Aizkolaritza
Aizkolaritza [ais̻koˈlaɾits̻a] is the Basque name for a type of wood-chopping competition. They are a popular form of herri kirol (rural sport) in the Basque 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 name
The sport is called aizkolaritza in Basque, from aizkolari "wood-chopper" plus the noun-forming suffix -tza. The word aizkora "axe" itself is derived from Latin asciola. It is also known as aizkol jokoa the "axe game". Spanish uses a loanword from Basque, aizcolari and in French the sport is called coupeurs de bûches.
Rules
The sections of trunk are usually beech without visible knots from the forests of Navarre. 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 their circumference using Basque inches (ontza), equivalent to 0.0254m. They commonly are used in the following sizes:
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