Aizkolaritza

Aizkolaritza [ais̻ˈkolaɾiˌts̻a] 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 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.

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:

Ontza	Basque name	translation
36	oinbetekoa	one of a full foot
45
54	kanaerdikoa	one of half a kana
60
72	oinbikoa	one of two feet
80
108	kanakoa	one of one kana
110

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.

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.

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

Year	Singles	Pairs
1997
1998	Joxemiel Peñagarikano
1999
2000
2001		Floren Nazabal & Joxemiel Peñagarikano
2002		Anjel Arrospidek & Xabier Orbegozo (Arria V) (19:12) Floren Nazabal & López Azpilikueta (20:07)
2003	Donato Larretxea v Jose Mari Olasagasti	Mindegia & Donato Larretxea (16:29) Floren Nazabal & Jose Mari Olasagasti (16:49) Joxemiel Peñagarikano & Anjel Arrospide (16:31)
2004	Floren Nazabal	Mindegia & Donato Larretxea
2005	Donato Larretxea v Floren Nazabal
2006	Floren Nazabal v Jose Mari Olasagasti
2007	Floren Nazabal v Jose Mari Olasagasti	Floren Nazabal & Juan Jose Azpilikueta Donato Larretxea & Jose Juan Barberena
2008	Floren Nazabal v Donato Larretxea	Donato Larretxea & Aitzol Atutxa (30:37) Anjel Arrospide & Aierbe II (32:38)
2009

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

Year	Winner	Runner-up
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996	Jose Mari Olasagasti
1997	Donato Larretxea
1998	Jose Mari Olasagasti
1999	Jose Mari Olasagasti
2000	Joxemiel Peñagarikano
2001	Jose Mari Olasagasti
2002
2003	Donato Larretxea
2004
2005	Mikel Mujika
2006
2007
2008
2009

The "open championship of Biscay".

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

Year	Winner	Runner-up
1997	Joxemiel Peñagarikano
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003	Iñaki Azurmendi
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008	Iñaki Azurmendi (33:19)	Joxemari Olasagasti (34:35)
2009

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

Year	Winner	Runner-up
2008
2009

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.

Year	Winner	Runner-up
1989	Donato Larretxea (35:09)
1990	Joxemari Olasagasti (31:41)
1991	Anjel Arrospide (28:20)
1992	Anjel Arrospide (27:39)
1993	Anjel Arrospide (27:53)
1994	Anjel Arrospide (28:34)
1995	Donato Larretxea (27:17)
1996	Anjel Arrospide (29:11)
1997	Donato Larretxea (29:22)
1998	Antonio Senosiain (30:00)
1999	Joxemari Olasagasti (27:39)	Joxemiel Peñagarikano (30:08)
2000	Joxemiel Peñagarikano (29:04)	Floren Nazabal (30:53)
2001	Joxemiel Peñagarikano (27:34)	Donato Larretxea (27:56)
2002	Donato Larretxea (29:03)	Joxemiel Peñagarikano (31:10)
2003	Joxemiel Peñagarikano (37:01)	Floren Nazabal (37:23)
2004	Floren Nazabal (35:28)	Joxemiel Peñagarikano (36:12)
2005	Floren Nazabal (38:52)	Joxemari Olasagasti (41:48)
2006	Floren Nazabal (31:47)	Joxemari Olasagasti (36:16)
2007	Joxemari Olasagasti (31:34)	Luis Txapartegi (32:57)
2008
2009

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.

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

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".

• Basque rural sports

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

Aizkolariak (some information about Basque axemen challenges)