Ostfriesland
Straw bale rolling championship – always nice up the dike
Such a bale of straw weighs around 300 kilos. photo
© Lars Penning/dpa
Straw bales are usually found on farms in Lower Saxony, but in East Frisia on the North Sea coast they are misused once a year.
Three women’s teams, seven men’s teams and eight mixed teams competed against each other in the small holiday resort on the North Sea coast, as the event manager of Dornumer Tourismus GmbH, Sabine Habben, said. Most participants were between 18 and 35 years old.
The teams had to roll a bale of straw weighing around 300 kilos over an 80 meter long route up a dike in the shortest possible time, master a slalom parkour with the bale and cover an 80 meter long straight route. The aim in all three disciplines was to reach the finish line in as short a time as possible. “The atmosphere is great, people are excited and cheering on. This means the teams are even more motivated and are rolling even faster,” said Habben.
Strength and technique are required
The Tourismus GmbH of the municipality of Dornum, which organizes the competition annually, calls the championship the “toughest race in East Frisia”. In addition to strength, the right technique is also important, said event manager Habben. “There are teams that have been there for years.”
A winning team was determined in each team group – i.e. women, men and mixed teams. The prizes included certificates, medals and boxes of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beer, as Habben reported. The youngsters were able to practice with small bales of straw at a children’s straw bale rally. The straw bale rolling championship was organized for the twelfth time.
Information about the straw bale rolling championships