This past sunny Saturday afternoon, July 12, Boothbay Harbor residents and visitors took to the sea — not with their boats but with their rocks.

A total of 65 girls, boys, women and men gathered at the footbridge parking lot to test their rock skipping skills during the 11th Annual Rock Skipping Contest hosted by Orne's Candy Store. The participants gathered into their respective divisions and walked to the shallow harbor water as their names were called to throw their stones before friends, family, interested onlookers and the all-important judges.

John Webster, a co-owner of the candy store and co-director of the event, spoke to the Boothbay Register about the annual contest.

"My brother and I came up with the idea," Webster said as he recalled the contest he used to play at family gatherings. "We noticed a blank weekend (in the Chamber of Commerce calendar), and we thought it would be great to fill it."

Eleven years ago, that idea came to life, and it has been a staple of Boothbay Harbor summers ever since. This year, like those in years past, boys and girls 12 years of age and under and men and women were split up into their own divisions. Each participant got to make three rock throws that they had to skip along the still harbor water before two judges.

The person in each division who had the greatest number of skips won that division, and if he or she tied with any other contestant, their additional recorded throws would determine their places.

In the end, Cassidy "Rockcaster" MacKay, Skye "Loose Canon 2" Harrington, Julia "Tripleskipper" Sharpe and Drew "The Canadian" Quayle took home trophies in the boys', girls', women's and men's divisions, respectively. In that order, judges recorded their best throws as 9, 11, 16 and 22 skips each.

Webster said the highest number of skips any contestant had thrown that he could recall was 28. A male competitor achieved that feat about four or five years ago, he said.

In addition to their trophies, each winner also received a pound of fudge for his or her efforts. There was no official second or third place in any division, but participants were each given a rock candy on a stick after they completed their throws. Each participant was allowed to create his or her own nickname.

Alongide John Webster, Arthur Webster and Jean Webster (also co-owners of the Candy Store), Don and Lynn Hendricks also helped put together this year's event. Arthur Webster and Don Hendricks judged the contestants' throws.

The event was free for anyone who wanted to join, but the event organizers asked for donations during each registration. John Webster said the candy store gives all proceeds from the event to the Boothbay Region Food Pantry, and that people typically give generously.

"It's a local activity that people down here have always done," he said. "It's a fun thing, (and) it has mushroomed as years have gone by."

John Webster's excitement was clear. He said the organizers "have as much fun as the people throwing."