SIDEBAR

Schwing festival

0 comments
Jul 12 2007

Schwingen is a Swiss variant of wrestling, and a Swiss national sport.

The fight takes place on the ring, a circular area with a diameter of 12 meters that is covered with sawdust. The two opponents wear short pants made of jute over their clothes. Holding each other at these pants the fighters try to throw each other onto their backs. A fight is won when the winner holds the opponent’s pants with at least one hand and both the opponent’s shoulders touch the ground. By tradition the winner brushes the saw dust off the loser’s back after the fight.

Judged by three referees, one of which stands in the ring, they give points, with a maximum of ten points for a winning throw. If the fight ends without a clear win, the more active fighter is awarded the higher number of points. Every Schwinger fights six opponents and the two Schwinger with the highest number of points after five fights get to the last round.

Successful Schwingers don’t receive cash prizes but natural prizes, like cow bells, furniture or live stock.

 

Submit a Comment

16 − 16 =

Share

About this blog

The vast majority of posts in this blog are about quirky & eccentric competitions & festivals. I started it in 2006 in France with a competition I’ll never forget. Where contestants battle it out to become the World Champion Pig Squeeler, or ‘Cri du Cochon’. I had little knowledge back then of quite how far my pursuit of these kind of events would lead me. I’ve travelled all over Britain (and occasionally further afield) to capture our curiosities and quirks. There’s nothing uniquely eccentric about the British, you’ll find people all over the world up to all sorts of weird and wonderful activities, but we do have a remarkable capacity to embrace the madness. ‘A Brit Different’ is the book that was born from it, my labour of love! So what next? There’s always something interesting going on, so watch this space, only time will tell!

Categories