Taranaki locals get to grips with Swiss wrestling

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Olympics feature Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling and Japan is famous for sumo – but in South Taranaki it is schwingen that rules supreme.

Dozens of competitors clad in special canvas hosen have been grappling for New Zealand’s default national title at the Taranaki Swiss Picnic in Kaponga.

Schwingen – derived from the German to swing – is a national sport in Switzerland also known colloquially as hosenlupf or breeches lifting which perhaps better describes the action.

Thomas Werder was in charge of the sawdust ring.

“The idea is you put on these kind of lack old sack shorts, you hold on [to your opponent’s shorts] with your two hands and one wrestler has to have one hand on at all times or else you restart the match.

“If you go off the sawdust you restart the match and if two shoulders [of your opponent] hit the sawdust the match is over instantly.”

Schwingen was a professional sport in Switzerland, but here it was for allcomers.

“I grew up as a five year old competing in it and I really enjoy it. I think even for the little kids it helps build confidence and getting out there.

“In Switzerland it’s very serious, but here we try and make it as much fun as possible. Some people here don’t even have Swiss line in their family but they have a Swiss connection somewhere and that’s what is really cool, everyone is welcome.”

Taranaki Swiss Club president Othmar Hebler said it was a special occasion for the community.

“Today is the annual Swiss Picnic which has been held since 1953 and there’s probably around 400 people here today and we have Swiss music, Swiss wrestling and we’ve got Alphorn and we’ve also got shot put and bottle-fishing and pony rides for the kids.”

Hebler said the first Swiss arrived in Taranaki in the mid-1800s before a later surge.

“Back in the 1930s and 40s a lot of farmers from Switzerland – because they had small farms – they came to New Zealand and they settled around here in Taranaki and mainly around the southern side of the mountain and that’s why there’s the big community here. So we’ve got second, third and fourth generations of Swiss now in our club.”

The picnic – as the name suggests – was not all about music and sports.

Leo Danz was in charge of the high-end sausage sizzle.

“That’s wiener and it’s just got a bit more taste than a Kiwi sausages have. I don’t really know the recipe of the things but that’s veal mainly and veal and pork. No bread in it. They’re quite spicy, salty and this is cervelas [the national sausage of Switzerland] and bratwurst they call it. One is completely beef and the other veal and pork too.”

Pauline was suitably impressed.

“My dad and my uncle Don used to make them years ago when we were kids, but these are the best they’ve had here for the last couple of years. More spicy and yummy. They’re very good on a BBQ actually better on a BBQ. Normally you just heat them up in hot water. You don’t actually boil them, but they’re actually better on the BBQ.”

It would not be a Swiss get-together without a bit of alphorn.

Taranaki Alphorn Group member Alan Beck said it took him three months to get the first note out of his instrument.

“Since then the attraction has grown like gravy pouring off meat. As people have a go and find that it’s not that hard they then get captured by the ability to make beautiful music harmonies and when you hit it you know and if you know you know.”

For the record, up and coming rugby talent Shay Smith-Luond could now lay claim to being New Zealand’s schwingen champion.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand