T
hrowing snowballs sounds
like an innocent activity,
probably accompaniedby
the soundof children’s
laughter. Aprelude to
some gentle skating, perhaps?
Not at this snowy pitch inVardø, far-
northernNorway, where the20thNordic
Yukigassenchampionshipswill beheld this
month. Literally translated as snow (
yuki
)
battle (
kassen
), the Japanese sportwas
devised inHokkaido in the late 1980s, and
has beenhotly contestedon icy pitches
like this oneever since.
“It’s quitephysical for the attackers:
contestantswear helmetswith facial
Are snowball
fights forkids?
Not theones thatareplayed
here.Norway’sannual
Yukigassen–Japanesesnow
fighting– tournament isas
brutalas it iscompetitive
Words
⁄
Sarah Warwick
Below
⁄
OneofVardø’s
Yukigassen
pitchesready
foraction
ALAMY; GETT Y; THIBAUT LOUBERE/AVORIAZ TOURISME
Throw
someballs
Vardø
This townon theArctic
edgeof Finnmark
builds four pitches
every year for the
Nordic Yukigassen
championships (this
year: 9-13March). These
remain for aweekor so
afterwards, until they
melt, tobeusedby
anyonewhowants to
have a go.
yukigassen.no
Avoriaz
The resort in the
FrenchAlps created a
brand-new Yukigassen
pitch for the2015-16
season -part of anew
games area that also
enablespaintballing
on snowboards and
somethingcalled
“humanbowling”.
avoriaz.com
Kemijärvi
It’s not too late
to register a team
for theEuropean
championships, held
in this central Finnish
town, 1-3April. The
tournament is abigdeal
locally, accompaniedby
parades, flagwaving and
dancing snowmen.
yukigassen.fi
visors,” saysOddErik Sandbakken, daily
manager of theevent. Even so, “blood
may flow andbruisesmay occur”.
Half anhourbeforeeachmatch, teams
of sevenmake 180 snowballs,whichare
thenhurled, in two three-minute “sets”, as
they attempt toeliminate theiropponents
withdirect hitsor capture their rivals’ flag.
“It’s very competitive,” Sandbakken
says. “Thebest thing is the rushof
adrenaline. It has tobeexperienced.”
Vardø is threeandahalfhours’drive from
Kirkenes;Norwegianflies toKirkenes from
OsloandTromsø.Bookflights,ahotelanda
rental caratnorwegian.com
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