Estropadak
Encyclopedia
Basque language
Basque is the ancestral language of the Basque people, who inhabit the Basque Country, a region spanning an area in northeastern Spain and southwestern France. It is spoken by 25.7% of Basques in all territories...
term for a kind of rowing regatta
Regatta
A regatta is a series of boat races. The term typically describes racing events of rowed or sailed water craft, although some powerboat race series are also called regattas...
held all along the coast of the Basque Country
Basque Country (historical territory)
The Basque Country is the name given to the home of the Basque people in the western Pyrenees that spans the border between France and Spain on the Atlantic coast....
between July and October. The word estropadak is the plural
Plural
In linguistics, plurality or [a] plural is a concept of quantity representing a value of more-than-one. Typically applied to nouns, a plural word or marker is used to distinguish a value other than the default quantity of a noun, which is typically one...
form of estropada which simply means "boat race".
In Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
this sport is called traineras and in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
trainières, both after the boats used. The Spanish and French names are derived from traina a closely woven net
Fishing net
A fishing net or fishnet is a net that is used for fishing. Fishing nets are meshes usually formed by knotting a relatively thin thread. Modern nets are usually made of artificial polyamides like nylon, although nets of organic polyamides such as wool or silk thread were common until recently and...
used in the fishing of sardines and anchovies.
Distribution
Today, this sport is popular all along the Bay of BiscayBay of Biscay
The Bay of Biscay is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Brest south to the Spanish border, and the northern coast of Spain west to Cape Ortegal, and is named in English after the province of Biscay, in the Spanish...
, all the way through Cantabria
Cantabria
Cantabria is a Spanish historical region and autonomous community with Santander as its capital city. It is bordered on the east by the Basque Autonomous Community , on the south by Castile and León , on the west by the Principality of Asturias, and on the north by the Cantabrian Sea.Cantabria...
, Asturias
Asturias
The Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages...
and Galicia. Numerous competitions are held each year such as the Bandera de Santander and there are various trainera leagues such as the Liga San Miguel or the Liga Asociación de Remo del Cantábrico.
Boats and rules
Coxswain (rowing)
In a crew, the coxswain is the member who sits in the stern facing the bow, steers the boat, and coordinates the power and rhythm of the rowers.- Role :The role of a coxswain within a crew is to:...
facing them in the stern. As is common in other such events, the cox is responsible for steering the boat and keeping up the morale of the team. Each boat flies a particular flag and wears a team strip and often the boat is painted in the team's colours as well.
The boats themselves are 12m long, 1.72m wide (at midship) and weigh between 210–230 kg but may not weigh less than 200 kg (excluding oars and equipment). Today modern materials are used to build the traineru - amongst other things they are fitted with GPS systems - creating better boats but also pushing up the prices for them. In the 1970s a traineru cost around 45,000 pesetas
Spanish peseta
The peseta was the currency of Spain between 1869 and 2002. Along with the French franc, it was also a de facto currency used in Andorra .- Etymology :...
, today prices start at around €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
10,000.
A race normally covers a distance of 5.5 km with either a single trip to a buoy and back two return trips. Each boat has its own lane and may not cross into another boat's lane and the oars (and boats) of different boats may not touch. A race is normally restarted if something irregular happens within the first 20 seconds of a race. The winning team is awarded a bandera (flag) of the town. The winning team traditionally holds all oars vertically into the air, the so called arraunak gora or "oars up".
Women and estropadak
Although most rowing teams were male, evidence from the historical bertsos tells us that female rowers existed, referred to as batelerak. The name derives from batel, a name for a smaller type of boat with 4 rowers and a cox. Evidence can also be seen in the traditional batelera dantza (batelera dance) which is performed by women with oars.More recently, female teams have also begun to take plains in the estropadak proper.
History
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
and whaling
Whaling
Whaling is the hunting of whales mainly for meat and oil. Its earliest forms date to at least 3000 BC. Various coastal communities have long histories of sustenance whaling and harvesting beached whales...
, both highly important sources of income in earlier periods. Traditionally, the first boat back at the quay got the best price for their fish. As the boat and all equipment was usually owned by the skipper and the crew hired by oral contract, the skipper would first deduct the boat and net share (25%) from the earnings, then deduct any further expenses for bait and provisions. Only then would the remained be shared in equal parts so it was in everybody's interest to get back as fast as possible to get the best price possible.
Similarly, when whaling was at its height in along the Bay of Biscay
Bay of Biscay
The Bay of Biscay is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Brest south to the Spanish border, and the northern coast of Spain west to Cape Ortegal, and is named in English after the province of Biscay, in the Spanish...
teams would race to be the first to reach a sighted whale.
The boats used in the estropadak were originally working fishing boats, the frame made from oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
and the hull from pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
.. There were three main categories:
- The trainera (SpanishSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
), traineru (BasqueBasque languageBasque is the ancestral language of the Basque people, who inhabit the Basque Country, a region spanning an area in northeastern Spain and southwestern France. It is spoken by 25.7% of Basques in all territories...
), traînière (FrenchFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
) or traíña (GalicianGalician languageGalician is a language of the Western Ibero-Romance branch, spoken in Galicia, an autonomous community located in northwestern Spain, where it is co-official with Castilian Spanish, as well as in border zones of the neighbouring territories of Asturias and Castile and León.Modern Galician and...
) which has and elevated prow and rounded stern, ideally suited for navigating the choppy waters off the coast at speed needed to catch anchovyAnchovyAnchovies are a family of small, common salt-water forage fish. There are 144 species in 17 genera, found in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. Anchovies are usually classified as an oily fish.-Description:...
and sardineSardineSardines, or pilchards, are several types of small, oily fish related to herrings, family Clupeidae. Sardines are named after the Mediterranean island of Sardinia, around which they were once abundant....
s. The crew consists of 13 rowers and one cox. The rowers are divided into two rows of six, plus the bow rower, who is alone on his bench. - The trainerilla (SpanishSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
for 'little trainera') has a crew of 6 rowers and one cox, all sitting in a row. - The batel is a smaller boat used close to the coast for a variety of fish, with 4 rowers and a cox.
Mutriku
Mutriku is a town located in the province of Gipuzkoa in the Autonomous Community of Basque Country in northern Spain. It is the site of the world's first multi-turbine breakwater wave power station, inaugurated July 8, 2011....
called Bizente Ormazabal built a new, sleek type of boat for a group from Getaria
Getaria (Spain)
Getaria is a town located in the province of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, in the North of Spain.Its most famous sons are Juan Sebastián Elcano, Admiral Miguel de Oquendo, who commanded the Guipúzcoa Squadron of the Spanish Armada, the explorer Domingo de Bonechea, and...
called Golondrina (Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
for 'swallow'). At the same time motors were introduced to the fishing industry so the commercial use of rowing boats quickly disappeared and more and more were used for the estropadak. Over time the design changed, building more for speed than fishing, reducing the weight and the width.
The first documented estropada which was held as a sporting event was in 1871 between the people of Hondarribia
Hondarribia
Hondarribia is a town situated on the west shore of Bidasoa river's mouth, in Gipuzkoa, Basque Country, Spain. The border town is sited on a little promontory facing Hendaye over the Txingudi bay. The town holds an ancient old quarter with walls and a castle...
and Pasaia
Pasaia
Pasaia is a town and municipality located in the province of Gipuzkoa in the Basque Autonomous Community of northern Spain. It is a fishing community, commercial port and the birth place of the fighting admiral Blas de Lezo. Pasaia lies approximately 5 km east of Donostia's centre, lying at the...
, involving a bet about who could reach San Sebastián
San Sebastián
Donostia-San Sebastián is a city and municipality located in the north of Spain, in the coast of the Bay of Biscay and 20 km away from the French border. The city is the capital of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. The municipality’s population is 186,122 , and its...
first setting our from Hondarribia. The Pasaia team won the 13 mile race and estropadak have been held as sporting event ever since. Originally the teams would race from one particular seaside town to another but today most races are held locally.
As rowing turned from a profession into a sport, fewer and fewer fishermen competed and more and more teams were put together from non-seafaring backgrounds as they could train more regularly than fishermen.
The most famous of all estropadak today is the Kontxako Estropadak or Kontxako Bandera
Kontxako Bandera
The Kontxako Bandera or "Flag of the Kontxa" is one of the oldest and most famous estropada race along the Bay of Biscay, held annually in the Kontxa, the main bay of San Sebastián. It takes place on the first two weekends in September and regularly draws crowds of more than 100,000 people and...
, Kontxa being the name of the main bay of Donostia. It was first organised by the city's council in 1890 and is said to have drawn a crowd of some 12,000 spectators.
Famous teams
Famous modern BasqueBasque Country
The Basque Country may refer to one of three areas inhabited by the Basque people:*The Basque Country , an autonomous community of Spain *The Basque Country , the approximate cultural area of...
teams:
- Aita Mari Arrain Taldea from ZumaiaZumaiaZumaia is a small town in the north of Spain in the Basque Country. The Mayor is Iñaki Agirrezabala, member of Eusko Alkartasuna and Gazte Abertzaleak....
, officially founded in 1975 - Arkote Arraun Taldea from PlentziaPlentziaPlentzia is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, in northern Spain. The town has 4,146 inhabitants ....
, officially founded in 1957 - Deustu Arraun Taldea from Deustu, officially founded in 1981
- Getariako Arraun Elkartea from GetariaGetariaGetaria may refer to:* Getaria , a town located in the Basque province of Gipuzkoa* Getaria , a small village in the Basque province of Labourd...
, officially founded in 1976 - Hobarribia Arraun Elkartea from HondarribiaHondarribiaHondarribia is a town situated on the west shore of Bidasoa river's mouth, in Gipuzkoa, Basque Country, Spain. The border town is sited on a little promontory facing Hendaye over the Txingudi bay. The town holds an ancient old quarter with walls and a castle...
, going back to 1862 - Itsasoko Ama from SanturtziSanturtziSanturtzi is a port town in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, Spain. It is located in the Bilbao Abra bay, near the mouth of the Nervión river, on its left bank, 14km downriver from Bilbao and forms part of the Greater Bilbao agglomeration...
, officially founded in 1967 - Isuntza Arraun Elkartea from LekeitioLekeitioLekeitio is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Spanish Autonomous Community of Basque Country, 53 km northeast from Bilbao. The municipality has 7,293 inhabitants and is one of the most important fishing ports of the Basque coast...
, officially founded in 1977 - Kaiku Arraunaren Kirol Elkartea from SestaoSestaoSestao is a town and municipality of 30,000 inhabitants located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain...
, officially founded in 1923 with a traineru called Bizkaitarra - Orio Arraun Elkartea from OrioOrioOrio is a fishing town located in the province of Gipuzkoa in the Basque Autonomous Community, northern Spain, with the town nucleus lying on the river Oria, roughly one mile away from its mouth by the Bay of Biscay....
, going back to 1879 and to date is the team which has won the Kontxako BanderaKontxako BanderaThe Kontxako Bandera or "Flag of the Kontxa" is one of the oldest and most famous estropada race along the Bay of Biscay, held annually in the Kontxa, the main bay of San Sebastián. It takes place on the first two weekends in September and regularly draws crowds of more than 100,000 people and...
the most times - Sanpedrotarra Arraun Elkartea from PasaiaPasaiaPasaia is a town and municipality located in the province of Gipuzkoa in the Basque Autonomous Community of northern Spain. It is a fishing community, commercial port and the birth place of the fighting admiral Blas de Lezo. Pasaia lies approximately 5 km east of Donostia's centre, lying at the...
, going back to 1880 - Urdaibai Arraun from the UrdaibaiUrdaibaiThe Urdaibai estuary is a natural region and a Biosphere Reserve of Biscay, Basque Country. It is also referred as Mundaka or Gernika estuary....
area, officially founded in 1992 by clubs from BermeoBermeoBermeo is a town and municipality in the sub-region of Busturialdea and the wider province of Biscay, part of the autonomous region of the Basque Country, in Northern Spain. Bermeo has 17,026 inhabitants and is the most important fishing port of the Basque Country. The town was founded in 1236 and...
, ElantxobeElantxobeElantxobe is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain.-External links:*...
and MundakaMundakaMundaka is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain. On the coast, Mundaka is internationally-renowned for its surfing scene....
to promote the sport in the area - Zarauzko Arraun Elkartea from ZarautzZarautzZarautz is a coastal town located in the province of Gipuzkoa, in the Basque Country, northern Spain.The town is a popular tourist destination with the population swelling from its usual 22,812 to around 60,000 in summer. The Palace of Narros, located adjacent to Zarautz's 2.8 km long beach,...
, officially founded in 1983
Famous modern Cantabria
Cantabria
Cantabria is a Spanish historical region and autonomous community with Santander as its capital city. It is bordered on the east by the Basque Autonomous Community , on the south by Castile and León , on the west by the Principality of Asturias, and on the north by the Cantabrian Sea.Cantabria...
n teams:
- Sociedad deportiva de remo Astillero de El AstilleroEl AstilleroEl Astillero is a town and municipality in the province and autonomous community of Cantabria, northern Spain. It is near the province capital, Santander, and it is known for its shipyard, and for holding the title of Spain Rowing Championships...
, officially founded in 1966 - Club de remo Camargo de MaliañoMaliañoMaliaño is a village in the municipality of Camargo . The town is located near the Bay of Santander, 5 km from the regional capital. It is the location of the regionally significant Santander Airport...
, officially founded in 1979 - Sociedad deportiva de remo Castro-Urdiales de Castro-Urdiales, officially founded in 1879
- Club de remo Colindres de ColindresColindresColindres is a town in the northern Spanish province and autonomous community of Cantabria. Located between the cities of Santander and Bilbao, Colindres has a population of approximately 7200.-Overview:...
, officially founded in 1988 - Club de remo La Maruca de SantanderSantander, CantabriaThe port city of Santander is the capital of the autonomous community and historical region of Cantabria situated on the north coast of Spain. Located east of Gijón and west of Bilbao, the city has a population of 183,446 .-History:...
, officially founded in 1975 - Laredo Remo Club de LaredoLaredo, CantabriaLaredo is a town in the Northern Spanish province and autonomous community of Cantabria.Located between the cities of Santander and Bilbao, Laredo is known in the region and nationally for "La Salvé", its 5 km long beach and for the historic part of town dating back to Roman times...
, officially founded in 1975 - Sociedad deportiva de remo Pedreña de PedreñaPedreñaPedreña is a village in the municipality of Marina de Cudeyo, Cantabria, northern Spain. As of 2010, its population was 1,454.Although located from Santander by road, it lies on a peninsula only about across the bay from Santander, separated from land to the east by the mouth of the Miera River...
, officially founded in 1895 - Club de remo Pontejos de Pontejos, officially founded in 1964
- Club de remo Ciudad de Santander de SantanderSantander, CantabriaThe port city of Santander is the capital of the autonomous community and historical region of Cantabria situated on the north coast of Spain. Located east of Gijón and west of Bilbao, the city has a population of 183,446 .-History:...
, officially founded in 1988 - Club de remo Santander de SantanderSantander, CantabriaThe port city of Santander is the capital of the autonomous community and historical region of Cantabria situated on the north coast of Spain. Located east of Gijón and west of Bilbao, the city has a population of 183,446 .-History:...
, officially founded in 1971 - Santoña Club de remo de SantoñaSantoñaSantoña is a town in the eastern coast of the autonomous community of Cantabria, on the north coast of Spain. It is situated by the bay of the same name. It is 45 km from the capital Santander. Santoña is divided into two zones, an urban plain, and a mountainous area, with Mount Buciero at its...
, officially founded in 1979
Famous modern Galician teams:
- Club de remo Cabo de Cruz de BoiroBoiroBoiro is a municipality of Spain in the Province of A Coruña, in the autonomous community of Galicia.It is perhaps best known as the small town where famous quadriplegic Ramón Sampedro received euthanasia...
, officially founded in 1979 - Club de remo Mecos de O GroveO GroveO Grove , Ogrobe is a municipality belonging to the province of Pontevedra, in Galicia, Spain.A peninsula that faces the Atlantic Ocean and the shores of O Salnés valley, enclosed by the southern Galician estuaries, the so-called "Rías Baixas"....
, officially founded in 1980 - Sociedade deportiva Samertolameu de MeiraMeiraMeira, is a municipality in the Spanish province of Lugo and a parish of the municipality of Moaña....
, officially founded in 1979 - Sociedade deportiva Tirán de MoañaMoañaMoaña is a municipality of 18,709 inhabitants located in Galicia, Spain in the province of Pontevedra.It is one of the five municipalities with Bueu, Cangas do Morrazo, Marin and Vilaboa that forms the peninsula of O Morrazo...
, officially founded in 1993
The founding dates can be somewhat misleading as many clubs existed long before they were formally founded as clubs.
External links
- Website of the Kontxako Bandera
- Liga ACT de Traineras (in English, Basque, Spanish, Galician and French)
- Estropadak.com News, calendar and game about estropadak (Basque and Spanish)
- Estropa.net Basque rowing news and multimedia resources (in Basque)