TheEffect: Sling&Golf 2023

Reviving an Ancient Art: The CHamoru Slingstone Finds New Life in Guam’s Sling-Golf Initiative The echoes of the past are never quite silent on the Pacific island of Guam. Among the verdant jungles and azure sea that cradle the island, the collective memory of the ancient CHamoru people is preserved, telling a tale of resilience and survival. One thread in this intricate tapestry is the art of slinging, a practice that is currently experiencing a heartening resurgence. Traditionally, the slingstone was an essential tool in the daily lives of the CHamoru people. Used in hunting, defense, and even in combat, the ability to sling a stone with precision was often the line between survival and demise. However, with the passage of time and the advent of modernity, the practice had faced the threat of oblivion. That is, until community partners, committed to preserving and reviving the indigenous culture, decided to breathe new life into this age-old tradition. On Saturday, August 5t at the Country Club of the Pacific (CCP),The driving range, typically reserved for golfing, the heads of the CCP in collaboration with the Valley of the Latte and the Micronesian Island Fair, iwas graciously reserved and repurposed as a training ground for aspiring slingers to learn and practice. “Slings and slingstones aren’t just relics of the past, but dynamic pieces of our cultural heritage that deserve to be celebrated,” The unprecedented event served as as a staging area for slingstone practice, but also as a forum for sharing and exploring different slinging styles, sling-crafting tips, and was a great exercise try their hand at distance-accuracy slinging, mass-coordinated slinging, and rapid-fire slinging—aspects of slingign that would make them efficient in real battle Special thanks to the organizers of this event and to the management and staff of the Country Club of the Pacific.