It’s about power. Head to head. Magnesium for the hands like when climbing. Sometimes a kind of fall, but not over rock faces, but only backwards from the stool. According to Alpine custom, the men measure their strength by finger wrestling. If the weaker player gives in or lets go, the winner falls backwards, held by a “catcher” to avoid an accident. Referee’s command: “Both hookers ready. . . pulls!” Whoever pulls the other over the table – or the edge of the table – wins. According to the Haklers, the corresponding figure of speech arose from this ancient Bavarian, archaic showdown.
A good 150 finger hookers from nine districts fought for the title of Bavarian champion in Miesbach in Upper Bavaria on Sunday, as in weightlifting in various classes: lightweight, middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight. Before that, it’s the turn of young people and seniors, the oldest are around 80. The hookers warm themselves up with expanders, some blow-dry their fingers – so that they are dry and the leather ring into which the hookers hook their fingers doesn’t slip off. Otherwise the skin will easily tear away. Bloody fingers are part of it, they say. Bloody handkerchiefs bear witness to this. Ladies hook? none. “The women don’t have that much strength. We don’t rule it out. But a petite woman will never sit down at the table,” says Georg Hailer, chairman of the Schlierachgauer Fingerhakler as the host of the championship. So the ladies in the marquee remain responsible for clapping while listening to brass band music, beer and snacks.
The statutes regulate that women are not allowed in competitions, says Thomas Post, chairman of the state association of Bavarian finger hookers. His predecessor Anton Bader says it is a “man’s strength sport” where you “can impress the woman”. Tina Hasenstab, who came with her partner, says she’s impressed, especially when the slimmer wins. “But to impress would be saying too much.” She isn’t interested in hooking along. She doesn’t want bloody fingers, she says – that’s how most of the women see it. In some places, women are involved, “but only for fun,” they say.
It doesn’t matter which gender: Weight training, which is particularly widespread in Bavaria and Austria, is not for the faint-hearted. Knees against the extra padded table edge, the opponents are connected to each other via the leather ring. The body trembles with exertion, muscles bulging when trying to get the opponent over the edge of the table. The braces have stripped the opponents down: The tension could tear the buttons off. “It looks easy,” said Country Manager Post. But it takes strength, speed, technique and – “very important: cornea”. The middle fingers of longtime hookers adorn millimeter-thick calluses.
The more distinguished alternative to brawling
Training is done with weights and springs. Some, Hailer reports, practice with their tractors by pulling them with one finger. Without training, there is also a risk of tendon tears. Other injuries are rare. A few years ago, two brawlers wanted to solve their pub quarrel with finger hooks – finger broken. A case of assault against the opponent was dropped. From a medical point of view, however, there is nothing fundamentally wrong with sport. Over the years, there could be signs of wear and tear – as in other sports, says emergency doctor Martin von Ahnen, who is there as a precaution for the BRK at the competition and treats bloody fingers. It is important that the tradition is preserved.
In formerly typical male sports such as football, boxing and weightlifting, women have been involved for a long time. When it comes to customs and traditions, opening up is difficult in some places. In Memmingen, a process was necessary so that last year women were allowed to jump into the city stream for the first time at Fisherman’s Day to catch the biggest trout. In Weingarten, Baden-Württemberg, the first “blood rider” was also part of the “Blutritt” in 2022. After a good 900 years, the parish council had cleared the way for women on horses to take part in the procession around the Holy Blood relic. The origin of finger hooking is not entirely clear. According to Post, disputes in taverns used to be carried out – a somewhat more elegant alternative to brawls.