on this Saturday in July. Amid deafening cheers, the youth team wins its final and claims the championship title once again. The older teams have been falling slightly short of the high expectations this season, but, “We’ll be back,” co-president Peter Joller states reassuringly. He appears relaxed and is beaming. A song by the dialect band Züri West is now playing in the marquee. “Someday happiness will find you,” goes the refrain. In Ebersecken, happiness has found the team hanging for dear life to the end of a rope. www.szce.swiss www.tow2023.ch for amateur tournaments, the club began to set its sights higher and higher. A few members decided to focus on making a big name for the club in sporting circles, comments copresident Joller: “And that’s what we can build on today.” Training takes place at least twice a week during the off-season and almost every day during the regular season. The rope-pulling club has its own training facilities and a weight room. Social media presence What’s so appealing about rope pulling that carpenters, structural draughtswomen, civil engineers, and truck drivers are willing to invest a great deal of time and resources in it as a hobby? “Team spirit”, answers Carmen Rölli, “Achieving something together.” The 26-year-old is co-president of Ebersecken rope pulling club and a rope puller herself. “Good Peter Joller. The club’s catchment area extends into the surrounding municipalities, and he confirms there are currently more than enough interested youth. This is probably also thanks to the club’s up-to-date communication efforts. It has a social media presence as well as innovative analogue ideas. The calendar printed for its 35th anniversary, in which the men’s teams appeared bare-chested, sold out in no time. The club has 110 members, more than half of whom never touch a rope but instead are involved in volunteer work for the association. 2023 World Championships coming to Switzerland The rope-pulling club has created an identity for Ebersecken, otherwise just one more small village in the middle of Switzerland. It’s important for community life and something to rally around. “The club is making the name of Ebersecken known around the world,” confirms co-president Carmen Rölli. It has already competed in tournaments in South Africa, the USA, Sweden and Spain. And next summer, athletes from 30 nations will descend upon Ebersecken, which has been chosen by the Tug of War International Federation to host the 2023 World Championships. It will be the biggest event in the club’s history. The president of the organising committee is Lucerne Centre Party National Councillor Ida Glanzmann-Hunkeler. She grew up in Ebersecken and comments, “It’s an honour for me.” Rope pulling has “always been one of our regional sports”, says the politician, and the community is proud of the club’s achievements. Due to space constraints, the actual World Championships venue will be Campus Sursee in the nearby small town of Sursee. According to Glanzmann-Hunkeler, one goal is to increase awareness of the sport of rope pulling in Switzerland. While “Schwingen”, or Swiss wrestling, has become popular and hip in urban circles as well, rope pulling has a low profile. In Ebersecken, however, the sports field erupts in pandemonium Ready for victory – the Ebersecken youth team psyches itself up for the pull. Photos: Danielle Liniger The shoes are custom made, with a metal plate permitted on the heel. The overall team weight must be correct, with everyone weighing in before the competition. Zofingen Olten Langenthal Roggwil Willisau Sursee Schöftland Ebersecken Dagmersellen Altishofen Ebersecken lies between the towns of Langenthal (BE), Sursee (LU) and Zofingen (AG). friends you can rely on,” says Erich Joller, the 34-year-old who coaches the elite teams. “The fact that everyone looks out for everyone else, from the strongest to the weakest,” adds Sarah Lüönd, a volunteer and spectator at the tournament. Svenja Krauer and Julia Marti, two 13-year-old junior rope pullers, also think it’s a “cool team sport”, but that it needs more women. “Write that down,” they exclaim breathlessly between two pulls. The Ebersecken rope pulling club intentionally invests in youth development. “We offer young people something positive,” declares co-president Swiss Review / October 2022 / No.5 14 Report
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