Beyond Fútbol: Traditional Basque Sports

While Athletic Club is certainly the most popular sports team in the region, the sports scene in País Vasco extends beyond fútbol. There are also a number of traditional Basque sports that are played and followed here. There are two distinct categories of these sports that we’ve been fortunate enough to witness during our time in Bilbao: Herri Kirolak and Pelota Vasca. 

Pelota Vasca

Pelota Vasca refers to sports played with a ball on a walled court, known as a fronton. There are varieties of pelota vasca played with just the hands, as well as rackets, bats, and baskets. It is believed that tennis has its origins in pelota vasca, and there are versions of the game where opponents face one another with a net between them. However, most of the versions of the sport played professionally today are played with both players or teams facing the same direction and playing the ball off of the wall. 

During our time in País Vasco over the years we’ve watched a good amount of pelota vasca on TV. [The regional network broadcasts many matches with commentary in Euskara, the Basque language.] However, we hadn’t been able to see it played live until last weekend, when we attended the first leg of the quarterfinals of the Campeonato Manomanista [Handball Championship]. This was played at the Bizkaia Frontoia in Bilbao.

There were three matches played that evening, two singles and one doubles. Unlike most of the other ticket holders, we arrived in time for the first match. While the quality of play wasn’t very high, arriving early allowed us to gain a greater understanding of the sport before the more competitive matches that followed.

The basic rules of pelota mano are: 

• The ball is served by being dropped, then hit against the front wall.
• The opposing player/team can return the serve before it bounces or wait for it to hit the floor or side wall. They then hit it off of the front wall themselves.
• Play continues back-and-forth until:
  • The ball bounces more than once without being returned.
  • The ball is returned above or below the designated playing area of the front wall.
  • The ball is returned but hits the ground before reaching the front wall.
• The player to reach 22 (or team to reach 18) first wins the match

Between the first and second match, the arena filled with fans. While the quality of play in the second match was higher than the first, there was clearly a dominant player. His name is Unai Laso, and he was undoubtedly the fan favorite. The fans cheered wildly when he scored and sang/chanted before his serves. Laso won his match decisively and many fans departed once he did, opting not to stay for the doubles match that closed-out the evening.

The matches we attended were the first rounds of a Championship that will be taking place throughout País Vasco in the weeks ahead. I’m sure we will watch many of the rounds to come on TV [and may even attend another event]!

Herri Kirolak

Herri Kirolak are rural sports that are rooted in the traditional occupations of the Basque people. These were showcased during Bilbao Basque Fest which took place during Semana Santa. Some of the different competitions that we observed were:

There were other Herri Kirolak contests that we did not observe during Bilbao Basque Fest, such as Giza-abere probak [dragging of heavy items such as stones or livestock], Trontza [sawing through wood], and Sokatira [tug of war]. In total, there are 18 different sports that have been recognized by the Basque government, each of which requires an impressive level of strength!