RURAL SPORTS

If we had to speak about sports in general in the Basque Country, we would obviously have to devote an important part of our talk to sports imported from other countries, which are not considered indigenous; but here we are referring, particularly, to rural sports in the Basque Country, an activity so deeply related to the Basque people and their culture, that it deserves a separate chapter.

In any place or region, rural sport, also referred to as indigenous, may be described as a group of ludic, recreational activities that have become a custom, as well as common practice among the people in that region, but whose origin and development do not, necessarily, have to be closely linked to the people's nature and their way of life.

However, in the case of the Basque Country, we find a group of activities, whose origin and later development are closely connected with both the nature and the environment of the rural world. Therefore, a detailed study of Basque rural sports will help us to get to know the Basque farmer (baseritarra) and his way of life more accurately.

At this point we should remember the two types of inhabitants described in the introduction (chapter 1): the fisherman (arrantzale) living on the coast, his eyes fixed on the sea, and the farmer (baserritarra) living inland, deeply rooted in his ancerstors's farm.

Every type of rural sport stems from these two different ways of life, although it is true that the largest variety comes from life on the farm. We shall then make a summary of the main types of rural sports still practised in the Basque Coun- try; the dying out of some traditional trades and ways of life having led to the disappearance of the sports related to them.

Regattas, a deep-rooted sport on the coast.

We shall start with regattas, for decades a widely popular sport among people living along the Basque coast line.

We have to go back to the days when fishermen had to get to the fishing-grounds, where fish was abundant, and return to port in the least possible time, to deliver the goods after a hard day's work.

The crew is made up of thirteen oarsmen and the cox, who faces them at the stern. In the course of the regatta, he is in charge of directing the boat, as well as boosting the morale of his oarsmen; very often a whole town owes its joy to his skill at winning the town flag (la bandera), a prize awarded to the winner of the regatta.

The most important competition in the Bay of Biscay in summer takes place the first two Sundays in September; the best rowing boats then compete with each other in La Concha Bay, following a tradition over a hundred years old. There is a regatta in almost every seaside town between July and October.

"Ama Guadalupekoa", a fixed-seat rowing boat competing for Hondarribia, as the oars enter the water.

Inland, wood-cutting (the wood-cutter is called "aizkolari" in the Basque language because "aizkora" is axe in Basque) is a very popular sport. Its origin is to be found in the wood-cutter's and charcoal burner's daily activity, while working in the many forest up in the mountains.

The use of large quantities of charcoal as fuel for the many foundries in the Basque Country in the 18th century together with the use of wood for shipbuilding, led to large areas of woodland being cut down. In time, those country towns and valleys that were famed for their top wood-cutters turned out to be those that have safeguarded the wealth of their forests.

Beechwood from beech forests in the north of Navarre is the type of wood generally used in the wood-cutting event.

In this competition, the wood-cutter has to cut a number of tree trunks arranged on the ground in rows; the winner cuts them up in the shortest possible time.

In summer, one can often see a couple of wood-cutters with their assistants (the "botillero" and the "enseñador") performing at the many local festivities and open-air dances, held in the small towns all over the country.

Stone lifting in the town square. Asteasu.

Stone lifting has certainly been the most videly known Basque sport outside the country, thanks to the prowess of Iñaki Perurena, a stone-lifter (harrijasotzaile) from Leiza, in Navarre, the first and so far the only competitor able to lift a 300 Kg stone.

There are usually two stone-lifters competing in each event, taking turns in one or several attempts, to perform the greatest possible number of lifts; a lift is considered complete, when the stone has been properly balanced on the shoulder.

In the course of time, the shape of the stone to be lifted has varied a great deal. The four types of stone most frequently used that is rectangular, cylindrical, spherical and square, were established at the beginning of the 20th century.

Stones are traditionally made of granite, and their weight goes a little under 100 Kg to the already mentioned 300 Kg.

Together with wood-cutting, stone lifting is another example of the Basque rural sports most widely performed at local festivities, all over the Basque Country.

In addition, there are other types of sports also related to everyday activities on the Basque farm.

Stone-dragging, either by animals--usually by oxen--, or by human traction, takes place on especially built trial grounds. The aim is to cover, within a given time, a distance called "plaza" or "clavo" (literally "square" or "nail" in English).

During grass-cutting, the contestants have to cut with a scythe (sega) the largest quantity of grass from parts of a field, previously allotted in a draw, and in a fixed time. It takes about one or two hours.

Corncob competition (prueba de lokotxas) has to do with corn growing, a widespread activity in the Basque Country. Participants have to collect in a basket a fixed number of corncobs (almost always a multiple of twenty five), lined up on the ground, with a 1.25 metre gap between each of them.

To win in a "txingas" competition one has to cover a distance called plaza or clavo (28 m long) carrying a 50 Kg weight in each hand; there is not a fixed time.

Sheep dog trials. Oñati.

Sheep dog trials and ramfights are a lively example of pastoral life. The former takes place in Oñati, in September, where the shepherd's skill at controlling his flock with the dog's help is judged.

Another sport, "peleas de carneros" (rams' fight) is very popular around the Urola basin, in Azpeitia, Arroa, etc., testing the strength and endurance, following the rams' natural instinct to batter and clash horns. The winner is the one which succeeds in driving its opponents away from the confrontation.

Two very well known Basque sports are tug-of-war (sokatira), where an eight-man team tries to drag along the other team by pulling the rope, and pelota. There are many ways of playing pelota: with the hand, with a wooden bat, a curved wicker basket attached to a leather glove, "share", "bounce" "long", "joko-garbi",... the last types mentioned are played in Gipuzkoa, only in Villabona, Zubieta and Lasarte, while they are common practice in the French Basque Country. We can find here too other very interesting and colourful examples of rural sports.

And it is in this part of the Basque Country known as Iparralde (literally the "north side"), where some kinds of highly interesting and colourful rural sports, closely related to the agricultural world, are practise.

Hay-bale lifting involves raising that load with the aid of a pulley, as many times as possible in three minutes, without the bales touching the ground.

Races with bags full of corn. Here participants need both speed and stamina to carry the weight on their shoulders.

The milk-can carriers competition is very similar to the "txingas" competition, but this time the load carried (the milk) is more related to farming activities.

Oxcart lifting is a display of strength. Contestants have to lift the back of the oxcart rotating it on its front side, which is fixed to the ground.

Before we conclude this brief exposition of rural sports in the Basque Country, we must, at least, mention the bets ("apuestas" y "traviesas") that are placed in any competition, both by the participants and the spectators. The reason for betting could vary, from something as simple as who will be the winner, to the finest detail such as to deciding, whether in a fifteen-minute boat race a given rowing boat is capable of being three seconds ahead of another boat.