Basque Traditional Sports

[Ferran]

Basque Traditional Sports

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In the Basque Country there are more people who practice some kind of sport, and more sports facilities than in the rest of Spain. All of this has made for a generally healthy breeding ground, which in turn has given rise to some excellent Basque athletes.
However, the different governmental agencies within the Basque Autonomous Community still feel that the efforts made so far by all of the social forces involved in promoting sport still have a long road ahead in order to catch up with the level enjoyed in other countries. The Basque Government, aware of this need, enacted Law 14/98 in view of regulating and fomenting sport at all levels.

The promotion of sport in the Basque Country is regulated so that the Basque Government has authority as regards professional and high-level sport, whilst the Provincial Governments and Town Councils have control over community and school sports, the foundation upon which elite-level sport is built.

No reference to Basque sport is complete without mentioning our indigenous sports, known as "HERRI KIROLA". These activities are the direct result of the Basque people's desire to compete with each other and prove their work skills and physical prowess as well as their way of life.



Source: http://www1.euskadi.net/kultura/deportes/deporte_i.htm

[Ferran]

Basque handball, or pelota, has been played in the Basque Country for eons. Without a doubt, the regulations and variations have undergone changes over the centuries, generally for the sake of spectacularity. Cestas (wicker baskets) were adapted to the more active pace demanded by audiences, courts were modified and frontons covered. What was originally a rural game, evolved into a spectacular event which drew crowds anxious to place wagers. Entrepreneurs built frontons in heavily populated areas to ensure attendance by a certain clientele as well as the future of their business. This transformation came about in the final thirty years of the 19th century.
At about the same time, pelota was spread worldwide. Emigration to America gave rise to significant Basque communities in the principal cities of the New World. Highly devoted to maintaining customs and beliefs, the Basque people did whatever they could to keep their traditions alive. Therefore, they erected frontons in which to play the age-old game of pelota.
Later, in the 20th century, other versions of Basque pelota were adopted. These, however, tended to forfeit some of the game's original qualities - especially the typical vigour of Basque games - while at the same time making them more accessible to a greater number of players.
As was mentioned earlier, a number of different variations of pelota have evolved. Below is a summarised list.



Direct games (juegos directos or jeux directs): games in which the players face each other separated by a net or a line over which the ball must pass. The only type of direct game played today, and rather seldom at that, is known as rebote.

Indirect games (juegos indirectos or jeux indirects): games in which the ball is hit off a wall. This second group has many variations, depending on the type of court or gear used.

• - The one-walled pelota courts, known respectively in Spanish, French and Basque as plaza libre, place libre or plaza agirikoa, were built up until around 1875. Some of these can still be seen in the French Basque Country.
  
  - Two-walled frontons, with the lateral wall always on the left, and the three-walled frontons, with the third wall at the back. There is also a small, covered court called a trinquet, which has a right-hand wall as well. Each of the frontons is a different size, as described below:
  
  
  
  • Short fronton: measuring up to 30 or 35m long. For playing bare hand, sare or paleta, all of which call for lightweight hurling tools and a less lively ball.
    
    
    
  • Mid-sized fronton: measuring up to 45m long. For games played with paletas and a leather ball, or a more powerful hurling tool and a medium lively ball.
    
    
    
  • Long fronton: measuring up to 60m long. This is the court used for playing cesta punta, remonte and pala with a very lively ball.
    
    
    - The hurling methods and tools are as follows:
    
    
    
  • Bare-hand: Played in a one-walled or two-walled fronton.
    
    
    
  • Bats: There are different kinds of bats, or palas. Long and short bats are generally used in mid-sized or short courts with leather balls; wider bats and the so-called 'Argentinean bat' are used in short frontons and trinquets.
    
    
    
  • Leather glove: Both short and long gloves can be used in all types of courts. Nowadays they are seldom used, usually only in direct games such as rebote.
    
    
  • Chistera: In the past this special curved glove, known as the joko-garbi in Basque, was used in frontons with a higher left-hand wall. Today they are used in one-walled courts. Other variations, played in two-walled courts are cesta-punta and remonte.
    
    
    
  • Sare: This is played with a racquet generally in a trinquet, although it can also be played in a short court.
    
    
    

BARE-HANDED PELOTA

Bare-handed, or pelota a mano, is the most popular variation of pelota among the Basque people.
This version is particularly difficult, as ball weighing over 100 grams is hurled with the open bare hand.
It is a fairly recent version, the rules laid down only in the last part of the 19th century. However, in relatively little time it has become the quintessential variety of pelota.
In the period from 1910-1920 the most famous players were Urcelay, Chiquito de Azkoitia, Errezabal and Gárate.
Champions over the years, in chronological order, have been Mondragonés, Atano III, Miguel Gallastegui, Barberito, Soroa, the Arriaran brothers, Ogueta, Atano X, Azkarate and the Reteguis.
Lately bare-handed pelota has become extremely popular. New frontons have been built, new pelotaris (pelota players) are making a name for themselves and a number of companies now vie for sponsoring large-scale events which draw a great number of fans. The best-known names in bare-handed pelota today include Eugi, Unanue, Zezeaga, Titín III, Elkoro, Capellán, the Goñis, the Galarzas, Alustiza and Nagore.



Rebote

This is the "king" of pelota.
In rebote the ball isn't thrown directly against the front wall but rather goes from one designated area to another.
Rebote is played in a level, rectangular 70 by 100-metre court. The playing area is divided into designated zones, each of which has a different role in the game.
Team is made up of five players, each with different sized wicker gloves.
Scoring is not unlike the system used in tennis, with a forty-point limit and fifteen-point partial scores.
Rebote, unfortunately, is falling into disuse. Only a few teams from equally as few towns in Gipuzkoa and Iparralde exist today.



PALA

In the beginning of what could be called the modern era of pala, the early nineteenth-century contests between the Eraso brothers and Goikoetxea and "Chiquito de Abando" are worth highlighting. These men were the first to play pala in the Euskalduna fronton in Bilbao.
In Donostia-San Sebastián this variety was first played in 1922 in the Urumea fronton.
The pala, or bat, is made of beech wood and is 52 cm long, 10.5 cm in circumference and has a maximum thickness of 5.5 cm.
Playing with this kind of bat involves several difficulties. The game requires a large court, a very tough ball, and great strength and skill on the part of the player. For these very reasons easier variations- using the short bat and paleta as hurling tools -are more commonly practised today.



CESTA

When using either the hand or the bat as a hurling tools the ball has to be hit with tremendous power. However, in cesta the ball is scooped up in a curved wicker basket, where it is caught momentarily before being hurled towards the front wall.
Originally the game was played with a glove which was used to protect the hand. The glove developed into a catching and throwing device, which led to the cesta. Initially, it was short and wide. Years of experience proved that the longer the cesta, the faster the ball could be hurled. Therefore the cesta became longer and more streamlined, giving rise to the two classical variations known as remonte and cesta punta.
Remonte, a very graceful game, witnessed its golden age with Irigoyen, and later with Jesús Abrego, making his debut in 1924. This game is played in two frontons: Euskal Jai in Pamplona and Galarreta in Hernani.
Cesta punta, the more spectacular of the two, is played in frontons the world over. In the Basque Country, however, this game is only played in Biscay, in addition to the summer championship games held in Iparralde.

[Ferran]

Since time immemorial seafarers and fishermen have had to rely on the strength of their arms and the power of the wind to make their way to the fishing-grounds. And this activity gave rise to fishing boat competitions, an exciting series of events now known as trainera regattas. The crew is made up of thirteen oarsmen and the skipper, or coxswain, who sees to it that the vessel maintains its course.


FISHING TRAINERAS

Boats generally belonged to the skipper, as did the oars, nets and any other types of fishing gear required for the job. He would recruit the crew by way of a verbal contract, which could be terminated by either of the two parties at any time. Compensation was based on an equal share of the catch rather than on a fixed salary. The total profits from fish sales would first be counted, and the cost of bait, food and all types of provisions was then taken off the top. Finally 25 per cent was subtracted for the nets and fishing boat and the remainder was divvied up between the crew.


COMPETITION TRAINERAS. ROWING STYLE.

Fishing traineras were used in regattas until 1916. That year, in the town of Mutriku, Vicente Olazabal built a sleek 400-kilogram trainera for the Getaria crew and christened it "Golondrina" (swallow). Around the same time, steam-powered fishing vessels saw to the final demise of oar-driven deep-sea fishing boats. Traineras began to be built for competition purposes only. And since fish no longer had to be transported by brute force, the design of the boats gradually evolved. Both breadth and weight diminished, although the classical twelve-metre length of the fishing traineras remained unchanged. Today the Rowing Federation has established the characteristics of vessels used in official regattas:


a) Maximum length between perpendiculars ............................. 12 m.
b) Minimum beam at midship ....................................................... 1,72 m.
c) Minimum vessel weight excluding oars and accessories ..... 200 Kg.

The evolution of boats and oars has completely changed the method of rowing. Today's sleek traineras have nothing to do with the weighty shallops of the nineteenth-century in terms of rowing. Rows used to be long and boats heavy; therefore rowing involved slow, deep sustained strokes coming from the waist. As boats grew more agile, stroking focused more on the forearms instead of the torso. The rhythm picked up and strokes became shorter. Rowing rhythm varies depending on the conditions of the sea. In turbulent waters short strokes are much less efficient than longer ones and oars are sunk deeper than when rowing in calm waters.


CREWS AND SKIPPERS.

The nineteenth-century regatta crews were made up of the fishermen themselves, although oarsmen from other boats not taking part in competitions would often sit in for some of the older crew members. For very important events a serious selection process took place, with skippers vying for the most robust men in town. In one regatta between Ondarroa and San Sebastián on December 2nd 1890, Carril substituted six of the oarsmen on his fishing crew, or compañya, borrowing the best men from other San Sebastián skippers. Between 1910 and 1920, when steam power saw the definitive demise of rowing as a means of fishing boat traction, trainera crews had to actually train to prepare themselves for official regattas. Rowing out to the fishing grounds, an activity that kept the men in shape continually, was no longer part of the daily routine. Young men with regular working hours could train on their free time; fishermen, however, even those working the coastal waters, had irregular hours, often setting sail before daybreak, with no set working hours or even days, and always dependant on the weather, the tides and the fish. Once 'landlubbers' were gained rowing skills they could be perfectly good oarsmen and little by little the proportion of fishermen in the trainera crews dwindled.


VENUES. FAMOUS CREWS.

The most famous trainera regattas take place the first two Sundays in San Sebastián in La Concha Bay. This event has been celebrated in the same spot every year since the first edition in 1879. Regattas are also held in Bilbao, although somewhat less regularly, usually in the area of the mouth of the River Nervión. Among the best known crews in Gipuzkoa are Orio, Hondarribia, Pasai San Juan, Zumaia, Pasai San Pedro and Donostia; in Biscay, they are Santurtzi, Kaiku, Zierbena, Ondarroa and Urdaibai.

[Ferran]

Woodcutting competitions are the most popular of the so-called rural Basque sports. Other events may be more extravagant or have more adepts but without a doubt the greatest heroes in the history of Basque sport have always been and still are aizkolaris, including such names as "Santa Agueda", "Keixeta", "Arria" and "Luxia". No other rural sport contest has drawn bigger crowds than the epic battles between "Keixeta" and "Igartza", or between "Korta", "Arria" and Astibia, or between "Arria" and Mindeguia.
Woodcutting is the king of Basque indigenous sports, together with the pride of the coast, the trainera regattas.


THE FORESTS

The erstwhile abundance of woodlands in the Basque Country and the hard work of the charcoal burners and woodsmen who found their livelihood there gave rise to the sport of woodcutting.


CHARCOAL BURNERS AND WOODCUTTERS. A BIT OF HISTORY.

Forests were exploited for their wood, the basic raw material needed for building and making charcoal, which was used as a source of fuel to run the furnaces of local foundries.
Trees were felled by the younger and stronger members of the crew, while the older members were in charge of separating the rounds, limbing and preparing the txondorra (wood pile) to be used in making charcoal..
For centuries charcoal was central to the economy and life in the Basque County. Thousands of men lived in the mountains for months on end in makeshift camps making charcoal from beech wood, which would later be used in the foundries to smelt ore and turn it into iron.
The work of the woodcutters was - and still is - carried out by crews contracted as a unit to fell and clear a particular section of the forest. Crews were itinerant, showing up when they were needed and working seasonally, not unlike reapers or grape pickers.
The origin of betting on aizkolaris, or wood-cutters, comes from the daily toil of charcoal burners and wood-cutters. The physical strength of the younger men or the skills of the more experienced men led them to compete at work, placing small wagers on who could fell a tree the fastest.


LOGS IN THE TOWN SQUARE. TYPES OF WOOD.

The material used for competitions is usually green beech wood with no visible knots. This is the type of wood that has always been used. Many years of experience have eliminated any other type of wood, backed by the fact that beech was the most common tree found in the Basque mountains. Beech wood is ideal when it comes to being cut with an axe.
When betting conditions are fixed, one of the factors is the hardness of the wood. Each contestant decides on the material according to the characteristics that best suit his particular strong points or that will make it tougher on his rival.
For competitions and championships wood that is not excessively resistant is usually selected. In general the quality has improved because nowadays competitions are shows which people pay admission to see. Organisers have funds with which to pay for top-grade material. Previously, however, bets were held in the town square and were free of charge. Competition wood was normally taken from the part closest to the tree roots or branches, which was of no use to wood merchants.
For bets, competitions and championships, it is determined in advance how many sections a trunk will be cut in to, the winner being whoever cuts the stipulated number of sections in the least amount of time. This being the general rule, there are a number of variants, each aimed at making the task equally difficult for all contestants and therefore lending more rivalry to the event.
As opposed to Australian or Canadian woodcutting events, the Basque version is more a test of resistance than of speed. Rarely do competitions last less than a half hour and very exceed sixty minutes.
Traditionally, the trunks used are measured in inches of circumference. Measurements range between a minimum of 36 inches (oinbetekoak) and a maximum of 72 inches (oinbikoak), with intermediate sizes of 45 and 54 inches. The latter of the two sizes is the one most common in events involving betting.
In Basque logcutting events tree trunks are traditionally placed in a horizontal position.


THE EVENT

Woodcutting competitions in the Basque Country are more a test of resistance than of speed. Except for exhibitions in local fiestas, they always last over a half hour and often times more than sixty minutes.
The longest and most strenuous competition of all times took place between Mikel Mindegia and Jose Mari Mendizabal on January 23rd 1983 in the Tolosa bullring. Mendizabal won the two-million-peseta bet in four hours and twelve minutes - seventeen minutes less than his rival.
There is a wide range of variations and possible conditions in the competitions. In addition to deciding on the number of sections to be cut, contestants can either work along or with an assistant; one aizkolari can compete against two; a twosome can compete against another twosome, either switching whenever the team members so chose or after each section has been cut. All of these variations are aimed at putting the rival on as equal a footing as possible to make the event more spectacular.


AIZKOLARIS

Throughout the entire 19th century aizkolaris had no name. They were known by names such as "the man from Beizama", "the boys from the Gorrizu house", "the group from Nuarbe", "the lad from the Beunza farmhouse", and so on. Trials were completely ignored by the newspapers of the day.
In the early part of the 20th century the Basque Country underwent a transformation. Industrialisation was stepped up, with the ensuing exodus from rural to urban industrial areas. The people came with their own traditions and hobbies; they spoke of their idols and at the local fiestas wanted to see them compete cutting logs or lifting heavy stones.
The bullrings of Tolosa, Azpeitia, Donostia and Eibar were inaugurated in 1903 and were the stage for a countless number of different dragging, ramfighting and chopping competitions.
This was the period that gave rise to our rural sport idols. The greatest of them all was given the moniker "Santa Agueda". "Santa Agueda" was the star of the most famous aizkolari event in modern times, an event that took place in the Azpeitia bullring on December 27th 1903.
Other famous early 20th century aizkolaris were Jose Martin Goenaga, better known as "Atxumberria", Jose Soraluze, alias "Korta", Jose Aramburu, or "Keixeta", plus "Kotaberri" and "Arria" I.
Following the Spanish Civil War a number of trails and exhibitions were held. The events that drew the largest crowds took place in the Fifties - Garziarena and "Luxia" competed on October 29th 1950, with the latter prevailing; December 7th 1952 saw the return match and a repeated victory for "Luxia"; and on April 26th 1959 Latasa beat "Luxia". Each of these contests, held in the San Sebastián bullring, drew in some 15,000 spectators.
Over the past forty years the most important figures in wood-cutting events, in chronological order, are Berakoetxea, Astibia, Polipaso, Arria II, Mendizabal, Arrospide, Larretxea, Olasagasti and, deserving special note, Mikel Mindegia from Navarre.

[Ferran]

Since time immemorial the numerous rivers and rocky mountains provided the Basques with a rich and easy source of stones as a means of testing their strength.
As is the case in other rural sports, no documentation on stone-lifting has been passed down over the years.
Stone-lifting is very possibly the oldest sport with the shortest written history. There is very little information dating back to before Arteondo's time. Arteondo was a stone-lifter who brought stones to the town square or bullring for exhibition, thus establishing the "classical" weights and sizes. Until his time, contests were unplanned and had no fixed rules.
During the local patron saint festivities, people's blood got going, with the help of a little apple cider, and they would look for an object to test their strength. The most available thing being rocks, people would place bets on who could lift a particularly heavy stone onto their shoulder.


STONES

Well into the 20th century stone-lifting became a public event, bringing about the need to regulate the size and weight of the stones used by athletes. The unevenly shaped pieces of rock that had been used until that time were now smoothed by stonemasons and made into four classical geometric forms: cylinders, cubes, spheres and rectangles.
Cylinder-shaped stones were used for the lightest weights: 8, 9 and 10 arrobas (1 arroba equals about 11.3 kg), the equivalent of 100, 112.5 and 125 kilograms; square and rectangular stones ranged from 10 to 17 arrobas, or 125 kilos and 212.5 kilos respectively, the most common intermediate weights being 137.5, 150, 163.5, 175, 187.5 and 200 kilos. Spherical stones, generally known as bolas, were usually 9 or 10 arrobas.


THE EVENT

Stone-lifting events have virtually always been contests between two athletes. In exhibitions as well as championships, contenders take it in turns rather than both of them lifting their stones simultaneously.
Once the stone has been lifted to shoulder level, it is tossed onto sandbags or tyres that have been previously placed on the ground in front of the athletes. An assistant then puts the stone in the correct position to be lifted anew.
Until "Arteondo's" time, stone-lifting was more of a family event practised around farmhouses or quarries. The public was more interested in other tests of strength involving Olympic-type weights or pieces of lead, which were lifted over the head in one quick impulse. "Arteondo", however, did away with irregular shaped stones, bringing about a new dimension to stone-lifting and establishing classical shapes and weights.
"Arteondo", whose real name was Victor Zabala, enjoyed a long and active life as a stone-lifter - from 1910 and 1945 - his main rival being Pedro María Txurruka, alias "Aritza". Other famous stone-lifters following in their footsteps were "Ziaran Zar", "Ondartza", "Errekartetxo", "Usategieta", "Soarte", the "Agerre" brothers, "Endañeta" and "Urtain".
"Goenatxo" and Mikel Saralegi are stone-lifters who have made a name for themselves in more recent years. But the man who revolutionised the sport, bringing it a whole new dimension, was Iñaki Perurena, unquestionably the athlete par excellence in indigenous Basque rural sport today.
Much the same as with other forms of rural sport, betting on competitions and challenges has given rise to officially organised championships and exhibitions taking place during local fiestas.

[Ferran]

Cutting grass on the steep Basque slopes is a regular and arduous chore for our farmer, as stabled livestock cannot go without its daily share of fodder. Grass must be cut and gathered quickly to keep it from being spoiled by sudden rain showers. This work has given rise to one of the most characteristic Basque sports - sega apustua - grass cutting competitions on which wagers were placed.
The steepness of most of the fields in the Basque Country has greatly hindered the use power mowers. Therefore hand-held scythes are the most common grass-cutting tools used in our pastures.
Normal scythe blades are between 0.90 and 0.95 metres in width, while competition blades range in width from 1.18 to 1.24 metres.
Grass-cutting takes up a large part of the working day for our baserritarras (farmers), since livestock constitutes the true wealth of a typical farmhouse. Cows provide milk and offspring; oxen pull the ploughs needed to work the land; calves provide immediate funds, either sold for their meat to a dealer or at the next market.
A good Basque grass-cutter can cut up to 5,000 square meters in a day.


VENUES

The field or pasture where the contest is to be held is selected with the utmost care, bearing a number of factors in mind. First of all, the location must be in an area where the sport is popular and as close as possible to the towns from which the seglaris, or grass-cutters, hail. This aspect has been particularly respected in recent years, since it is now customary to charge admission and therefore organisers are interested in holding events in places that can hold as many spectators as possible. With this in mind, event grounds must be fields that provide easy vehicle access and parking. And along with being and area that can be fenced off, competition grounds must also offer good visibility for the audience.
In terms of the conditions of the field itself, it must be free from rocks, not be too much of a slope and have a good amount of fully-grown grass.


THE EVENT

Grass-cutting competitions are very strenuous. The contenders' bodies are bent at the waist throughout the entire trial. Best results are attained with a tilted torso and compressed lungs.
Grass-cutting contests have always been held in early autumn when the grass is at its peak. Autumn is also when the young men are in top physical shape, as this is the busiest season on the farm.
Until quite recently all of the competitions, just as in other rural sports, revolved around bets between two rivals. The first contest involving several contestants and cash prizes instead of wagers took place in Gipuzkoa on July 11th 1954.
Today amount of time stipulated for the competition is one hour. In the early part of the 20th century contests lasting two hours were not unheard of. Regardless of the time limit, at the end of the event a whole team of men come into play - grass rakers, weighers, balers and other helpers. Under the watchful eye of one of the contest judges, this team is in charge of reporting the results of the amount of grass cut by each contender. Traditionally Roman units of measure are used.
No matter how the contest is set up it is difficult to speak of records. So much depends on factors having nothing to do with physical strength itself: the weight and surface area of the grass cut, the quality of the terrain, the amount of moisture in the grass, how fully it is grown, and so on.


SEGALARIS. FAMOUS GRASS-CUTTERS.

The earliest reference to seglaris was handed down to us by way of bertsolaris, or traditional folk versifiers. In 1880, one of Pello Errota's improvisational verses spoke of a contest held in the town of Iturrioz and won by a man named Izuela.
Pedro María Otaño Eceiza, the great "Santa Agueda" and legendary aizkolari from Beizama, was also an unbeatable champion grass-cutter of his time. His formidable physical faculties made him an excellent grass-cutter, a speciality in which he frequently competed between 1905 and 1915.
The most important segalari competition of all times was held in the open fields of Iturrioz on Monday, September 28th 1925. A crowd of six thousand came to see the event and it is said that wagers of more than 150,000 pesetas were laid. The contestants were Pedro Mendizabal, "Lokate" from the village Aya, and José Arrieta "Pantxesa" from Urnieta. In a matter of two hours Mendizabal cut 4,294 kilograms of grass, defeating his adversary, who managed to cut 3,957 kilos.
Other famous grass-cutters prior to the Spanish Civil War included "Amexketa", Florentino Mayoz, "Ondartza" and Olazábal. Outstanding post-war names are "Chiquito de Aya", Egiguren, "Lizume", "Ibiya", "Izurzu", "Polipaso", Eleuterio Tapia, "Pascualsoro", Otegui and Bernardo Irastorza.
Today traditional contests have essentially disappeared, and seglaris now practice their sport in official competitions.

[Ferran]

In terms of general physical features, two typical builds stand out among the Basque people: the "strong" type, which includes people with a great deal of muscle mass and medium to very hard muscle tissue; and the "fast" type, including people with softer muscle tissue when relaxed, but capable of swift and sudden movements.
Most of the rural games and sports practiced by the Basque people from time immemorial call for individuals fitting into the first of the two categories. These sports involve skill combined with physical strength. Such is the case of wood-cutters, stone-lifters or trainera oarsmen. However the second category, very common in pelotaris (pelota players), is the ideal physical build for running.
The only traditional running competitions in the Basque Country involve distance running, with races never being under ten kilometres. In the past distances were typically 20 kilometres or more, with the occasional 100-km race. Only two runners would take part in these races, and, needless to say, they would have previously bet a certain amount of money on the outcome. Besides the fact that these are road races, our korrikalaris have very little in common with Olympic-style races.


DISTANCES, ROUTES AND SETTTINGS

In past times challenges involved both resistance and another essential quality - the ability to orient oneself and figure out the shortest way from point A to point B. There was no fixed itinerary to follow, only the departure and finish lines, allowing runners to choose their own shortcuts. When challenges became public events towns began supporting their favourite korrikalaris. In order to prevent this from influencing the outcome of races, specific routes were laid out. This encouraged competition not only between the two opponents racing on a given day, but also between anyone who had previously run the same course, since records of earlier races were kept.
The Zarauz-Aia route was perhaps the most famous, being the setting for a countless number of bets. Tragedy struck here on May 21st 1922, when Belgian De Nys competed against Etxenagusia. At 11:30 a.m., under a relentless sun, the Basque contender started out. The Belgian followed at 11:33 and 45 seconds. De Nys took 54 minutes and five seconds to run the 13 kilometres separating the two towns. Etxenagusia dropped panting to the wayside and died on the morning of the 23rd, following two days of intense suffering.
At the end of the 19th century competitions began to cover longer distances, such as Aia-to-Getaria and back.
Another nineteenth-century competition, in which participants wore the traditional loose shirt, sandals, long trousers and a sash around the waist, was the 124-kilometre Tolosa-Pamplona-Tolosa race. Numerous Basque athletes put their stamina to the test in this race, but "Narparzar" showed his absolute supremacy in 1908, when he beat the "Juanagorri" father and son team, who ran the race as a relay.
In Biscay in the 19th century one of the traditional races was the Durango-Bilbao route, which on some occasions included running there and back.
Another famous run was the so-called "Lecumberri league" (actually 6,040 metres), which was considered to be impossible to run in under 20 minutes. It was a difficult route, all uphill from Lecumberri to Azpiroz Pass. The 17-kilometre stretch from Billabona to Aia was also the setting for a number of trials.
When races became more of a spectator sport than a personal challenge, organisers took them to enclosed areas. In 1903 the San Sebastián, Tolosa, Azpeitia and Eibar bullrings were built, and from that time on races began being held in closed-in arenas of this type.
Korrikalaris, meaning distance runners who would compete with only one other athlete - and betting money on the race - has disappeared from our bullrings and roads. Its decline runs parallel to the appearance of popular races in the 1070s. Lots of sport clubs and local fiesta organisers put together special races in which hundreds of people participate. We are seeing more and more large groups of runners training on any given day. The sport is economic and requires very little infrastructure, all of which explains its popularity. Running is no longer a secret, and since a measure of secrecy is an important ingredient in any challenge, korrikalari competitions have fallen by the wayside.

[Ferran]

This is one of the most popular of the rural games. Competitions or trials involving the dragging of stones by oxen, very prevalent in the past, still draw crowds today. Owners of teams of oxen used to invite each other to private challenges; today, however, this event is more commonly seen as a competition, often being the highlight of local patron saint festivities, and always maintaining its popularity and traditional flavour.
One of the theories explaining the origin of stone-dragging centres on quarries. Stones loosened by blasting were smoothed on site and then dragged by oxen to the solid carts on which they were transported. This origin, very possible true, does not mean that all of the oxen taking part in trials were used at quarries. But experience did prove that a heavy object such as stone was ideal to test the maximum speed of an ox's dragging capabilities.


OXEN

Up until fairly recently bovines were the only means of traction used in farming. Only on rare occasions were horses, mules or donkeys utilised. Lately we have seen the introduction of more and more all-purpose tractors, specially designed to work on the steep slopes so prevalent in the Basque Country.
Bulls are castrated before they become yearlings. In the vast majority of cases, Basque farmers purchase these animals when they can no longer be used for procreation.
Oxen used in stone-dragging competitions weigh between 500 and 650 kilograms. An ox owned by Iturrino weighed 1,450 kilos alive and 790 as an open carcass. "Korta" owned an ox weighing 1,380 kilos. In Biscay the competition oxen tend to be shorter and lighter.
The best place in the stable is reserved for competition oxen. In addition to the daily farm chores, these prized animals are walked five kilometres a day in mountainous terrain and from time to time are taken to a nearby town square or bullring to keep in shape for stone-dragging events.


STONES

Many Basque towns still have the stone (probarri) used by the local farmers to show the prowess of their oxen teams. Nowadays, much the same as with most of our rural sports and games, betting-based events have given way to competitions and championships. Competitions no longer involve only two teams of oxen; now, for the sake of showiness, sometimes up to 35 teams opt for prizes. Therefore specially equipped venues are needed to seat large audiences. Today stone-dragging contests are held in bullrings or indoor frontons.
Stones are rectangular and slightly narrower at the front. This narrower end is drilled with a hole through which a chain is hooked. Weights vary greatly, ranging from 1,500 to 4,000 kilograms. The stone in Tolosa weighs 4,000 kilos, and the stones in Gernika and Munguía weigh 4,500 kilos each. In the municipal proving ground in Berriatua there is a stone weighing 5,250 kilos which hasn't been moved since 1950.
In challenges larger stones are often used, whereas in competitions smaller stones are selected making the show faster and flashier.


ARENAS

Stones are dragged along a surface covered with smooth pebbles. Some arenas have floors made of paving stones, although these are unpopular among oxen owners because the surface is slippery and the animals are not able to grip firmly with their hooves. Stones from rivers are generally thought to be better than stones gathered from beaches.
Arena lengths vary depending on the town in which they are located. Dragging distances can range from 22 to 28 metres.


PRODDERS

Either a single ox or a team of oxen is aided by arreadores, or oxen prodders. The number of prodders depends on the betting conditions or competition regulations laid down beforehand.
Today, for the sake of maximum efficiency, prodders are commonly used.


THE EVENT

The contest consists in crossing the arena as many times as possible in a given amount of time. When establishing the conditions for a challenge or competition, the weight of the oxen is a very significant factor. When a team of oxen exceeds the maximum allowed weight - set at approximately 1,100 kilograms - a kilo and a half of weight is added to the stone for every kilo beyond the established weight for the team of oxen.
When the teams are ready in the arena and it's time to begin the trial, the competent judge draws lots to decide on the order of participants. The first teams are considered to be at a disadvantage since they have no reference as to the capabilities of their rivals. But it's not always best to go last; if the first teams do an excellent job it can be demoralising for the last. At the blow of a whistle the race begins.
One person in charge of pulling the oxen and together with the prodders they all try to save the strength of the oxen so as not wear them out at the beginning. They also try to make sure the stone doesn't stop in the middle of the arena, since starting up anew takes twice as much effort. And they have to pay particular attention to make sure the stone doesn't cross the boundary lines that mark the width of the trial grounds. If it does, it must be brought back to the spot where fault was committed.
Each participant is generally allotted 30 minutes. In betting events, sometimes more time is allowed.
When the stipulated time limit is up, the judges then measure the distance covered. Distance are measured in plazas (full arena lengths), cintas (divisions thereof) and centimetres.
There are two variations of stone-dragging trials - either with only one ox, known as uztarri bakarrean, or in a team of two oxen.

[Ferran]

This game is played the world over, although the Basque version has its own distinctive characteristics. The game here requires a lot of physical energy, as the ball is particularly heavy and must be hurled a good distance.
In the Basque Country there are three different versions: Eskuzulo, Iruzulo and Bolo Palma.
Ezkuzulo is played in Gipuzkoa. The ball weighs between 7 and 9.5 kilograms and the pins (brillas) are set at a distance of 22 metres. There are nine pins in all, set up in the shape of a square, with three rows of three pins each.
Iruzulo is the most widespread version in the Basque Country, played in western Gipuzkoa, essentially all of Biscay and in the north of Araba. A slightly oval-shaped ball is used to knock over three pins.
Bolo-palma is the most popular version in Araba and throughout La Rioja. A smaller ball is used here.
Other versions are also played in Araba, often times differing from one town to the next.