-skipping form.
"Your weight isn't fully shifting to the left side. You're releasing too much with your arm," Ito advised during a training session.
After one throw, Ito nodded approvingly.
"That was good. Really good."
Ito admitted he was initially surprised by Kigo's request for coaching but soon became fascinated by his dedication.
"I had no experience with stone skipping and simply visited a practice session," Ito said. "Then I saw Kigo's passion. It made me realize that something people think of as a game can evolve into a true competitive sport. It goes beyond play."
The science behind stone skipping has even become the subject of academic research.
According to studies, two factors are especially important: the stone's spin and its angle relative to the water's surface. Rapid horizontal rotation stabilizes the stone, while an angle of approximately 20 degrees is considered ideal for maintaining speed and maximizing the number of skips.
Shinichiro Nagahiro, a professor in the Department of Integrated Engineering at Sendai Kosen College of Technology and author of a paper on stone skipping, analyzed Kigo's technique.
"After the first impact, the stone's orientation changes, and by the second impact it reaches an appropriate angle," Nagahiro explained. "The 20-degree angle is maintained through rotation, allowing the stone to glide across the water while preserving stability."
For Kigo, the appeal goes beyond physics.
"All we're doing is throwing stones into a river," he said. "But when people watch great stone skipping, they react with amazement. There's something that moves people emotionally. I want to create stone skips that inspire those who see them."
The tournament's Masters Division featured 14 competitors, including some of the sport's biggest names.
Among them was Keisuke Hashimoto, a former world champion whom Kigo regards as both friend and rival.
"He's both a rival and a companion," Kigo said.
"For me to win, he's a wall I have to overcome," Hashimoto replied.
Another major contender was Ning Hou, a China-born competitor who won all four major domestic tournaments held in Japan last year and entered the event as the two-time defending Masters champion at the Nagara River competition.
"I think Kigo will become even stronger," Hou said. "He's going to be a formidable rival."
The Nagara River presents a unique challenge for competitors. Its fast current and strong winds often create rough water, making long skip counts difficult to achieve.
As the first competitor to throw in the Masters Division, Kigo recorded 12 skips on his opening attempt.
His second throw managed only three.
"The waves are strong, so I'll switch to a crescent-shaped stone like this," he said.
Reading the river conditions, he changed stones on the spot. His third throw produced 10 skips.
His fourth and final attempt reached five.
Kigo's best mark of 12 skips left him tied for sixth place among the 14 competitors. The winning score was 16 skips.
"I felt I made some really good releases and throws," Kigo said afterward. "But the river got the better of me."
Despite falling short of victory, his passion remained undiminished.
"Stone skipping may be the thing that makes me feel alive," he said. "When a stone I throw stays on the water's surface, it feels like nature has accepted me. My goal is to keep skipping stones until the day I die. I'd even like to enter my coffin with a stone. Ha ha ha."
Like the stones he sends dancing across the water, Kigo's pursuit continues.
Source: CBC
