March 28

World's Oldest Sporting Festival

Bet you can’t name the oldest continuous sporting festival in the world.

OK, I win – unless you guessed Yaǧli Güreş, or Turkish Oil Wrestling, the national sport of Turkey. It has received a nod from Unesco (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) as one of 46 cultural practices from around the world deemed to be part of an “intangible cultural heritage of humanity.”

The Kirkpinar oil wrestling festival in Edirne, Turkey, takes place annually to celebrate a tradition created 650 years ago during the Ottoman Empire; this year’s event will take place July 4-10. Men don leather pants called a kisbet and douse each other thoroughly with olive oil to grapple competitively in a highly ritualized multi-day festival. Contestants, ages 12-40, wear ONLY a pair of calf length tooled leather pants – they wrestle shirtless with no shoes, underwear, or protective headgear. Metal brads sometimes adorn the waist of the back of the trousers, spelling out the name, wrestling club or place name of the competitor. Participants wrestle outdoors one-on-one on a surface of grass.

Wrestlers oil one another prior to matches as a demonstration of balance and mutual respect. If a younger man should defeat an older man, he kisses the latter's hand (a sign of respect for elders in Turkey). There is a 30-minute time limit to determine a winner, and afterward the opponents embrace. The winner moves on to the next level, with little time to rest. The level of respect the opponents have for each other is astonishing. Often winner and loser will walk off the field together arm in arm. If one fighter is injured and a stretcher crew is unavailable, his opponent will assist him off the field.

One way matches may be won is by achieving an effective hold of the kisbet. The wrestler aims to control his opponent by inserting his arm into his opponent’s kisbet (often up to the armpit), although he may not grab his opponent’s testicles or invade his rectum. Occasionally the kispet is yanked so far below the hips that the fighter being held cannot rise without exposing himself; having lost his pants, he also loses the match.

I’m not making this up – have a look at the photos. Then have a second, more lingering look, if you get my drift.

Resting between matches (it's important!)

Wow. One you've collected yourself, scroll on down to view today's tan lines.
Enjoy!

OK. Something tells me your mind is still on those Turkish wrestlers. Here's a bonus video showing how the contestants help oil each other - inside and out, not to miss a spot.