Basque rural sports, known as Deportes Rurales in Spanish or Herri Kirolak in Basque, is the term used for a number of sports competitions rooted in the traditional lifestyles of the Basque people. The term force basque is used in French.
Virtually all regional Basque rural sports have their origin in the two main historical occupations, the or baserritarra (farmer) and arrantzalea (fisher), with a larger percentage hailing from the rural background. The sociological changes in the Basque Country have led many of these becoming technically obsolete in the 19th and 20th century. Few continue to exist as rural or marine activities connected to everyday life and have become rare but many have managed to transform themselves into popular sports instead, some of which have become extremely popular.
Winners receive a Basque beret (boina or txapela) as a trophy, hence the Basque word for "champion" - txapeldun, literally "one who has a beret".
Betting, both by the competitors and the audience, is very common and popular at such sporting events in the north of Spain.
The H18K rural sports
In 2006, the Basque Government identified 18 particular rural sports, called H18K, in its Strategic Plan for promotion. These 18 categories are (in alphabetical order):
Literally "axe test", this rural sport more commonly known as aizkolaritza, from the Basque word for a wood-cutter. This is a very popular sport today but its origins are to be found in the rural wood cutting and charcoal burning communities of earlier periods.
In this competition, the wood cutter has to chop through a number of tree trunks arranged on the ground in rows as quickly as possible while standing on the log to beat his competitors.
This sport is often seen in summer at local festivities and open-air dances, held in towns all over the country.
Giza-abere probak (dragging games)
11 people dragging a 4,000kg (8,800lb) stone in Eibar in 1940
This sport translates as Human-animal tests and is a collective term for a number of sports in which humans and animals are involved in dragging heavy weights. There are four main categories:
Giza probak (human tests) where people attempt to drag a heavy weight, usually a large rock, across a certain distance
Zaldi probak (horse tests) - same as giza probak but with horses
Idi probak (oxen tests) - same as giza probak but with oxen
Asto probak (donkey tests) - same as giza probak but with donkeys
These normally take place on specially built trial grounds. The aim is to cover a certain distance within a given time or to cover as many circuits as possible. The idi probak are by far the most popular in this category.
The lifting of stones is one of the most widely known Basque rural sport outside the Basque Country, largely thanks to the prowess of Iñaki Perurena, a harrijasotzaile (stone-lifter) from Leitza, in Navarre, the first on record to lift stone over 300kg (660lb).
There are usually two stone-lifters competing in each event, taking turns in one or several attempts, to perform the greatest possible number of lifts. A lift is considered complete when the stone has been properly balanced on the shoulder.
The four types of stone most frequently used are rectangular, cylindrical, spherical and square and were established at the beginning of the 20th century. The stones are traditionally made of granite, their weight normally ranging from 100 to 212kg (220 to 467lb).
Together with aizkolaritza (wood chopping), stone lifting is another example a widely performed rural sport at local festivities all over the Basque Country.
Harri zulaketa (hole drilling)
Harri zulaketa competition
The hole drilling competition involves having to grind holes into a rock. Teams of three compete against each other. They take turns in using a long metal pole (called laztabin) to punch and drill a hole into a large rock upon which they are standing, pouring water onto the working area while the third person gets to rest.
This tradition goes back to the quarrying activities around the Basque Country, in particular in Biscay. In Spanish it is called barrenadores "drillers" and occasionally barrenatzaileak (drillers, from the Spanish word) in Basque as well.
Ingude altxatzea (anvil lifting)
Bittor Zabala in an anvil lifting competition in Eibar in 1928
The lifting of anvils requires competitors to lift an iron anvil or ingude weighing 18kg (40lb), 30cm (12in) above the height of their own head, as many times as possible in a set time period. The anvil has the shape of an obtuse triangle with a stump at one point or an elongated T and is traditionally used in shoeing horses. Champions manage some 80 lifts in 2 minutes.
In Spanish this is called alzamiento de yunque and in Frenchlever d'enclume.
Lasto altxatzea (bale lifting)
Hay-bale lifting
Literally hay bale lifting, this sport involves raising a hay-bale with the aid of a pulley.
The competition is usually about lifting the bale as often as possible within a given period of time, most commonly 2 minutes. The bale weighs 45kg (99lb) in the men's competitions and 30kg (66lb) in the women's competition.
The most difficult part is to get the bale to the required height for the first time. Once that has been achieved, the competitors allow the bale to drop in free fall, grabbing the rope and jumping up at the appropriate moment to use their own body weight to lift the bale again when coming down. A lot of skill is needed to avoid rope burn. The visual appearance is not dissimilar to swinging on a church bell rope.
In Spanish this is called levantamiento de fardo and in Frenchlever de paille.
Hay bale tossing is related to lasto altxatzea. Here the hay-bales have to be thrown over a bar set a certain height with the help of a pitchfork. For men the height is normally 7m (23ft) and for women 5m (16ft), the bale has to hit a bell for the toss to be valid.
This sport is very similar to the Scottish sheaf toss. In Spanish this is called lanzamiento de fardo.
Lokotx biltzea (cob gathering)
In cob gathering competitions, also called buskail biltzea, cobs are placed at 1.25m (4ft 1in) distances in a line, 25 in a line at the most. The game can be played to 50, 75, or 100 cobs in which case they are placed in sets of 2, 3, or 4. The competitors have to collect these in order (the nearest first) and place them into a basket at one end of the row of cobs.
It is called recogida de mazorcas in Spanish and course des épis de maïs in French.
Ontzi eramatea (churn carrying)
The churn carrying competition usually involves milk-cans and is very similar to the txinga eramatea competition. Competitors have to carry a 41kg (90lb)milk-churn in each hand as far as possible. This game is also called esneketariak "milk carrying" or ontziketariak "can carrying".
Orga jokoa (cart game)
Orga joko
The "oxcart game" is a display of strength. Contestants have to lift the back of an ox cart weighing 360kg (790lb), 40cm (16in) above the ground. The cart is pivoted to the ground at the front end and competitors must rotate it, trying to go around as many times as possible.
It is also called andartza in Basque. In Spanish this is called levantamiento de carro and in Frenchlever de charette.
Sega jokoa (scything)
Literally "scythe game", this sport is also known as segalariak (scythers), sega proba (scythe test), sega apustua (scythe bet) or segalaritza (scything). The earliest record of this sport comes from a bertso dating back to 1880 about a competition in Iturriotz.
In this sport competitors (called segalari) either compete to cut the most grass in a given period of time (usually one hour) or they are each given plots of grass of the same size and the competition is to see who can scythe theirs the fastest. Today the competition usually lasts one hour but two-hour competitions also are still held. At the end, the grass is raked, weighed and baled to establish the winner. Traditionally, as with most Basque sports, the competitors would make a profit by betting but monetary prizes have been put up since the 1950s.
There are few actual records in this sport as it very much depends on the terrain and is thus difficult to compare. But a number of segalari have achieved fame nonetheless, for example the legendary Pedro Maria Otaño Ezeitza, commonly known as Santa Ageda from Beizama who was also an aizkolari and competed up until 1915. Another famed event was the competition of 1925 in Iturriotz when, before a crowd of 6,000, Pedro Mendizabal from Aia and Jose Arrieta from Urnieta battled each other. Legend has it that more than 150,000 pesetas in bets were placed. Mendizabal won, cutting 4,294kg (9,467lb) of grass in two hours against his rival's 3,957kg (8,724lb).
The use of scythes is still widespread today as many pastures are too steep for modern farm machinery so scythes are used to cut grass or bracken. Working scythes have blades between 0.9 and 0.95m (2ft 11in and 3ft 1in) in length, but competition scythes range from 1.18 to 1.24m (3ft 10in to 4ft 1in) in length. A decent segalari can manage some 5,000m2 (54,000sqft)2 in a day.
Tug-of-war is also traditional in the Basque Country. Usually two teams of eight compete, trying to drag the other team over a line by pulling on the rope.
There are free competitions in which the weight of the competitors is ignored and more structured events where there are weight categories of 525kg (1,157lb), 560kg (1,230lb), 640kg (1,410lb), and 720kg (1,590lb) per team. Juvenile teams are always under 560kg (1,230lb). Three lines are marked on the ground, a middle line and parallel to that at 2m (6ft 7in) distance two more. The maximum length of the rope is 32m (105ft) with a circumference between 10 and 12.5cm (3.9 and 4.9in). There are 5 markers on the rope, a red marker in the middle, 2m (6ft 7in) away from the red marker on either side are white markers and 5m (16ft) on either side of those are blue markers. The aim is for a team to get the opposing team's blue marker over the team's own 2m (6ft 7in) line. Hands must always be on the rope and it may not be supported with any other part of the body or allowed to slacken. Only the last member of the team is allowed to wind the rope around their body.
In Spanish this is called sogatira and in Frenchtir à la corde.
Trontza (sawing)
Sawing competitions, also called trontzalaritza or arpana, are seen as a variation of aizkolaritza and involve sawing through pieces of wood. The log is either fixed horizontally on sawhorses at a height of 40cm (16in) or at an angle with one end over the sawhorse and two members of the sawing team sitting on the lower end to stabilise the log, with two other handling the saw. The saw is usually 2m (6ft 7in) long, the logs vary but can be over 1m (3ft 3in) in circumference and usually between 10 and 20 in number.
In Spanish this is called corte de troncos con tronza or just tronza and in Frenchscieur de bois.
Txinga eramatea (weight carrying)
In the weight carrying competition weights have to be carried in both hands as far as possible. There usually is no time limit but the weights weigh between 50 and 100kg (110 and 220lb) each and may not be put down or supported by any other part of the body. Competitors may hold them only by the rope handles and are not allowed to put their hands through the handles. It is possible for competitors to bring their own, favourite weights, but they are checked by judges beforehand. The aim is to complete as many plaza of 28m (92ft) as possible. Competitors each set their own pace and may stop (without putting the weights down). Champions typically manage 400 to 500m (1,300 to 1,600ft). It is similar to the churn carrying competition.
The word eramatea variously shows up in dialect forms such as erutea or eroatea. In Spanish this is called prueba de txingas or carreras marmitas.
Zaku eramatea (sack carrying)
The sack carrying, also called zaku lasterketa (sack race) requires participants to have both speed and stamina. It usually takes the form of a relay race in teams of 3 where the runners have to carry heavy sacks across their shoulders. Depending on the area, the sacks contain a variety of things from bread to beans and usually weigh 60kg (130lb), 75kg (165lb), or 80kg (180lb).
In Spanish this is called carreras de contrabandistas ("smugglers' runs") or carrera con saco and in Frenchcourse de sac.
Other rural sports
The above categories included in the H18K group aside, there are a number of other rural and traditional Basque sports, some of which are extremely popular both in and outside the Basque Country. Some are indigenous, some also occur in areas adjacent to the Basque country or other cultures around the world.
Ahari topeka (ram fighting)
Basque ram-fighting in the square of Eibar in 1937
Ram fights, also variously called ahari apustuak (ram bets) and ahari talka (ram bump) are very popular around the Urola basin in towns like Azpeitia (between October and June) and Arroa. They test the strength and endurance of the rams, using their natural inclination to fight other rams.
The rams are trained and fed on a variety of secret diets involving things like beans, apples, red wine, carrots or egg yolk.[1] A basic fight goes over at least 8 ekintaldi (attacks), also called kintze (from Spanishquince "15"), with the best of 8 winning. To score a point, a ram has to land a square hit on his opponent's head or horns. If the ram runs away at the start, the owner is allowed to bring him back into the ring once. There are records of bets over 100 attacks, but these are rare now.
Although the strongest rams are said to come from the Aralar Mendilerroa mountain range between Gipuzkoa and Navarre, they are also said to be too placid so the preference is for rams from the region around Urbasa, Andia, and Gorbeia.
There are two variations of this game depending on whether it is played at a seaside town or inland. In a seaside town, a long rope is suspended between a pole on the quay and the mast of a boat. A dead goose (previously live geese were used too) is suspended head down in the middle of the rope. Teams now have to row out and a designated person must jump up, grab the goose, hang on to it and try to remove the head before falling off. At the same time, sailors at both ends of the rope try their best to shake the person clinging to the goose off. The team that collects the most heads wins. Inland, the rope is suspended over the ground and the same goal must be achieved from horseback.
The most famous of these is held in Lekeitio on Antzar Eguna (goose day), held between 1 and 8 September, which goes back at least to the year 1877, when it was played only by sailors. It has also been celebrated on other days in other villages, sometimes (for example in Gernika) using chicken instead of geese.
In Spanish this is called juego de gansos and in French as jeu d'oie.
Ardi ile moztea (sheep shearing)
Sheep shearing also features in Basque rural sports and works along similar lines as other sheep shearing contests. Ardi ile moztea translates as "the shearing of sheep's wool" and it is also known as ardi moztea "sheep shearing".
Basques have also their own variants of dirt-track and lawn bowls.[3] There is a large number of variations of the game but most are similar to skittles and centre around a set of pins that must be knocked down with a ball.
Espadrila jaurtiketa (espadrilles tossing)
A game of throwing espadrilles, a kind of shoe with a straw sole.
In Spanish this is called lanzamiento de alpargata and in French as lancer d'espadrille.
This sport hails back to the days when fishermen had to reach fishing grounds quickly and return to port as quickly as possible to achieve the best price.
The crew is made up of thirteen oarsmen and the cox, who faces them at the stern. The boats are called traineru (trainera in Spanish), and are derived from 19th century fishing boats.
The most important competition in the Bay of Biscay in summer takes place the first two Sundays in September: the Kontxako Bandera, where the best teams compete against each other, following a tradition which is over a hundred years old. There is a regatta in almost every seaside town between July and October.
Goitibeherak (soapbox cars)
In the Basque Country the tradition of building soapbox cars goes back at least to the early 20th century. The name is a contraction of goitik-behera which means "from the top to the bottom". Unlike most European soapbox cars, the goitibeherak are three-wheelers and the early versions simply consisted of a triangular frame on three wheels or even scavenged ball bearings with a plank to sit upon, which children would race down the slopes found in many Basque towns.
The earliest documented races date back to the mid-1970s, when races were held during local festivals. The first Basque national competition was held in 1976, and they are common events all over the Basque Country today. One of the biggest events, the Goitibehera Munduko Txapelketa (World Goitibehera Championship) was first held in 1985 in Pamplona during the San Fermínes and has been held at irregular intervals since, the last time on 28 June 2008 when the IX World Championship was held.
The normal soapbox races are called carreras de carrilanas in Spanish, but this version is called goitiberas even in Spanish. They occur in the Basque Country and Uruguay to where they were exported by Basque emigrants.
Igel jokoa (frog game)
The frog game
The frog game is a pub game played both in the Basque Country and outside. In the Basque Country, it is commonly played in Basque sagardotegiak (cider houses) and taverns. The aim of the game is to score as many points as possible by throwing ten metal discs at a chest.
The chest can be placed at a range of distances away from the players, usually 8–15 paces. On top of the chest, there is an iron frog with an open mouth, a mill, and a bridge. Underneath are more empty compartments. In most variants, a player who manages to hit the frog's mouth is awarded 50 points; 25 points are awarded for getting the disc under the mill, 10 for the bridge, and 5 for any of the compartments below. Other scoring systems also exist.
Some frog chests have obstacles built into the frog, mill, and bridge to make the game more difficult. Discs that have hit any mark are collected at the back of the chest via a set of metal tubes.
Also a popular sport in the Basque country. There are broadly speaking two categories:
races held in bullrings where a circle with a 15m (49ft)radius. Competitors try to complete a set number of laps as fast as possible.
cross country races, usually of more than 10km (6.2mi).
A highly popular race, the Korrika, is held once a year in aid of Basque schools and crosses all parts of the Basque Country. The goal is not competition, but the raising of funds and awareness.
A variant of the korrika are the ibiltariak (walkers), a fast walking race that was particularly popular in Navarre in the 19th and 20th century with the walkers wearing the abarketa, a traditional Basque leather shoe, and a hazel stick.
The traditional forms of running korrika have been largely supplanted by modern forms of running and racing.
Kukaina (yard climbing)
Greasing the Cockaigne pole for the Tomatina in Buñol, Valencia.
This variant of the Neapolitangreasy pole game is usually played on a yard that is suspended horizontally over water. A piece of cloth is attached to the far end of the yard and competitors have to try to reach it and retrieve it. A variant uses a greased vertical pole. It can also be spelled kukaña, a word which derives from the Spanish word cucaña (Cockaigne) and in Frenchmonter du mât.
This is a competition involving the laia, a farming implement that resembles a two-pronged heavy pitchfork with an off-centre handle, either with a long or short handle. Traditionally four or five members of either gender of a baserri family are picked to compete as a team, the task being to turn over a plot of land as quickly as possible.
A variation of this is laia lasterketa, a laia race where the competitors stand on a pair of laiak and race, not dissimilar to a race on stilts.
The laia was a very widespread instrument used to loosen soil. With the advent of modern farming machinery, its use is now restricted to area machines cannot reach, for example on high slopes, and kitchen gardens.
In Spanish this is called layadores or layar, in French as bêcher.
Makil tira (stick pulling)
In this game, two players sit on the ground with their feet touching, separated by a plank. Both players also hold onto a makila, and the aim is to lift one's opponent to their feet.
In Spanish this is called Tiro del palo, in French as tir au bâton.
Oilar jokoa (chicken game)
This term in Basque covers two sorts of chicken games:
a game where a chicken is buried to the neck and blindfolded. Competitors, themselves blindfolded too, have to locate the chicken guided by the music of a txistulari or drummer. In the old days the goal was to remove the head from the chicken once it was located but when played today, it is sufficient to touch the head. The most famous oilar jokoa is held in Legazpi in June today but the game used to be more widespread.
Palanka jaurtiketa (metal bar throwing)
The throwing of a metal bar was once one of the most popular and widespread of Basque sports. Its popularity waned during the 19th century. Having died out in most areas, it survived the longest in parts of Gipuzkoa until its ultimate demise in the 20th century.
The palankari (thrower) throws a palanka, a traditional mining tool weighing between 8 and 25kg (18 and 55lb) as far as possible. Various throwing techniques were employed, most involving the palankari twisting around before launching the palanka. Some techniques by name are:
bueltaerdiz "with half a turn"
bularretik "from the chest"
hankartetik "from between the legs"
The origins of this sport are in the mining industry where the palanka was traditionally used to prepare the holes into which explosives were then placed from the 15th century onwards. As a pastime, the miners would see who could throw the heavy tool the furthest in their breaks.
Curiously, the Spanish athlete Miguel de la Quadra-Salcedo used a javelin throwing technique based on the Basque techniques of throwing the palanka at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. Initially breaking the world record in javelin throwing, his record was later annulled when the IAAF amended its rules to exclude techniques that at any point in time involve the athlete or the javelin face or point towards the audience.
In Spanish this is called lanzamiento de barra or barra vasca and in Frenchlancement de bar de mine.
Pegarra lasterketa (pitcher race)
Basques carrying pegarras in the 18th century.
This sport involves a pitcher variously called eu:pegarra, bera, es:pedarra and kantarue in Basque. It is a traditional ceramic pitcher that resembles a fat teapot, with a diameter at the base of around 20cm (7.9in), a lid on the top with about 10cm (3.9in) diameter, and about 30cm (12in) tall and a fairly large spout. It can either be glazed or unglazed, with one or three handles (if it was designed to be hung) that was traditionally used to carry water.
It is carried on a head cushion called burutea and the aim of a race is to get to the finish line without dropping the pegarra. It is difficult to ascertain how old the sport is but one of the earliest records of the pegarra being used to carry water on the head dates back to a Dutch book from 1603 called Theatrum Orbis Terrarum by Abraham Ortelius which has an illustration of a Basque woman carrying a pegarra.[citation needed]
In Spanish this is called carrera de pedarras and in Frenchcourse de pedarras.
But the main innovation of Basque pilota is that players share a common playground and throw the ball to a wall, making it an indirect game, while the other games in this family are generally direct games where the players face each other in two separate fields separated by a net or line on the ground. The Basques began playing pelota indirectly during the middle of the 19th century. For the different variations of Basque pelota, see the main article on Basque pelota.
While most of the best world players are Basque (in either the Spanish or the French federations), it is by no means limited to the Basque Country and is also played in Castile, Rioja and places where Basques have emigrated to such as Mexico, (home of frontenis), the United States, and the Philippines.
As such it has been an Olympic exhibition sport in Paris, Mexico, and Barcelona.
It is called pelota vasca in Spanish and pelote basque in French.
Pulsolariak (arm wrestling)
Basque arm wrestling follows broadly the same rules as anywhere else.
A form of bull-leaping called errekorteak in Basque and recortes in Spanish, is practiced in parts of the Basque Country, especially Navarre.
Soka-muturra (bull-herding)
A calf with covered horn tips runs among youths in the Pamplona bull ring.
The name of this sport literally translates as "snout rope" (soka "rope" and mutur "snout"). It is vaquillas ("calves") in Spanish. It derives from a tradition where cattle destined for slaughter were led through the town on long ropes regularly on a particular day of the week (which varies from town to town). Occasionally a bull would break free on run wild, an event called karrera egitea (to make a run), while the crowds made sport of the bulls. From the 14th century onwards bulls were increasingly let loose on purpose, ultimately leading to the tradition of running the bulls. It's also known as soka-mutilen jokoa, the game of the rope boys.
Sometimes this would happen at night, with lights attached to the bulls, the most likely forerunner of the zezen-suzko or "fire bull".[4] In the zezen-suzko, a contraption of fireworks is strapped to a bull and lit at night.
Today this is sometimes also practised in bullrings, either temporary or permanent, using calves rather. If fully grown bulls are used it is as a prelude for a bullfight, which is a regular feature of the Running of the Bulls in Iruñea/Pamplona.
This is game involves throwing small objects like pebbles, balls or coins across a distance, trying to hit the target, a vertical metal pole.
It is called juego de la raya in Spanish and jeu de la raie in French.
Txakur probak (sheepdog trials)
Sheepdog trials are another lively example of the Basque traditional pastoral lifestyle. They're also called artzain txakurren trebetasun lehiaketak or "shepherd dogs skill competitions".
Sheepdog trials in the Basque Country are very similar to those held in other countries and involves a sheepdog having to herd a flock of ewes into a fold. Traditionally the euskal artzain txakurra or Basque shepherd dog is kept but border collies are also increasingly popular. Identifying the best dogs for breeding is an important part to these competitions. A major Basque sheepdog trial event is held in Oñati in September.
In Spanish this is called concursos de perro pastor and in Frenchconcours de chien de berger.
Bocce, sometimes anglicized as bocce ball, bocci, or boccie, is a ball sport belonging to the boules family. Developed into its present form in Italy, it is closely related to British bowls and French pétanque, with a common ancestry from ancient games played in the Roman Empire. Bocce is played around Western, Southern, and Southeastern Europe, as well as in overseas areas with historical Italian immigrant population, including Australia, North America, and South America, principally Argentina and the southern Brazilian states of Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina. Initially it was only played by the Italian immigrants, the game has slowly become more popular among their descendants and more people around the world.
Tug of war is a sport that pits two teams against each other in a test of strength: teams pull on opposite ends of a rope, with the goal being to bring the rope a certain distance in one direction against the force of the opposing team's pull.
Weightlifting is a sport in which athletes compete in lifting a barbell loaded with weight plates from the ground to overhead, with the aim of successfully lifting the heaviest weights. Athletes compete in two specific ways of lifting the barbell overhead. The snatch is a wide-grip lift, in which the weighted barbell is lifted overhead in one motion. The clean and jerk is a combination lift, in which the weight is first taken from the ground to the front of the shoulders, and then from the shoulders to over the head. The sport formerly included a third lift/event known as clean and press.
A baler or hay baler is a piece of farm machinery used to compress a cut and raked crop into compact bales that are easy to handle, transport, and store. Often, bales are configured to dry and preserve some intrinsic value of the plants bundled. Different types of balers are commonly used, each producing a different type of bale – rectangular or cylindrical, of various sizes, bound with twine, strapping, netting, or wire.
Basque pelota is the name for a variety of court sports played with a ball using one's hand, a racket, a wooden bat or a basket, against a wall or, more traditionally, with two teams face to face separated by a line on the ground or a net. The roots of this class of games can be traced to the Greek and other ancient cultures.
The World's Strongest Man is an international strongman competition held every year. Organized by American event management company IMG, a subsidiary of Endeavor, it is broadcast in the US during summers and in the UK around the end of December each year. Competitors qualify based on placing in the top three at the four to eight Giants Live events each year. The current event sponsor is SBD Apparel. Previous sponsors include Tachi Palace, Coregenx, Commerce Hotel and Casino, DAF Trucks, Tonka, MET-Rx, and PartyPoker.com.
Strength athletics, also known as Strongman competitions, is a sport which tests competitors' strength in a variety of non-traditional ways. Some of the disciplines are similar to those in powerlifting and some powerlifters have also successfully competed in strongman competitions. However, strongman events also test physical endurance to a degree not found in powerlifting or other strength-based sports, such as carrying refrigerators, flipping truck tires, and pulling vehicles with a rope.
The sheaf toss is a traditional Scottish agricultural sport event originally contested at country fairs. A pitchfork is used to hurl a hessian bag stuffed with straw over a horizontal bar above the competitor's head. Typical weight for the bag is 16 pounds. Three chances are given to each competitor to cleanly go over the bar. After all challengers have made their attempts, the bar is raised and all successful competitors move on to the new height. This continues until all but one athlete is eliminated.
Lifting stones are heavy natural stones which people are challenged to lift, proving their strength. They are common throughout Northern Europe, particularly Iceland, Ireland, Scotland, Basque Country, Faroe Islands, Wales, North West England centred around Cumbria, Switzerland, Germany and also in the United States and parts of Asia such as Japan.
The Basque Shepherd Dog, Basque: Euskal Artzain Txakurra, Spanish: Perro de Pastor Vasco, is a traditional Spanish breed of sheepdog originating in the historic Basque Country. It is believed that they originated from Central European herding dogs.
Valencian pilota is a traditional handball sport played in the Valencian Community. Its origins are not known.
The course landaise is an ancient form of bullfighting and bull-leaping held in oval or rectangular arenas covered in sand, that involves no bloodshed. Experienced cows, with large horns, aged generally from 2 to 14 years old, are used instead of bulls. They are athletic but small animals selected from the same breed as the bulls used for the Spanish corridas. In Gascony, it is a major spectator sport, counting as many as 600 events each year.
Aizkolaritza is the Basque name for a type of wood-chopping competition. They are a popular form of herri kirol in the Basque Country. Competitions are commonly held at most festivals, especially town festivals and usually involve at least two individuals or teams competing against each other.
A trainera is a traditional boat of the Cantabrian sea coast at the southern end of the Bay of Biscay, propelled by oars, and formerly sailing. It is a boat of fine lines with raised prow and rounded stern, to resist the waves of the Cantabrian sea. Traineras were originally used by fishermen to bring in the day’s catch of anchovies and sardines from sea to market, usually competing to sell their caught fish before others came in. Today, this historical tradition has become a major sport of coastal boat racing.
Harri-jasotzeBasque pronunciation:[ˌharijaˈs̺ots̻e] refers to a popular rural sport in the Basque Country in which stones of various shapes and sizes must be lifted off the ground and onto the shoulder.
The idi probak are the most popular form of Basque dragging games. It involves oxen, usually a pair, dragging a rock from one side of a square to another. In Spanish this sport is called arrastre de piedra or prueba de bueyes and concours de bœufs in French.
Basque bowls, is one of the few Basque rural sports which do not originate in an activity related to rural or marine work. It has a number of other names too and is played in a bolatoki or bolaleku "bowls place" which often consists of a playing area in the open, an open sided structure with a low roof or a playing area located inside a colonnaded hallway.
Modern competitive archery involves shooting arrows at a target for accuracy and precision from a set distance or distances. This is the most popular form of competitive archery worldwide and is called target archery. A form particularly popular in Europe, North America, and South America is field archery, shot at targets generally set at various distances in a wooded setting. There are also several other lesser-known and historical forms, as well as archery novelty games.
Chikaraishi (also hakari-ishi or bijuru are heavy rocks used at least since the 8th century CE in Japan to develop or demonstrate physical strength. Commonly found within Shinto shrines, they were used for competition, divination, physical fitness and entertainment; some famous examples have also become tourist attractions, and many have been recognised as Important Cultural Assets by the Japanese Government.
Sport diving is an underwater sport that uses recreational open circuit scuba diving equipment and consists of a set of individual and team events conducted in a swimming pool that test the competitors' competency in recreational scuba diving techniques. The sport was developed in Spain during the late 1990s and is currently played mainly in Europe. It is known as Plongée Sportive en Piscine in French and as Buceo De Competición in Spanish.
↑ Bola jokoa/El juego de bolos, exhibition brochure compiled by Juan José Zorrilla for the Culture Section of the Foral Government of Biscay, Bilbao, 2006, ISBN84-88916-96-5.
↑ Mugika, G. Tradiciones y Costumbres, Congreso de Estudios Vascos 1919
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