Aizkolaritza[ais̻ˈkolaɾiˌts̻a] is theBasque name for a type ofwood-chopping competition. They are a popular form ofherri kirol (rural sport) in theBasque 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 calledaizkolaritza inBasque, fromaizkolari "wood-chopper" plus the noun-formingsuffix-tza. It is also known asaizkol jokoa the "axe game".Spanish uses a loanword from Basque,aizcolari and inFrench the sport is calledcoupeurs de bûches.

The sections of trunk are usuallybeech without visibleknots from the forests ofNavarre. 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 theircircumference using Basqueinches (ontza), equivalent to 0.0254m. They commonly are used in the following sizes:

Theoinbetekoa, 80ontza,kanakoa and bigger ones are often used in wagers; thekanaerdikoa, 60ontza andoinbikoa 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 eachaizkolari uses a number of them in a competition. The logs are between 0.5-0.8m long for competitions where oneaizkolari 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 donetxandetan, in relays, where twoaizkolaris 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 eachaizkolari having two helpers. Thebotilero (botillero inSpanish) holds the towel and brings new axes. Theprestatzaile (enseñador inSpanish) 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 inTolosa, twoaizkolaris called Jose Mari Mendizabal and Mikel Mindegi had a wager to chop six 110ontza trunks and 52kanaerdikoa (a total of 100kanaerdi) each in less than 5 hours. Mendizabal won the competition and 2 millionpesetas taking just 4:12hrs, Mindegi 4:29hrs. But the most famousaizkolari was probably a man nicknamedSanta Ageda who competed in an epic event in the bullring ofAzpeitia in 1903.

Manyaizkolariak 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 ofbertsos in honour of the event.

The most important modern day competition is probably theUrrezko Aizkora, the "golden axe" competition where the bestaizkolaris 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 theDonostiako Urrezko Kopako ("gold cup of San Sebastián"), theEuskal Herriko Lehen Maila ("premier league of the Basque Country") and the provincial competitions.

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

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

The "open championship ofBiscay".

The championship ofGipuzkoa, a province level championship held annually.

The championship ofNavarre, a province level championship held annually.

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.

Normally theaizkolaris stand on the trunk sections but there are variations where they are required to chop a vertical tree from the top calledzutiko enborra or "upright trunk". This is achieved by chopping notches into the trunk into which theaizkolari 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 inaizkolari 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 thetxondorra, the mound for burning charcoal. In these communities, competitions were common to establish who the strongest and fastestaizkolariak 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 forshipbuilding 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 ofBeizama", "the son of the house of Gorrizu", "the group fromNuarbe" or "the one from Beunza farm". To outsiders, the early competitions were known asfiestas Euskaras "Basque fiestas".

• Basque rural sports

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

AizkolariakArchived 2017-02-02 at theWayback Machine (some information about Basque axemen challenges)

• Basque sport
• Lumberjack sports

• Pages with Basque IPA
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