There was a very special sporting event that happened in Switzerland this weekend, and you probably missed it. Yes, it was that magical time of year when Das Eidgenössische Schwingfest arrived in Estavayer.
Schwingfest is the best time you can have wrestling in a Swiss sawdust pit
This is a strange, but surprisingly wild sport.
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
I’ll be honest, I didn’t know what the heck Schwingfest was either until I stumbled across the FOUR HOUR livestream on YouTube. Here’s what I learned in that time.
The graphic for the event is pretty great.
Take away the text and this could be anything. Still from a soap opera. Interpretive dance. Two cool boys waiting for the end of the universe. So much faux emotion in one screen.
There’s a lot of butt grasping.
These are called “Schwinghosen,” and no, I didn’t just make that up. They’re traditional wrestling capris that fall somewhere between short and pant. They have a large rope running through them for grasping and grappling.
What is the point of all this?
So basically Schwinging involves wrestling your opponent to the ground and pinning them in a giant pit of sawdust. I’m not sure why it needs to be sawdust, but that part is important. It results in some dusty boys.
Swiss tailgating is surprisingly lit.
Multiple times during the screen they cut to the infield, which was totally bananas. Hundreds of cars, campers and tents littered the countryside. Everyone ready to watch some wrestleboys throw each other in the dust.
I think these two men were fierce rivals.
I don’t know their names. I don’t know their roles. All I know is that these guys HATE each other with a passion.
BEST STAREDOWN IN SPORTS, BABY! WOOOO!
This was followed by a weird Schwinging match between the two in what looked to be horse stables with nobody watching but a camera. I think they might have been former champions, because nothing else makes sense.
I’ve watched the end of the stream 10 times and have no clue who won.
The thing that makes Schwinging tricky to understand is that matches are scored almost like gymnastics. It’s not just about beating your opponent, it’s HOW you beat them. A full take down can result in 9.5 points, while rolling them onto the ground is worth less.
Since there’s granularity in the scoring it makes it near-impossible to determine who actually won a tournament. I think this guy might have because they were clapping for him.
In the end I learned very little except that this sport is ludicrously popular in Switzerland. It’s like sumo, but with special pants and sawdust. There are more take downs too.
In invite you to watch the stream too. Breathe in the majesty.
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