Hornuss, a centuries-old sport, embodies Swiss tradition and still brings together thousands of people of all generations in Höchstetten, a small village near Bern.
It gave its name, which means hornet, to this original sport because it emits a sound reminiscent of the buzzing of the insect, when it whistles through the air when struck head-on.
In a grand motion reminiscent of golf and hammer throwing, hitters strike the puck with a flexible carbon-fiber shaft that can be up to three meters long and ends in a wooden block.
It is this tip that travels up the “bock” – a steel guide rail – and hits the hard plastic puck. It leaves the bock at a speed of up to 300 km/h and can fly up to 70 m high.
The game, played only in central Switzerland, involves players from the opposing team attempting to intercept the puck using “schindels”, heavy, wide, flat wooden shovels.
They don’t hesitate to throw them in the air to achieve their ends.
Earlier this month, around 4,500 enthusiasts took part in the 40th National Hornuss Festival on the outskirts of the village of Hochstetten, 30 kilometres north-east of the capital Bern.
The prizes are as traditional as the game: a wreath of oak leaves or a ceremonial cowbell.
The Hornuss takes up space and with its 32 pitches spread over 60 hectares of farmland, the scene that day took on the air of an ancient battlefield, with columns of players stretching to the horizon.
The cannon shots that punctuated the sessions added to the illusion.
– Mixed generations –
“For us, it’s the Olympic Games,” Adrian Tschumi, president of the national hornuss association, EHV, told AFP.
“It’s not just a game: it’s family, it’s the environment, it’s partying,” he insists.
Although ancient, hornuss is inclusive: players of all ages participate and men and women play on the same team.
“You can play with children who are 10 or 12 years old, and with their grandfathers who are 80 years old. It’s very special. I don’t know of any other sport where three generations can play together,” marvels Mr. Tschumi.
“The magic of this sport, for me, is the team. I like playing alongside my son. That’s what I like, and the friendships with my teammates,” he adds.
The first written record of hornuss dates back to 1564, with the first known competition dating back to 1655. In the 17th century, it was banned on Sundays to prevent the church from being deserted in favour of hornuss.
The EHV, founded in 1902, is “very traditional”, according to its president, but has been able to adapt to modern tools. An application allows scores to be recorded in real time and the sport is present on Tik Tok.
– Piercing gaze, iron abs –
Around 6,000 adults are licensed, including 600 women, and also 1,300 players under 16.
Teams need not only accurate and powerful hitters, but also players with an eye to spot the hornuss, read its trajectory and give instructions to those further away.
For Barbara Sommer from the Munchenburchsee-Diemerswil club, the fun lies in this teamwork.
“I will never win anything as an individual player. But as a team, if everything goes well, we have a chance,” she says.
With his bushy gray beard and cigar in hand, Walter Stooss, 70, stands out in the team.
The veteran praises the experience that comes with age, but laments the loss of flexibility.
“We have to be satisfied with what we can still do,” he told AFP.
“You have to have stomach muscles. You have to have explosive strength,” assures her teammate Caroline Schertenleib, 31.
After the competition, everyone gathers under a large tent for a joyful awards ceremony, loud applause and beer.
At 54, Adrian Tschumi remembers playing from the age of 10, the nervousness and childish pleasure.
“The feeling doesn’t change,” he said. “I love it.”
rjm/nl/vog/apo/fby
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