Byars is the Guinness World Record holder in stone skipping and the Pennsylvania state stone skipping champion, and is also a former national stone skipping champion.
He will be performing in this weekend's scheduled Pennsylvania Stone Skipping Championship in Franklin.
Byars was invited to China and France last month to participate in stone skipping events in those countries.
"China was for a TV show for world-record holders, and the one in Paris was France's first stone skipping competition," Byars said. "I liked China better, but I'm not dogging France or anything."
While traveling abroad, Byars noticed that stone skipping is a part of other countries' cultural history.
"You find out that worldwide, it's culture," Byars said. "It's part of their history and it's starting to get more recognition here."
Byars broke the world record in 2007 at Riverfront Park during the state stone skipping championship of that year, with a whopping 51 stone skips.
Byars said he had been stone skipping for about 12 years. He hadn't skipped stones before he moved to this area from Pittsburgh, but he had a dog that loved to chase rocks that were thrown into the water.
Since then, Byars has developed his skills and become a champion.
"I just throw stones," Byars said. "That's all you can really do."
In fact, Byars said the only reason he entered his first stone skipping contest was because the prize was fudge.
"If I can't have fun doing it, then I won't do it," he said. "It's a silly sport, it's a fun sport and it can't be anything more."
Byars has became somewhat of a celebrity, but humbly he says it's always slightly odd when someone views him that way.
"I don't see myself that way," he said. "When people ask me for an autograph, I'm like, 'Really? Sure.' "
