Dislocations and strains aplenty at finger wrestling championship
Despite the threat of dislocated fingers and strained muscles, over 150 Bavarians competed in Germany’s unique national championship of “Fingerhakeln”, on Sunday.
The “finger wrestlers” met in a big beer tent in the small southern village of Bernbeuren. Around 1,000 visitors cheered on the all-male contestants as they gulped down their national beer and world-famous German sausages while Bavarian live music filled the air.
Finger wrestling, a well-known sport in Germany’s Alpine region and neighbouring Austria, originated as a way to settle disputes.
Popular tradition
Two competitors sit on opposite sides of a solid table and each hooks one finger – usually the middle finger – through opposite sides of a small leather loop. When the referee signals the start, contestants try to pull each other across the table swiftly. The bout usually lasts a few seconds, and digits are often put out of their joints. The winner moves to the next round.
“This tradition has been popular for a very long time in beer houses and pubs across the region,” said Marie-Therese Eierstock, head of the Fingerhakler Gau Auerberg association, founded in 1961, which organised this year’s championship.
Only men are allowed to participate. At Sunday’s tournament, the youngest competitor was 15 years old and the oldest 70, Ms Eierstock said.
