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That's 15-3/4 inches in diameter for those less familiar with the metric system.
Aizkolariak, Basque axemen competitions and bets, and more
- Thread starter Ugaldie
- Start date
That's 15-3/4 inches in diameter for those less familiar with the metric system.
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Thanks for your comments!
2017-03-19 Doneztebe, the bet 2000 between the Telletxea and the Etxeberria. The work consisted in cutting 14 beech kanaerdiko logs (1,25 meters in perimeter, 40cm diameter) and 4 oinbiko logs (1,67 meters in perimeter, 53,1cm diameter). Etxeberria brothers won it loosely, here you have some photos of the event,
The times,
Jesus and Migel Etxeberria,
Jon and Pedro Telletxea,
Talking about strategy,
Roughly 500 people went to see it,
Look at how good axeman posture they display,
The moment they won it,
Receiving the diploma,
And as allways the good friendship between axemen,
2017-03-19 the same day in Loiola, Azpeitia. Between others a rural sports exibition was organized, a local amateur stone lifter made an exibition, he is the lifter of the photos,
A new axeman debuted there, Arriya 6th. He cut some logs accompanied by the great world level champion Arria 2nd.
Four axemen of the Arria axemen saga met there,
This Saturday 25th of April will start the Golden Axe competition by singles. This year we also have Spanish axemen competing here, more than the last year, half of them in the first competition. Let's hope they perform better than the last year, noone of them passed the first phase,
We will have another competition on Sunday, two competitions in the same weekend, that's good!
Some axemen never retire Tomas Larrea 88 years old still continues cutting logs. Here you have a recent video about Larrea saga, there you can see him joking he has a harder waist than Cristiano Ronaldo, funny man!
http://www.rtve.es/alacarta/videos/aqui-la-tierra/aqui-tierra-saga-larrea/3950341/
There will be a combined bet soon. I spent all my time, I'll talk about it the next time.
2017-03-19 Doneztebe, the bet 2000 between the Telletxea and the Etxeberria. The work consisted in cutting 14 beech kanaerdiko logs (1,25 meters in perimeter, 40cm diameter) and 4 oinbiko logs (1,67 meters in perimeter, 53,1cm diameter). Etxeberria brothers won it loosely, here you have some photos of the event,
The times,
Jesus and Migel Etxeberria,
Jon and Pedro Telletxea,
Talking about strategy,
Roughly 500 people went to see it,
Look at how good axeman posture they display,
The moment they won it,
Receiving the diploma,
And as allways the good friendship between axemen,
2017-03-19 the same day in Loiola, Azpeitia. Between others a rural sports exibition was organized, a local amateur stone lifter made an exibition, he is the lifter of the photos,
A new axeman debuted there, Arriya 6th. He cut some logs accompanied by the great world level champion Arria 2nd.
Four axemen of the Arria axemen saga met there,
This Saturday 25th of April will start the Golden Axe competition by singles. This year we also have Spanish axemen competing here, more than the last year, half of them in the first competition. Let's hope they perform better than the last year, noone of them passed the first phase,
We will have another competition on Sunday, two competitions in the same weekend, that's good!
Some axemen never retire Tomas Larrea 88 years old still continues cutting logs. Here you have a recent video about Larrea saga, there you can see him joking he has a harder waist than Cristiano Ronaldo, funny man!
http://www.rtve.es/alacarta/videos/aqui-la-tierra/aqui-tierra-saga-larrea/3950341/
There will be a combined bet soon. I spent all my time, I'll talk about it the next time.
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I have already mentioned Basques do like mountaineering. There is an alpinist who also likes rural sports and specially axemanship, let's talk a bit about Alex Txikon.
Who is him? Here you have what he says about him in his website,
http://alextxikon.com/en/my-life/
"Born in Lemoa (Bizkaia, Basque Country), on 12th of December 1981, Alex Txikon is the youngest of 13 brothers and sisters. When he was no more than 3 years old, his brother Javi, the one who taught him to love mountaineering, took Alex to the top of Gorbea mountain, one of the most emblematic peaks in Basque Country. He joined Ganzabal Mountain Club at teenage and could try himslelf in Pyrenees, Picos de Europa and Alps for the first time. In his 17 travelled to Pamir Mountains and he was just 21 when reached the summit of his first +8.000m mountain: Broad Peak (8.051m) in Pakistan.
Alex Txikons taken part in more than 30 expeditions so far, has climed up to the summit of 10 of the 14 highest mountains and, chiefly, has lived the most incredible experiences in wonderfull places all over the world and with the most amazing people he could never had imagined.
The first important step in his career came in 2005 when joining Al Filo De Lo Imposible spanish TV programme, working as a high altitude cameraman also for Edurne Pasabans 14×8.000 project.
But, in 2011, although having recieved the invitation from Pasabans team for Everest, Alex Txikon felt having completed a stage and needed to start a new one looking for different ways of practicing mountaineering. Thats how he began to lead winter expeditions for which he is specially wellknown nowadays. These last years he has opted for projects that probably are less successfull but much more valuables in terms of technicality, difficulty and commitment. North faces, new routes, alpine style, big walls its a risky but immensely satisfying choice.
As well as alpinism, Alex Txikon practices rock climbing, BASE jumping and basque rural sport such as wood cutting; hes an insatiable adventureman, loves exploring, travelling and meeting new friends, something which must be part of any project or goal that he faces."
This winter he has tried a new goal, something nobody has never done yet and something some people has told him he is crazy, to climb the Everest in winter without the aid of oxigen.
But after reaching 800 meters from the top they cancelled the expedition due to very hard and dangerous winds and snowfalls. They have suffered -28ºC inside the tents, while there was a thermal sensation of -70ºC outside due to the winds.
Don't worry, he didn't told goobye to mount Everest but till the next time. He is a hard man and I'm sure he will try it again, he has already done a simmilar expedition. They climbed the Nanga Parbat in winter without oxigen, and they have been the first.
Who is him? Here you have what he says about him in his website,
http://alextxikon.com/en/my-life/
"Born in Lemoa (Bizkaia, Basque Country), on 12th of December 1981, Alex Txikon is the youngest of 13 brothers and sisters. When he was no more than 3 years old, his brother Javi, the one who taught him to love mountaineering, took Alex to the top of Gorbea mountain, one of the most emblematic peaks in Basque Country. He joined Ganzabal Mountain Club at teenage and could try himslelf in Pyrenees, Picos de Europa and Alps for the first time. In his 17 travelled to Pamir Mountains and he was just 21 when reached the summit of his first +8.000m mountain: Broad Peak (8.051m) in Pakistan.
Alex Txikons taken part in more than 30 expeditions so far, has climed up to the summit of 10 of the 14 highest mountains and, chiefly, has lived the most incredible experiences in wonderfull places all over the world and with the most amazing people he could never had imagined.
The first important step in his career came in 2005 when joining Al Filo De Lo Imposible spanish TV programme, working as a high altitude cameraman also for Edurne Pasabans 14×8.000 project.
But, in 2011, although having recieved the invitation from Pasabans team for Everest, Alex Txikon felt having completed a stage and needed to start a new one looking for different ways of practicing mountaineering. Thats how he began to lead winter expeditions for which he is specially wellknown nowadays. These last years he has opted for projects that probably are less successfull but much more valuables in terms of technicality, difficulty and commitment. North faces, new routes, alpine style, big walls its a risky but immensely satisfying choice.
As well as alpinism, Alex Txikon practices rock climbing, BASE jumping and basque rural sport such as wood cutting; hes an insatiable adventureman, loves exploring, travelling and meeting new friends, something which must be part of any project or goal that he faces."
This winter he has tried a new goal, something nobody has never done yet and something some people has told him he is crazy, to climb the Everest in winter without the aid of oxigen.
But after reaching 800 meters from the top they cancelled the expedition due to very hard and dangerous winds and snowfalls. They have suffered -28ºC inside the tents, while there was a thermal sensation of -70ºC outside due to the winds.
Don't worry, he didn't told goobye to mount Everest but till the next time. He is a hard man and I'm sure he will try it again, he has already done a simmilar expedition. They climbed the Nanga Parbat in winter without oxigen, and they have been the first.
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Alex has combined axemanship and mountaineering. He has gone from the Basque Country to Pakistan by van accompanied by the axeman Bihurri and they made some axemen exibitions, one in Tauplitz (Austria) and the other one in Skardú (Pakistán).
He said some Pakistani didn't undestand what he was doing and offered him a chainsaw, funny thing. After it they tried to climb the K2 from a new route but they "only" reach 7900 meters. They made a documentary about it here you have the trailer,
And here the main documentary,
http://www.eitb.tv/eu/bideoa/aizkor...1/4400204871001/aizkora-hotsak-goi-mendietan/
But I have started talking about Alex for another reason, he will take part in an combined rural sport bet for the second time. Alex arrived last week from Everest and in less than a week he has challenged an elite axeman from the town of Azpeitia named Mikel Larrañaga to a 7000 bet consisting in lifting stones, cutting logs and running in a bullring the 24th of June. Here you have Alex after arriving here, note how his nose is damaged by a frostbite,
Here you have Mikel,
The training time is very limited, they only have three moths. Alex wants long works to take advantage of his superior resistance, he has proposed cutting between 12 and 16 kanaerdiko beech logs (1,25 meters in perimeter, 15-3/4 inches in diameter), between 20 and 35 liftings to a 100 kg cilindrical stone an running between 8 and 10 kilometers. They will meet this thursday in the Mendizabal Restaurant of Azpeitia to negotiate the challenge and close the bet.
These are new and surprising news, expectations are high!
He said some Pakistani didn't undestand what he was doing and offered him a chainsaw, funny thing. After it they tried to climb the K2 from a new route but they "only" reach 7900 meters. They made a documentary about it here you have the trailer,
And here the main documentary,
http://www.eitb.tv/eu/bideoa/aizkor...1/4400204871001/aizkora-hotsak-goi-mendietan/
But I have started talking about Alex for another reason, he will take part in an combined rural sport bet for the second time. Alex arrived last week from Everest and in less than a week he has challenged an elite axeman from the town of Azpeitia named Mikel Larrañaga to a 7000 bet consisting in lifting stones, cutting logs and running in a bullring the 24th of June. Here you have Alex after arriving here, note how his nose is damaged by a frostbite,
Here you have Mikel,
The training time is very limited, they only have three moths. Alex wants long works to take advantage of his superior resistance, he has proposed cutting between 12 and 16 kanaerdiko beech logs (1,25 meters in perimeter, 15-3/4 inches in diameter), between 20 and 35 liftings to a 100 kg cilindrical stone an running between 8 and 10 kilometers. They will meet this thursday in the Mendizabal Restaurant of Azpeitia to negotiate the challenge and close the bet.
These are new and surprising news, expectations are high!
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The competition which was to be played in Atxuri was suspended due to harsh meteorology. It will take part in next weeks.
2017-03-26 Agurain first individual Basque axemen knockout of this year. Axemen compete in pairs, the one who cuts his logs fastest passes to the next knockout. They start eight but only two of them pass over to the next phase, the two winners compete between them in order to get better positions for the next competition. Enjoy it!
http://www.eitb.tv/eu/bideoa/herri-...uruko-eusko-label-saria--lehen-kanporaketak-/
Next competition will be played in Leaburu this Sunday.
Alex Txikon and Mikel Larrañaga will be negotiating the terms of their challenge just in this moment in the Mendizabal restaurant of Azpeitia. Let's see what do they decide.
2017-03-26 Agurain first individual Basque axemen knockout of this year. Axemen compete in pairs, the one who cuts his logs fastest passes to the next knockout. They start eight but only two of them pass over to the next phase, the two winners compete between them in order to get better positions for the next competition. Enjoy it!
http://www.eitb.tv/eu/bideoa/herri-...uruko-eusko-label-saria--lehen-kanporaketak-/
Next competition will be played in Leaburu this Sunday.
Alex Txikon and Mikel Larrañaga will be negotiating the terms of their challenge just in this moment in the Mendizabal restaurant of Azpeitia. Let's see what do they decide.
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Fresh news, Alex and Mikel have closed their bet.
After more than an hour of hard negotiations they have agreed the terms. Each negotiating team wanted to hold tight to his hard points, Txikon's team highlighted Mikel's advantave woodchopping, Mikel's team highlighted Txikon's advantage in running. There has not been a clear winner in the negotiations.
They will have to lift a 100Kg stone 20 times, then Alex will have to cut 10 kanaerdiko (1,245 meters in perimeter or 15 3/4 inches in diameter) beech logs, Mikel will cut 12 logs, and they will end the bet running 7,5 kilometers in the sand of the bullring, all of this in a row. Alex will bring the logs but both of them will choose which to cut the same day of the bet.
The challenge will take part 1st of July in the bullring of Azpeitia at 19:00. Each part will put in game 6000, each one has deposited 1000 as a bond.
After more than an hour of hard negotiations they have agreed the terms. Each negotiating team wanted to hold tight to his hard points, Txikon's team highlighted Mikel's advantave woodchopping, Mikel's team highlighted Txikon's advantage in running. There has not been a clear winner in the negotiations.
They will have to lift a 100Kg stone 20 times, then Alex will have to cut 10 kanaerdiko (1,245 meters in perimeter or 15 3/4 inches in diameter) beech logs, Mikel will cut 12 logs, and they will end the bet running 7,5 kilometers in the sand of the bullring, all of this in a row. Alex will bring the logs but both of them will choose which to cut the same day of the bet.
The challenge will take part 1st of July in the bullring of Azpeitia at 19:00. Each part will put in game 6000, each one has deposited 1000 as a bond.
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Good to see the new look of the forum, the little I have used it I I like it. A lot has happen since I last wrote here, let's try to inform as much and fast as I can.
Thank you Woodcraft!
2017-04-02 Leaburu second individual Basque axemen knockout. Axemen compete phases, the one who cuts his logs fastest passes to the next phase. The two winners of this knockout will compete between them in order to get better positions for the next competition.
Top level Basque axemen still do not appear and a there are plenty Spanish axemen, so nobody knows what will it happen here. Enjoy it!
http://www.eitb.tv/es/video/herri-k...-buruz-buruko-eusko-label-saria-kanporaketak/
Stone lifters made some exibition too, lifting a 200Kg special stone,
A 11 years old lifter,
Next competition here,
Thank you Woodcraft!
2017-04-02 Leaburu second individual Basque axemen knockout. Axemen compete phases, the one who cuts his logs fastest passes to the next phase. The two winners of this knockout will compete between them in order to get better positions for the next competition.
Top level Basque axemen still do not appear and a there are plenty Spanish axemen, so nobody knows what will it happen here. Enjoy it!
http://www.eitb.tv/es/video/herri-k...-buruz-buruko-eusko-label-saria-kanporaketak/
Stone lifters made some exibition too, lifting a 200Kg special stone,
A 11 years old lifter,
Next competition here,
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2017-04-08 Izarra, this competition wasn't retransmitted so there is not the usual video. Here you have the competitors,
The winners were Julen Aranberri "Elorriaga II" from Zumarraga and The Segovian Rubén España who lives in the town of Valsain. Ruben demonstrated good axemanship, we see Spanish axeman level is going up bit a bit
An axe had catastrophic failure in this event. I don't know who did break it, but it hurts when this happens.
These axes cost good money, add to it each axeman passes hours tunning each of his axes to his tastes, when this happens it breaks your concentration and morale.
Let's talk about scythes, Basque scythe competition has started, here has competed a 8 years old boy. It's a bad quality video but I think it worths to share it here. Take a look at the boy, what do you think about how he cuts?
The winners were Julen Aranberri "Elorriaga II" from Zumarraga and The Segovian Rubén España who lives in the town of Valsain. Ruben demonstrated good axemanship, we see Spanish axeman level is going up bit a bit
An axe had catastrophic failure in this event. I don't know who did break it, but it hurts when this happens.
These axes cost good money, add to it each axeman passes hours tunning each of his axes to his tastes, when this happens it breaks your concentration and morale.
Let's talk about scythes, Basque scythe competition has started, here has competed a 8 years old boy. It's a bad quality video but I think it worths to share it here. Take a look at the boy, what do you think about how he cuts?
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Wow, that's quite a break! Holy cow.
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Geez, the break looks horrible! Lucky nobody was injured.
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2017-04-30 Bilar, fifth knockout.
This was played at Viña Laguardia wineries, serious axemen start to appear.
http://www.eitb.tv/eu/bideoa/herri-...32951/aizkora-buruz-buruko-eusko-label-saria/
Here you have the same video but in lower quality,
Something to note, the man in orange (Juan Angel Toledano) uses a Tuatahi axe but it gives him little advantage, at last he doesn't use it.
Txapartegi performed better,
Stone lifter made some exibition we can't see in the main video,
This was played at Viña Laguardia wineries, serious axemen start to appear.
http://www.eitb.tv/eu/bideoa/herri-...32951/aizkora-buruz-buruko-eusko-label-saria/
Here you have the same video but in lower quality,
Something to note, the man in orange (Juan Angel Toledano) uses a Tuatahi axe but it gives him little advantage, at last he doesn't use it.
Txapartegi performed better,
Stone lifter made some exibition we can't see in the main video,
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There is few media coverage for the next events, lets see what I can find.
2017-04-28 Armentia, urrezko aizkora knockout.
Some good axemen competed here and there was a top stone lifting exibition.
Julen Alberdi, known as "Txikia 4th", it means "The small 4th". Young and promising axeman from Azkoitia.
Donato Larretxea, top old school axeman from the town of Arantza.
Julen Kañamares skyrocketing axeman from the town of Arostegi. You will remember him from the 20x20 (20 logs and 20 kilometers running) bet vs Xabier Orbegozo were he compete in pair with Arkaitz Jauregi.
And Xabier Zaldua from Zumarraga, the axeman who recently won the 20 logs bet vs Luis Txapartegi.
Kañamares and Larretxea won and passed to the next phase.
Inaxio Perurena made a good exibition. Between other works he lifted a 250 Kilogram (551 pounds) rectangular stone with two hands,
And a 200 Kilogram (441 pounds) cylindrical stone with one hand.
I have to say these weights are not the top weight he can lift.
2017-04-28 Armentia, urrezko aizkora knockout.
Some good axemen competed here and there was a top stone lifting exibition.
Julen Alberdi, known as "Txikia 4th", it means "The small 4th". Young and promising axeman from Azkoitia.
Donato Larretxea, top old school axeman from the town of Arantza.
Julen Kañamares skyrocketing axeman from the town of Arostegi. You will remember him from the 20x20 (20 logs and 20 kilometers running) bet vs Xabier Orbegozo were he compete in pair with Arkaitz Jauregi.
And Xabier Zaldua from Zumarraga, the axeman who recently won the 20 logs bet vs Luis Txapartegi.
Kañamares and Larretxea won and passed to the next phase.
Inaxio Perurena made a good exibition. Between other works he lifted a 250 Kilogram (551 pounds) rectangular stone with two hands,
And a 200 Kilogram (441 pounds) cylindrical stone with one hand.
I have to say these weights are not the top weight he can lift.
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2017-04-29 Zumaia, urrezko aizkora knockout.
Four axemen competed here.
Each one cut seven logs in four modalities.
Mikel Larrañaga and Juanjo Lopez de Azpilikueta passed to the next phase.
Joxetxo Urrutia, as usual, made a great weight lifting exibition. Here you have him lifting a 141Kg (311 pounds) anvil two times.
Here lifting a 55Kg (121 pounds) anvil 17 times in two minutes.
Four axemen competed here.
Each one cut seven logs in four modalities.
Mikel Larrañaga and Juanjo Lopez de Azpilikueta passed to the next phase.
Joxetxo Urrutia, as usual, made a great weight lifting exibition. Here you have him lifting a 141Kg (311 pounds) anvil two times.
Here lifting a 55Kg (121 pounds) anvil 17 times in two minutes.
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2017-04-30 Azpeitia, 39 years old Xabier Orbegozo's (Arria 5th) trial to break the 1976 year record cutting 20 beech logs 40 centimeters in diameter and running 20 kilometers in a bullring, all of this in a row. Joxe made it in 2 hours 39 minutes and 39 seconds.
Local TV and radios retransmitted this challenge but they haven't upload it yet. I contacted local TV to request it but they didn't respond me. Anyways Juan Carlos Irigoyen made a good photo coverage, I'll use his images.
It was a cold and rainy day, all local media came to cover the challenge. In my case I was working all the day so I couldn't go to the bullring or see it in TV
. Arria 5th had two good axemen as helpers, one was his father, the mithycal Arria 2th.
The other Luis Txapartegi.
The athlete entered to the arena
He brought two types of axes, Keech the ones you see in the box,
And a pair of axes produced by a local manufacturer named Arkaia
The weather was bad and few people appeared to the bullring, but this event had a lot of TV spectators. All was prepared, ten logs were layed Xabier had to cut each log twice and then run in the wet sand. At 11:30 the challenge started
He started methodically taking the time he had prepared for each log, not more not fewer
Concentration was high, the technique was correct, the cuts were clean and the axeman seemed fresh. All was going OK
Suddenly it started to rain harder, axemen fanatics didn't care it, Xabier continued his planning,
Each log took its toll, but the training and the helpers advices mantained Xabier high
He endured and arrived to the last cut in good time, better than Joxe's time in 1976
Xabier took a little break and started running
Local TV and radios retransmitted this challenge but they haven't upload it yet. I contacted local TV to request it but they didn't respond me. Anyways Juan Carlos Irigoyen made a good photo coverage, I'll use his images.
It was a cold and rainy day, all local media came to cover the challenge. In my case I was working all the day so I couldn't go to the bullring or see it in TV
. Arria 5th had two good axemen as helpers, one was his father, the mithycal Arria 2th.
The other Luis Txapartegi.
The athlete entered to the arena
He brought two types of axes, Keech the ones you see in the box,
And a pair of axes produced by a local manufacturer named Arkaia
The weather was bad and few people appeared to the bullring, but this event had a lot of TV spectators. All was prepared, ten logs were layed Xabier had to cut each log twice and then run in the wet sand. At 11:30 the challenge started
He started methodically taking the time he had prepared for each log, not more not fewer
Concentration was high, the technique was correct, the cuts were clean and the axeman seemed fresh. All was going OK
Suddenly it started to rain harder, axemen fanatics didn't care it, Xabier continued his planning,
Each log took its toll, but the training and the helpers advices mantained Xabier high
He endured and arrived to the last cut in good time, better than Joxe's time in 1976
Xabier took a little break and started running
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The sand was wet and he was running in a circular path allways forcing one side of the body, but Xabier is a hard man,
In the worst moment of the challenge climate worsened even more, people started to seriously think he wouldn't achieve to break the record
Four laps to go, Xabier was giving all he had,
And he ended
It was hard and he was exausted but he did it it in 2 hours 09 minutes and 27 seconds. 12 seconds less than the last record, he broke it! All people involved was more than happy
Congratulations Xabi, you are a machine!
In the worst moment of the challenge climate worsened even more, people started to seriously think he wouldn't achieve to break the record
Four laps to go, Xabier was giving all he had,
And he ended
It was hard and he was exausted but he did it it in 2 hours 09 minutes and 27 seconds. 12 seconds less than the last record, he broke it! All people involved was more than happy
Congratulations Xabi, you are a machine!
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Here you can see the end of the local TV retransmission,