Alpine Finger Wrestling Championship

On August 12 2012, the 35th annual Alpine Finger Wrestling Championships were held in the town of Lenggries, Germany.  Lenggries is 1.5 hours from Munich by car/train, and about 10 miles north of the border with Austria:

According to The Local (a web site with German news in English), "finger wrestling" (fingerhakeln in German) is basically a one-finger tug-of-war taking place across a table.  A contestant wins when he pulls the other across a set line on the table.

It is a formal, regulated sport in Bavaria and parts of Austria with rules governing the dimensions of the leather band used between competitors fingers, size of the table, and weight classes.  The Championships are rotated between Alpine towns in Bavaria and Austria.

Short YouTube video of the event:

And another video that shows one wrestling match:

Tradition says that finger wrestling was used as a way to settle disputes in the mountain towns, as far back as the 17th century.  Other sites claim it was a drinking game, and that a written record from 1878 said "one frequently sees, in Tirol, men with fingers bent nearly double on the right hand".  Ouch.

Here is an old photo from Schwangau, Germany (thanks to trachtler.org):

Also, women are not allowed to compete.  "It just does not fit" said one member of the Isargau Finger Wrestling Club (the host of the 2012 Championship).

Before the start of a match -- two "wrestlers" and a referee (from an article at The Mirror):

 

This year, 150 men participated, most dressed in traditional clothes -- lederhosen.  They take the, um, sport, quite seriously.  Many start training months in advance using weights, stretch-bands, etc.  In photos, you'll see their fingers (always the middle one) chalked up like a weightlifter.  Regardless of preparation, strained tendons, bleeding fingers, and pulled muscles are common occurrences.

Close-up of the leather band connecting the competitors (from sulekha.com):

The intensity and PAIN are obvious during the match.  I'm fascinated with the attenpts to gain leverage by getting low, bracing feet below the table or knees on the edge of the table, etc (again from The Local):

Behind each wrestler sits another guy, who will catch his teammate if he flies backwards.  The crowd this year looked to be perhaps 150 people, but a lot of press organizations picked up the news story:

Almost forgot:  the team from Ammergau (in the Bavarian Alps) won the competition.  (I could not find the list of individual winners.)  Congratulations!

Ski Trips - St. Anton am Arlberg

Not long ago, a friend of mine from Northwestern University moved to Hamburg with her husband and two daughters.  One of their first vacations was to St. Anton in Austria for skiing.  That reminded me of my trip there. 

St. Anton is a skiing mecca - 2700 km of runs!  It's only a couple hours from Munich (she and family had to drive perhaps 8 hours from Hamburg). 

St. Anton is a specific town, but also references the general area with all of those ski slopes.  Below is the skiing map for the area, and you can see the neighboring villages of Lech, Zuers, Stuben, etc..

The practical area is also larger, because the towns just outside of the above map have more affordable lodging, with the drawback that you have to drive (or take the convenient ski bus) 30 minutes each way.  I stayed in Flirsch, a ways down the main road (east).  Each town has small hotels or houses to rent.

I mentioned affordable lodging because St. Anton is definitely an upscale ski area.  Lots of BMWs to be seen!  The ski lifts seemed to be pretty modern and attention given to upgrades, whereas other older/less posh areas will still simply maintain more T-bars and 2-person lifts. 

 

 Once you get up -- and the highest points are pretty high -- you can see what the fuss is all about.  Some of the views are dramatic, with trails running past peaks jutting through pure white snow:

The weather for my trip was great, and there were some places where the trails ran above the clouds.  You would overlook the valley covered by a blanket.  Very cool.

In the next photo, the trail actually disappears into the clouds below, with gorgeous peaks in the distance. 

Hopefully we can arrange to meet my friend next season and get some more shots (and video).  Until then, we have to start moving on to hiking & vacation season while waiting for the snow to return!

Forest Climbing in Oberbayern

On the last Sunday in August, Frau A and I went to the "Waldkletterpark Oberbayern" (Forest climbing park of Upper Bavaria).  We have a bunch of posts from hiking in the Alps, but we haven't been climbing... we are thinking of getting started though.  This "park" seemed like a good opportunity to use the gear and have fun.

Plus, the park has a zipline course!  Yes, we have videos below...

The forest climbing park is located in Pfaffenhofen, about a 40 minute drive from Munich.  It's about the same distance as Augsburg, where we saw the Women's World Cup.  It's the opposite direction from the lakes in the south that are so popular on weekends (resulting in terrible traffic we wanted to avoid).

This is the sign that greets you upon arrival - with the town seal and drawing of a mountain goat!
(Plus an arrow to let you know that the local brewery lies just down the road...)

It is definitely located out in the country.  The parking lot was next to a corn field.  The weather was simply perfect.

You start at the lone building on site, where you pay the entrance fee and sign the waiver form.
Then, employees wearing orange shirts help you get into the gear (left side of the photo below):

You can see a small Catholic shrine in the above photo (top left).  I took a closer picture (below).  This is absolutely Bavaria:  outdoor sports, beer, and a crucified Jesus. 

This is what the area looks like with first glance around.  People walking around or watching, others climbing up to start a course, some climbers in the process of navigating a course, and lines criss-crossing overhead:

The park has 10 different "parcours", in this case "parcour" refers to climbing "routes" running through the trees.  The routes total 1,3km in length, and range from 1 meter high to 24 meters above the forest floor!

A pass costs 19 euros for an adult lasts 2 and 1/2 hours.  The also will do birthday parties and corporate events.

The web site's maps shows the easy courses on the left, medium in the middle, and the "Fox" course on the right:

This is a glance in the opposite direction, towards some other medium-level courses in the oak & beech trees:

First timers are required to get a briefing.  An employee talks through the park rules, and more importantly how to correctly use the safety equipment.  Then you start with a short, simple course to demonstrate basic competence.

Here is Frau A, ready to go:

The warm-up/test course is only 1-2 meters up with 2 "climbs", and both have lots of places to hang on.  But it's good practice clipping the gear on & off -- you have both a zip-line roller and a safety that are engaged on every course.

After the warm up we took a "medium" difficulty course that takes you up 5-6 meters and across 5 "climbs".
A lot of people teetered on this "climb" when they reached for a beam and it moved! (See the fulcrum at her feet?)

This bridge is probably meant to teach a lesson - stay in the middle of a wobbly path, and move the beans so you simpy step over.  Don't step around them.  (Yes, I wanted to keep my baseball hat on with the helmet...)

The "climbs" (each about 10-15 meters long) in this course got more interesting.  Below, Frau A walks along a single line with not-so-taught vertical ropes for assistance, about 7 meters up.  You can see her zipline rollers connected to the safety line in front, with the secondary clip fastened behind.

The next part was even more challenging.  Going left to right below, you climb (step) from "U" rope to rope, then work your way across a net, then to another set of "U" ropes before reaching the next platform.

I asked Frau A to smile.  Got a great first photo (above) but the distraction caused a moment's panic (below)!

The hardest one we tried was with tires.  See photo below:  you have to make your way across to the next platform...

There were a few people queued on the platform, indicating it took climbers longer than usual:

We saw the guy (above photo) getting across, and at our turn realized it takes a lot of work and stretching.

It reminds you of times on a playground jungle-gym. but quite a bit higher up!

We eventually made it, but really felt some muscles that aren't use much on a daily basis in the office.

Finally, we went to the "longest and highest" zipline course in all of Bavaria.  No small children allowed.

Before getting to the first zip line, they had a tricky bridge.  Due to the positioning of the vertical ropes relative to the safety cord, you had to go around the outside of each rope to get across.

Here she is, in action, crossing the bridge.  Then I panned over to see the waiting ziplines/platforms to come:

This was Frau A's first zipline ever.  Took her a sec to get going... then well done:

The next one went smoothly too, getting a little longer now:

New we're getting to the longer ziplines on the "Flying Fox" course -- and view from the end platform:
(She ended up twisting around 360-degrees, but eventually reached the platform looking forward!)

On the next one, she had a bit of a hard landing...!

This was the last one, done perfectly.  You can even see another climber ziplining in the background:

This climbing park was a blast.  I would love to take my nephew here, if my brother & family visit from the U.S..  We'll head back this Autumn to work the muscles a bit more and have more fun.

Women's World Cup Semifinal: Japan vs. Sweden

Frau A and I got to see a lot of the Women's World Cup in person.  Some group-stage games were held in Augsburg, so we attended North Korea vs. Sweden and then Australia vs. Sweden.

We bought semifinal tickets early on a gamble -- before knowing the matchup.  We though the U.S. would with their group, then win their first elimination-stage game to reach the semifinal.  We thought Germany would do the same.  Germany vs. the U.S. would have been awesome...

But as it turned out, the U.S. did NOT win Group C, (but did make the other semifinal game) and Germany lost to Japan in the quarterfinals!

So, even though the dream matchup would not happen, we took the train to Frankfurt to see Sweden (who we'd seen twice already!) take on Japan.

 

We arrived to see the opening ceremony and hear the national anthems in progress.  Notice the empty seats in the best section -- we think it's the result of German fans (who made the same gamble we did) not showing up because the German team wasn't here.

Sweden was attacking right-to-left in the first half and probably generated the most (and most dangerous) opportunities.

Frau A tool some GREAT photos of the first goal.  Sweden 1, Japan 0.  Only 10 minutes into the game.

On the other end, Japan was not getting much other than ineffective corner kicks.  There was a feeling in the stadium that it would be an easy Swedish victory...

But the Japanese team started to control ball possession more, and their attacks were getting sharper.  They got the equalizer at 19 minutes and took the tie into halftime.  Their attackes continued into the second half.

For one save, the Swedish goalie punched the ball away and hit her teammate in the process! 

In fact, Japan ended up with 60% ball possession and scored two unanswered goals within 5 minutes to open a 3-1 lead on Sweden.  On the defensive end, Japan were tight and for the remainder of the game.  Sweden created no real chances to speak of.

Japan were a pleasant surprise (and of course, would be an even bigger surprise in the Final...).  We saw three games, and are so happy that we had this opportunity.  It was a great experience and hope many of you can see games in Canada in 2015!

Globetrotter Outdoor Sports store (again)

The Globetrotter store that we visited previously has a few more surprises that we missed the first time.

But to start, I've had some requests for more photos of the wind & rain chamber and the altitude/cold chamber.

So, here is a better viewing angle of the wind & rain chamber (see prior post for the video).  Customers can put on test pants+jacket+hat+boots+gloves, then go through the door and step on the buttons to unleash the elements (or someone steps on the buttons outside the chamber for you).

In this picture you can see more clearly the dual fans that create the "wind".  The box hanging from the ceiling has four spouts that make the "rain".  I have no idea why they have water running down the plexiglass wall, though.  Probably just for visual effect.

The altitude & cold chamber has exercise machines so you can get a feel for trekking in new gear under similar conditions.  They really have quite a layout of stationary bike, treadmill, stairmaster, and mechanical steppers:

The television screen shows the current "conditions" in the room, in this case equivalent to 2200m altitude:

One new discovery -- that we walked right past the first time -- is the test area for slepping pads and sleeping bags:

You can see the bags hanging on the wall, and the pads lined up on the left.  The single-bed-sized thing with the small logs set upright is the test platform!  (A girl is sitting on its far edge.)  The concept is to have an uneven, hard surface onto which you place a potential sleeping pad and then sleeping bag -- then climb on and climb in.  You'll get a pretty good idea how much comfort the pad provides, and if the sleeping bag is the right size too.

A woman was testing these and got off moments ago:

In addition to the above test area, there was something else we missed on the initial visit.  The store has a small closet with two covered holes (wide enough for an arm) and three sets of eye holes at different heights.

You can take a flashlight or headlight, stick it through the covered hole, then peer in through the eyeholes to see how much light it provides in darkness (or even compare products back & forth):

That is really taking in-store tests to the extreme!

For some reason, they have an ant farm too!  This is located pretty close to mosquito covers and insect repellent, so perhaps you can reach through the oval hole and test something?  I'm not sure -- I didn't see anyone using this and didn't ask.  Plus, there were few ants and they were not very active. 

 
Finally, Globetrotter gives space to vendors for demonstrations too.  On that day, Columbia brought a centrifuge to demonstrate the capabilities of their "Outdry" shoes.  Columbia bought the Outdry company in 2010 and is promoting the shoes' waterproofing -- basically, it's a competitor to Gore-Tex. 

The sign says "centrifuge test" in German.  Different shoes were placed in the cylinder, with water, and spun.  The guy and gal in the picture then let the customer see/feel the difference.  Not sure entirely the point, but the lady in the backpack was enthralled.

This is definitely one of my favorite stores in Munich now!

Munich Cowboys - American football!

Frau A and I went to see an American football game here in Munich!

The local team is the Munich Cowboys.  They are one of 14 teams in the top level of the German Football League.  The GFL 1st League has two 7-team conferences, North and South (Munich is in the South, naturally).  Most major metropolitan areas have a team except Hamburg (they were relegated to the 2nd league):

Some team names are awesome:  Kiel Baltic Hurricanes (so U of Miami doesn't get upset?), Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns (not the fighting unicorns?), Marburg Mercenaries.  (Berlin are the "Eagles":  Adler in German).  Defunkt teams include the Cologne Crocodiles.  The Badener Griefs (what's a Grief?), currently in the 2nd league, were founded by a group of motorcycle enthusiasts!  Also in the 2nd leauge:  Magdeburg Virgin Guards!

Surprisingly, the league was founded (but with different names and structures) in 1979.  Munich has been the most consistent participant, with 335 games in its history -- but have been champions only once (1993). 

Interesting note:  the league allowed unrestricted use of foreign players at first (probably to seed the teams) but now limits teams to only two non-EU players on the field at any time.

In its current state, teams play home & away games within their conference, plus home & away with one team from the other conference (the team that finished in the same place in that conference's standings last season).

Four of the seven teams from each conference reach the playoffs, where team #1 in the North plays team #4 in the South, etc.  From these quarterfinals then through the semifinals, the final two teams standing meet in the German Bowl.  The winner can go on to play in the EuroBowl.

On the flip side, the last place team in each conference must play against the first place team (in the respective conference) in the German Football League 2.  If they lose, they are relegated to the 2nd league and the winner moves into the 1st league -- just like soccer and most sports in Europe.

(Note to the NCAA:  playoffs are GOOD.  Promotion/relegation is also a good idea.)

The Cowboys are currently in third place in the Southern conference, and were hosting the Schwäbish Hall Unicorns.  Don't judge the Unicorns by their mascot - they came in undefeated at 10-0, in first place in the South, and are outscoring opponents by 2 touchdowns a game.

Dante Stadion is cozy, with a grandstand on one side and a smaller set of steps on the far side.  It has a capacity of 18,000, but not nearly full for the game.  It was built in 1928, and used for Hitler Youth activities during that period of time, but after the war it was used by U.S. troops stationed here for American football and baseball.

Visually, the Olympia Tower looms in the background.  Very cool backdrop for the coin toss:

I was excited to get the camera going, so I snapped this on the first play of the game...

... and the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns threw a 67-yard touchdown pass.  What a start.  7-0 after 18 seconds (note that they use 12 minute quarters):

Just like you would expect in the U.S., a large, loud coach circles the guys around for a pep talk after giving up a quick touchdown (and telling them how to fix the mistakes).

Munich is more of a running-oriented team, but couldn't get a consistent attack established.

They also seemed to be a bit sloppier, less precise.  This snap was low and wrecked the play:

The whole experience is "produced" like an NBA game.  At every break, pop music blares over the loudspeakers -- it does help keep the energy up.  Given the small stadium and crowd, the announcer roams the stands with a wireless mic and clipboard of names and stats.  He is often explaining the game in more detail to the fans, and constantly yelling "Let's go Munich..." to which the fans complete by yelling "COWBOYS"!  The whole thing works quite well.

At halftime we wandered around to where they had a throwing game for kids.  The NFL clearly is trying to help market the sport here.  The challenge is people understanding all the rules!

In the second half, Munich started to mix things up a but more - here they lined up in trips-right formation and tried to jump-start the passing offense.  The receivers are a bit slow, though.

However, the day belonged to the Unicorns.  I noticed that their quarterback looked pretty good, and learned from the president of the Bavarian Amercian Sport Association (who was sitting next to us!) that this quy is the quarterback of the German National Team too.  It looks like he's on track to lead his team to the German Bowl against Kiel, who are undefeated in the Northern conference...

Munich coaches brought out white boards to try and diagram something effective, but without success.  In the end, the Unicorns beat the Cowboys 27-7.  According to league statistics, Munich out-rushed Schwäbisch Hall 173 yards to 87, but were significantly out-passed 384-139 (and committed 3 interceptions to boot).

The overall experience (and quality of play) was a bit like a top level U.S. high school game, including hamburgers to eat and the players shaking hands at the end.  We had a great time.  The Bavarian Association president comped us tickets to another game, and we're definitely going!  Thanks Georg!  (Is there a roster spot for me?)

Women's World Cup - Sweden vs. Australia

Frau A and I had already seen a game of the Women's World Cup (group stage).  But when friends from Dallas came to visit, we got tickets for the next weekend too.  Again in Augsburg, again Sweden, but this time against Australia.

It was easy to reach the stadium on trams that ran every few minutes from the city center -- and clearly marked!

It was another hot, sunny day with blue skies (our seats were in the shade, otherwise we might have roasted).

A lot of German fans supported Sweden, but the awesome Australian fans definitely made themselves known!  (They're all smiles with the headgear and blow-up kangaroo.)

We also noticed a lot of girls' soccer teams that came in a group.  Great to see the sport building a large base.

With these teams, we suspected the game would be physical, and it was.  At least three yellow cards were handed out, and every ball was strongly contested. 

Sweden built a quick 2-0 lead, but Frau A caught the incredible Aussie score in a series of fast photographs.
It was a precision shot at distance (both the goal and the photos, actually).  Fantastic stuff!

In the last photo above, the black splotch is the person in front of us standing to cheer.

However, after that, the Swedish keeper constantly went airborne to protect the net.  She had to, because Australia had nine corner kicks vs. Sweden's three.

The Australian goalie made a tight save here, to the disappointment of the Swedish attacker.

The Australian defense made an error passing back to the goalie and Sweden capitalized.  3-1.

After this mistake, Australia never really threatened anything, and the Swedes won handily.  This is their victory dance that became popular as the went undefeated in the group stage.

We really lucked out -- two beautiful days with two fun games.  But we had tickets to one more...