Aizkolariak, Basque axemen competitions and bets, and more

[Ugaldie]

Me too FortyTwoBlades, I only see this type of sport on TV. I will share more traditional Basque sports soon.

Thank you rjdankert, I had a good time seeing it.

The next Egursport competition will be this Saturday 2016/01/23 at 13:00, in the town of Lakuntza. The competing pairs will be Joseba Otaegi & Juanjo Lopez Azpilikueta vs Iker Vicente & Laurence O'Toole. Here you can see Iker and O'Toole's little training,

 

[Ugaldie]

It seems the TV is taking his time to upload today's competition to internet. Let me giving you a little bit background information meanwhile.

Basque sports are also known as Basque rural sports or simply rural sports. The reason of this is that all the types of Basque sports (except "Pilota" or "Jai Alai as its known in some places of America) come from or are derivatives of rural or seamen jobs. You can find axeman competitions, scyte competitions, running with a weight in your back, rowing, anvil lifting, bale trowing, chariot moving, stone drilling... All were professions, jobs, or tasks someone performed everyday.

All is changing nowadays so I will speak in past, it doesn't mean we are not like I'm going to explain now, but our personallity is more or less diluting nowadays. Basque were proud people, so when somebody said he was better than any other in any task, the other directly challenged the first. Add to it any verbal promise made by a Basque was like a handwritten documment with a notarial seal and you have the perfect ingredients for a higly competing society.

You are seeing one of those sports in the breaks of the Egursport, that's the harrijasotzea (stonelifting). Here you have a documentary subtitled in English about it, enjoy it!

 

[Ugaldie]

Lakuntza 2016-01-23 Egursport competition, Iker Vicente & Laurence O'Tool vs Juanjo Lopez & Joseba Otaegi. That's the debut of O'Toole, you can see his strong and weak points. Impressive performance in short works but suffers in longer ones. Take a look at the pair of Laurence, Iker Vicente, he is a good axeman and he only is 18 years old.

http://www.eitb.tv/eu/bideoa/herri-...zpilikueta-otaegi-binakako-eusko-label-saria/

 

[Ugaldie]

Agurain 2016-01-31, World fastcutting competition 1st round. They have to cut two 45 inches beech logs as fast as possible, the time it takes cutting both will count.

http://www.eitb.tv/eu/bideoa/herri-...k-munduko-azkartasun-txapelketa-1-kanporaketa

The competition will be between Araba, Gipuzkoa, Bizkaia, Nafarroa (those four are Basque regions), Czech Republic and Italian champions among Laurence O'Toole the world champion. They say Swiss and French champions can also come.

 

[Ugaldie]

Beasain 2016-02-07 Egursport competition, Iker Vicente & Laurence O'Tool vs Donato Larretxea & Iñaki Azurmendi

http://www.eitb.tv/eu/bideoa/herri-kirolak-herri-kirolak-2016/5395/107285/aizkora-o-toole-vicente-/-larretxea-azurmendi-binakako-eusko-label-saria-||-aizkora-munduko-azkartasun-txapelketa-2-kanporaketa;/ (Copy and paste this link in your browser, I can't make it work as a direct link)

The pair composed by the 18 years old Otxagabian axeman and the Aussie one is generating great expectation.

Taking in account its a rural sport, the press and the TV is speaking quite a lot about them, Noticias Navarra,

EITB,

http://www.eitb.eus/es/deportes/videos/detalle/3812284/video-lawrence-otoole-aizkolari-australiano/

They seem the perfect pair, Laurence is a beast in short works and Iker is a very good all arounder with impressive stamina.

 

[Ugaldie]

Xabier Orbegozo has challenged to all axemen,

The competition will be to cut 30 beech logs 52 inches in perimeter, he will provide the wood. If there is anybody so brave to accept the challenge, this friday he will be waiting him in the Letea restaurant of Errezil this friday February 12th

https://www.google.es/maps/place/Le...4m2!3m1!1s0xd51cab78a52895f:0x8057513bcce926c

 

[Square_peg]

Taking in account its a rural sport, the press and the TV is speaking quite a lot about them, Noticias Navarra,

[video=youtube;p6TCqkZu5u0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6TCqkZu5u0[/video]

EITB,

http://www.eitb.eus/es/deportes/videos/detalle/3812284/video-lawrence-otoole-aizkolari-australiano/

They seem the perfect pair, Laurence is a beast in short works and Iker is a very good all arounder with impressive stamina.

Take a look at the end of that video. Look how slender the axe hafts are and how large the swells are. They look very well designed for stamina events.

 

[Ugaldie]

The challenge of Xabier Orbegozo was taken by two young axemen, I'll talk about this epic event when the timeline reaches there.

I have been talking about the axemen competition in pairs of this year, here you have the final,
Azpeitia 2016/02/08 Aitzol Atutxa & Ugaitz Mugertza vs Iker Vicente Laurence O'Toole vs Jon Recondo & Ruben Saralegi. The favorites were the Aitzol & Ugaitz and Iker & Laurence, the avantage of the Basque/Australian couple was the short term cutting hability of the Australian and the extremely high quality of the 18 years old axeman Iker, the disadvantage the stamina of the Australian. Let's see how did all of them perform,

http://www.eitb.tv/eu/bideoa/herri-.../aizkora--binakako-eusko-label-saria--finala/

 

[Ugaldie]

Ramon Latasa has been one of the best axeman this world has known. He was born in a extremelly poor family, he worked from very young age in the woods as an axeman. When he was 17 years old he left his home and went to work to the Irati woods. He was a hard working fast axeman with an extremelly good dexterity with the axe. His friends encouraged him and he started taking part in axemen competitions. He challenged the best axeman of that period and he won it, he also cut a gum tree log of 1,64 meters in diameter in three hours and 17 seconds.
He was the top axeman of his era untill the local police shot his leg while he was running away when his group of smugglers was chased in the mountains, he achieved to run away even with his injured leg. He tried to cure himself at home but the injury was too bad and the healing gone bad, he went to a hospital and he got ruined. He continued working and competing as an axeman, but the hard life of the axeman didn't let him to be as fit as the period before he was shot and he started to lose competitions. Nevertheless he was a tough man hard to beat. Here you can see hin the same year he was shot competing in a challenge consisting in cutting ten logs and then running 10 kilometers circularly in the sand of a bullring, Latasa cut the logs faster but he lost running,

He teached the secrets of the axemanship to several young axemen of the era. He also was a good teacher those axemen reached to be the best of their period.
He died 25 years ago, every year Basque axemen perform an homage to him, here you have the homage of this year,

http://www.eitb.tv/eu/bideoa/herri-...016/5395/111651/aizkora--latasari-omenaldia-/

 

[Ugaldie]

2016/03/20 Challenge between Eneko Otaño and Migel Mindegia.

The challenge took part in the frontoia of the town of Doneztebe. This is not the first challenge of the 21 years old Eneko Otaño, the last time he lost a challenge versus Mikel Larrañaga, so his will to win will be very hard.
35 years old Mieltxo Mindegia and Otaño has taken part in competitions, last time in the second division Basque axemen competition, but noone of them clasified for the final. So this is the first time they compete only each other, let's see how did they perform.

They bet each other 3000€, the job to be done is to cut 12 kanaerdiko (40 centimeters in diameter) beech logs and 4 60 ontzako (44 centímeters in diameter) logs in a row. Mindegia provided four kanaerdiko and four 60 ontzako logs, Otaño the other eight kanaerdiko logs. So there is no advantage for any part at this concern.

And they started the challenge, here you have Eneko Otaño,

Here Mieltxo Mindegia,

The young axeman won the challenge,

All of them celebrated it,

Here you have the axemen, trainers and helpers. Take in account the man on the right. He is the Mikel Mindegia the father of Mieltxo, a mythical axeman, one of the best of the best axeman, one of the axeman who learned the secrets of axemanship from another myth, Ramon Latasa.

The first from the left was also a very good axeman, but take in account the boy second from the left, you will see him in a tremendous challenge in the future.
The arsenal of those axemen,

Here you have the video of the challenge, enjoy it!
http://www.eitb.tv/eu/bideoa/herri-...ra--eneko-otano-/-mieltxo-mindegia-desafioa-/
Click here if you want more photos,
https://get.google.com/albumarchive.../AF1QipMxYT4XzDTI9yf5zoPVBfk1b3ETgxlLwbHgXBEu

 

[Ugaldie]

Square_peg those axe handles were depeloped for this type of competition, they are the best type of handle I have ever tried even for homesteading. Try them if you can.

 

[Ugaldie]

A little video about how foreigners see us. I have never listened anything about "becoming a man" and he is being very conservative about the axemen competition starting period, nevertheless as a starting point is OK.

 

[Moonw]

Excellent, fascinating! Thank you.

 

[Ugaldie]

Thank you Moonw, I'm glad you liked it.
Zegama 2016/04/02 Eusko Label axemen contest, first knockout.

There are two groups of four axemen each. Two axemen start cutting two beech logs 44 centimeters in diameter, the fastest of the two passes to the second phase.
In the second phase they cut logs in two modalities, one 32 centimeters in diameter standing beech log and two bedch logs 44 centimeters in diameter. Adding both times the fastest axeman of each group passes to the next contest.
http://www.eitb.tv/eu/bideoa/herri-...5/107290/aizkora--eusko-label-saria--banaka-/
This year some Spanish axemen compete between Basques, the two Segovians in this knockout but they are not the only ones. That's a good signal, axemanship is spreading!

 

[Ugaldie]

Lezama 2016/04/10 Eusko Label axemen contest, second knockout.

There are two groups of four axemen each. Two axemen start cutting two beech logs 44 centimeters in diameter, the fastest of the two passes to the second phase.
In the second phase they cut logs in two modalities, one 32 centimeters in diameter standing beech log and two bedch logs 44 centimeters in diameter. Adding both times the fastest axeman of each group passes to the next contest.
http://www.eitb.tv/eu/bideoa/herri-...5/107291/aizkora--eusko-label-saria--banaka-/
This year some Spanish axemen compete between Basques, it's a pity only Emilio Garcia won the first part of this kockout but he didn't won the second part. Axemanship is spreading!

 

[Ugaldie]

In order to give more prespective about the Basques and because people loves to see them I will start posting about something more than strictly axemen challenge, competitions, exibitions...

Like this one, Mendaro 2015-10-18 combined bet.

Mikel Hernandez and Unai Salegi challenged each other in a bet consisting in running 5 kilometers uphill from Mendaro to Lizarpe, cutting two beech logs 40cm in diameter and reaching the top of the mountain of Gantxipixa with a 47,5Kg butane bottle at their back, all this in a row. Here you have the video,

Or this one, Antzuola 2016/12/10 milking challenge

Two men discussed during a dinner, that discussion derived in this challenge. Enrike Pagoaga "the lion of Arangune" and Balentin Agirre "the Tiger of Urruti" challenged each other to a milking challenge. This event was carried out yesterday at the square of the town of Antzuola.

The job to be done was to milk two cows named Gorri and Txata, here you have the ladies,

Each contender had five minutes to milk as much as they could from a cow, when the time ended they will change to the other cow to milk it for other five minutes,

Pagoaga started with clear advantage, Gorri had clearly more milk but the skill of Agirre was quite good,

When they changed their couple Agirre was clearly behind,

The couple coordinated well and worked hard,

But Pagoaga's advantage was too big,

Both teams worked hard and honorably,

But when they weighted the milk the winner was clear,

Pagoaga gathered 7 liters, Agirre 4,5,

There was not any resentment, this was a challenge between friends and all the people involved had a good time,

At last, as usual, they took the official photo. Note each contender holds the milk of the other,

Here you have the video of the challenge,

http://goiena.eus/debagoiena/1481382819923

 

[Moonw]

That is so random, that I totally love it. Probably because I also live in a part of the world that still maintains some of its rusticity and I have some vivid memories of the life in the country as a kid, which wasn't soooo long ago .

 

[Ugaldie]

Moonw, "rusticity and I have some vivid memories of the life in the country" that mentality is very deep rooted in the mentality of the Basques who don't live in homestead. For those who still do homestead this way of live is normal.

Ordizia, Gohierriko 7 orduak, 2016/04/17,
This is the second edition of this event, it consist in a kind of different demostration of different sports who have high support. Some events are peculiar like a tug of war team vs a rugby team. Here some people tries to achieve or break different marks. Like Irati Astondoa, this girl is very good in different sports, this time she has get a time cutting six beech logs 32 centimeters in diameter. It took her 21 minutes 52 seconds, I have contacted other axewomen to try to convince them to break this mark but it seems no one want to try it. You can see her at the minute 47,
http://www.eitb.tv/eu/bideoa/herri-kirolak-herri-kirolak-2016/5395/111654/goierriko-7-orduak/

Another sport who has Basque origins is the arraunlaritza, its roots go deep in history. Basques were upon a time the only European people who hunted the whales commercially. Some people say we learned to hunt them from the Scandinavians in the "Viking" era, it's logical. But we gave it a new dimension, be transformed it a continental business (even a transcontinental one) and we ended showing this business to other cultures like the French, English, Dutch...
http://www.historymuseum.ca/virtual-museum-of-new-france/economic-activities/basque-whalers/
As a reminiscence of that period a very deeply rooted sport is practiced here, (they indeed are more than one, you can find different modalities in different types of boats) we call it arraunlaritza. This is a very spectacular sport which has already spread through the all the South of the Gulf of Biscay,
[video]http://rtve.es/v/3710163[/video]
This sport demands top physical capabilities, you can find oplympic medal owners in these boats. When the sea is wavy this sport gets even more spectacular,

And dangerous,

These men are able to surf in the waves with their boats,

Surfing is not new here,

 

[Moonw]

Moonw, "rusticity and I have some vivid memories of the life in the country" that mentality is very deep rooted in the mentality of the Basques who don't live in homestead. For those who still do homestead this way of live is normal.

That's exactly how I pictured it, same here.

 

[Ugaldie]

Abaltzisketa 2016/04/24 Eusko Label axemen contest, knockout.
There are two groups first one with two axemen, boh of them will pass to the second phase, but who wins will compete vs the slowest of the other group. Three axemen compete in the second group, the fastest will compete vs the slowest of the first group, the second one will compete vs the fastest of the first group, the slowest axeman is out. The work to be done in the first phase is to cut two beech logs 44 centimeters in diameter.
In the second phase there are two groups with two axemen in each group, they have to cut logs in two modalities, one 32 centimeters in diameter standing beech log and two bedch logs 44 centimeters in diameter. Adding both times the fastest axeman of each group passes to the next contest.
http://www.eitb.tv/eu/bideoa/herri-...5/107292/aizkora--eusko-label-saria--banaka-/