Aizkolari

Aizkolaritza is the Basque name for a type of wood-chopping competition. They are a popular form of ''herri kirol'' (rural sport) in the Basque Country. Competitions are commonly held at most festivals, especially town festivals and usually involve at least two individuals or teams competing against each other.

The name

The sport is called ''aizkolaritza'' in Basque, from ''aizkolari'' "wood-chopper" plus the noun-forming suffix ''-tza''. It is also known as ''aizkol jokoa'' the "axe game". Spanish uses a loanword from Basque, ''aizcolari'' and in French the sport is called ''coupeurs de bûches''.

Rules

The sections of trunk are usually beech without visible knots from the forests of Navarre. For competitions, the trunk sections closest to the roots or branches are used as they are of less value to the wood industry. The trunks are categorised according to their circumference using Basque inches (''ontza''), equivalent to 0.0254m. They commonly are used in the following sizes:

The ''oinbetekoa'', 80 ''ontza'', ''kanakoa'' and bigger ones are often used in wagers; the ''kanaerdikoa'', 60 ''ontza'' and ''oinbikoa'' most commonly in bigger competitions and arranged in a row, each nailed to planks for stability.

The axes are between 2.4 and 2.8 kg heavy with a rounded blade and each ''aizkolari'' uses a number of them in a competition. The logs are between 0.5-0.8m long for competitions where one ''aizkolari'' stands on the log and between 0.8-1.2m long for competitions where two stand on it.

Competitions

The competitions are usually a race for the finish by however many individual competitors there are but occasionally they are done ''txandetan'', in relays, where two ''aizkolaris'' form a team and relieve the other once a trunk has been chopped through. The focus is more on stamina than speed compared to other wood-chopping events outside the Basque Country and most competitions last half an hour at the very least but normally more than an hour.

They can be held with each ''aizkolari'' having two helpers. The ''botilero'' (''botillero'' in Spanish) holds the towel and brings new axes. The ''prestatzaile'' (''enseñador'' in Spanish) checks the two halves are fully separated (they sometimes appear to have but are still connected), dictates the rhythm and indicates where best to hit next.

In a famous competition held in 1983 in Tolosa, two ''aizkolaris'' called Jose Mari Mendizabal and Mikel Mindegi had a wager to chop six 110 ''ontza'' trunks and 52 ''kanaerdikoa'' (a total of 100 ''kanaerdi'') each in less than 5 hours. Mendizabal won the competition and 2 million pesetas taking just 4:12hrs, Mindegi 4:29hrs. But the most famous ''aizkolari'' was probably a man nicknamed ''Santa Ageda'' who competed in an epic event in the bullring of Azpeitia in 1903.

Many ''aizkolariak'' compete into high age. In 1900, Augustin Unanue who was aged 75 at the time, famously chopped a log of 1m diameter in 4 hours. Famous competitions often lead to the composition of '' bertsos'' in honour of the event.

The most important modern day competition is probably the ''Urrezko Aizkora'', the "golden axe" competition where the best ''aizkolaris'' from all over the Basque Country compete against each other individually or in pairs. There are several categories, including two junior competitions for people under the age of 23 and 18. The competitions are held in different places in the Basque Country over a period of two months to establish a winner. Held since 1997, it has been held annually since. Other important competitions are the ''Donostiako Urrezko Kopako'' ("gold cup of San Sebastián"), the ''Euskal Herriko Lehen Maila'' ("premier league of the Basque Country") and the provincial competitions.

Over-regional championships

Urrezko Aizkora

An annual nationwide event with the final taking place in Azpeitia. The winner or winning pair in the adult categories are given in bold.

Euskal Herriko Txapelketa

The championship of the Basque Country where aizkolaris from all over the Basque Country compete.

Provincial championships

Bizkaiko Irekia

The "open championship of Biscay".

Gipuzkoako Txapelketa

The championship of Gipuzkoa, a province level championship held annually.

Nafarroako Txapelketa

The championship of Navarre, a province level championship held annually.

Other championships

Donostiako Urrezko Kopa

The "golden cup of San Sebastián", held annually with 5 finalists competing in the final event. To date, the best time is held by Donato Larretxea who completed the task in a record 25 minutes 17 seconds.

Variations

Normally the ''aizkolaris'' stand on the trunk sections but there are variations where they are required to chop a vertical tree from the top called ''zutiko enborra'' or "upright trunk". This is achieved by chopping notches into the trunk into which the ''aizkolari'' inserts a plank. He then stands on the plank to reach higher up, working his way around the trunk in a spiral until he can chop the top section. The trunks are up to 6m tall and usually no safety equipment is used up to that height.

There is another variation combining the chopping competition with a race.

Women and ''aizkolaritza''

Traditionally a male dominated sport, women have begun to take part in ''aizkolari'' competitions in recent years as they have in other traditional Basque sports, for example Itziar Goenaga, Kristina Saralegi and Lucia Unceta

History

Wood-chopping as a profession has a long tradition in the Basque Country and has been recorded since medieval times when the profession was important to the local shipbuilding and charcoal burning industry which later also fed the metal-working industry. This work was carried out by small, itinerant groups of men living in the woods, the youngest and strongest usually felling the trees and the older preparing the felled trees and building the ''txondorra'', the mound for burning charcoal. In these communities, competitions were common to establish who the strongest and fastest ''aizkolariak'' were.

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.

As popular competitions they were not recorded until the 19th century. The names of the competitors were not recorded but referred to by their place of origin or group, for example "one of Beizama", "the son of the house of Gorrizu", "the group from Nuarbe" or "the one from Beunza farm". To outsiders, the early competitions were known as ''fiestas Euskaras'' "Basque fiestas".

See also

* Basque rural sports

References

Department of Culture
(in Basque and Spanish)
*Etxegoien, J. ''Orhipean'', Xamar 1996

External links

Aizkolariak
(some information about Basque axemen challenges)

{{Lumberjack sports

Basque culture
Basque sport
Lumberjack sports