This weekend we attended the Schwing (wrestling) and Alper Fest in a nearby town called Aarau. The festival features Swiss wrestling, but also has events for stone throwing and baseball. The wrestling is very interesting – a cross between Sumo wrestling and your regular collegiate wrestling. The match takes place in a circle about 30 feet wide filled with saw dust. Competitors wear special shorts that make it easier to pick up the other guy and throw him to the ground. The objective is to pin the opponent’s shoulders to the ground, which each competitor is hoping to accomplish with a lucky throw at the very start of the match.
Tradition requires that the winner brush the saw dust off the loser’s back. There are no weight classes so the bigger guys tend to outperform the smaller guys. But then again the smallest guy out there was probably 250lbs, so there really are not any small guys. JP made the local news by Swiss wrestling one of his pint sized neighbors in a staged photo for a reporter. We also saw some of the stone throwing, which was also very interesting. There were 20kg, 40kg, and 80kg stone categories (the weight in lbs is approximately double), with a different throwing style for each category. For example, the 20kg category requires running with the stone for about 20 feet before throwing it (with one hand) while the 40kg category requires standing in place and throwing it, also with one hand. The 80kg category is really incredible. These guys pick up the stone above their heads and run with it for about 10 feet before they toss it. It is really a feat of balance and strength. Here is a link to the official website to learn more: http://de.aarau2007.ch/HOME/tabid/499/Default.aspx
JP and Mea wrestling (photo from swiss-image.ch
Throwing the stone
the winner brush the saw dust off the loser’s back
The Real KING of wrestling!We also went swimming at the lake were Jim practiced some jumps.
