German males with the strongest fingers compete in Bavaria’s ‘Fingerhakeln’ wrestling champion

BERNBEUREN, Germany — Regardless of the specter of dislocated fingers and strained muscle tissue, over 150 Bavarian males got here collectively Sunday to compete in Germany’s distinctive nationwide championship of “Fingerhakeln,” or finger wrestling.

The “finger wrestlers” met in an enormous beer tent within the small southern village of Bernbeuren. Round 1,000 guests cheered on the all-male contestants as they gulped down their nationwide beer and world-famous German sausages whereas Bavarian reside music stuffed the air.

Finger wrestling, a widely known aggressive sport in Germany’s Alpine area and neighboring Austria, originated as a approach to settle disputes.

In every spherical, two rivals sit on reverse sides of a strong desk and every hooks one finger — normally the center finger — by means of reverse sides of a small leather-based loop. As quickly as a referee alerts the beginning, a contestant tries to tug the opposite throughout the desk swiftly. The entire thing normally lasts a number of seconds, and digits put out of their joints are frequent. The winner strikes to the following spherical.

“This custom has been well-liked for a really very long time in beer homes and pubs throughout the area,” stated Marie-Therese Eierstock, the top of the Fingerhakler Gau Auerberg affiliation, based in 1961 and arranged this yr’s championship.

Usually, solely males are allowed to take part in finger-wrestling competitions.

At Sunday’s match, the youngest competitor was 15 years previous and the oldest 70, Eierstock stated.