throwing arm of the trebuchet had swung forward sufficiently, one end of the sling would automatically become detached and release the projectile. Some trebuchets were small and operated by a very small crew; however, unlike the onager, it was possible to build the trebuchet on a gigantic scale: such giants could hurl enormous rocks at huge ranges. Trebuchets are, in essence, mechanized slings. Today Traditional slinging is still practiced as it always has been in the Balearic Islands, and competitions and leagues are common. In the rest of the world, the sling is primarily a hobby weapon, and a growing number of people make and practice with them. In recent years 'slingfests' have been held in Wyoming, USA, in September 2007 and in Staffordshire, England, in June 2008. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the current record for the greatest distance achieved in hurling an object from a sling is , using a long sling and a ovoid stone, set by Larry Bray in Loa, Utah, on 21 August 1981. The principles of the sling may find use on a larger scale in the future; proposals exist for tether propulsion of spacecraft, which functionally is an oversized sling to propel a spaceship. The sling is used today as a weapon primarily by protestors, to launch either stones or incendiary devices, such as Molotov cocktails. Classic woolen slings are still in use in the Middle East by Arab nomads and Bedouins to ward off jackals and hyenas. International Brigades used slings to throw grenades during the Spanish Civil War. Similarly, the Finns made use of sling-launched Molotov cocktails in the Winter War against Soviet tanks. Slings were used during the various Palestinian riots against modern army personnel and riot police. They were also used in the 2008 disturbances in Kenya. See also Amentum Atlatl Bow and arrow Hawaiian sling Slingshot Swiss arrow Trebuchet Centrifugal gun Footnotes Further reading Richardson, Thom, "The Ballistics of the Sling", Royal Armouries Yearbook, Vol. 3 (1998) York, Robert & Gigi, "Slings and Slingstones, The Forgotten Weapons of Oceania and the Americas", The Kent State University Press (2011) External links Slinging.org resources for slinging enthusiasts. Sling Weapons The Evolution of Sling Weapons The Sling – Ancient Weapon Sports and Pastimes of the People of England, Joseph Strutt, 1903. Funda, William Smith, A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities. Projectile weapons Primitive weapons Articles containing video