What is water riding?
Dear Readers,
With the word "water riding" as a sport, many people can not do much. They associate it with water skiing, boating and other sports that take place on the water. Therefore, I would like to take a brief look back at the beginnings of this sport.
The beginnings of water riding
With rivers navigable over long distances from Zurich, Bern and Constance, there was a lively traffic of goods and rafts in earlier times.
Water transport therefore goes back to the earlier rafting and, as can be seen from the Koblenz customs ordinance, was already actively practiced professionally around the year 1200.
The river route was especially popular in the Mittelland (AARE) and was used by Old Berne as a connection to Freiamt also for police transports (opponents of the patrician system were thus transferred to the fortress of Aarburg around the year 1800).
Consequently, in Berne, Solothurn, Zurich, Schaffhausen, Baden, Laufenburg and Basel actual boatmen's guilds, mostly also fishermen's guilds, were founded. The first fishermen's and skippers' guild was founded in Zurich in 1336. Shortly thereafter, in 1342, the "Gesellschaft zu Schiffleuten Bern" was founded, which also consisted of fishermen and skippers.
In Basel, the Fishermen's and Shipmen's Guild was founded in 1354. The two guilds thus acquired official character and could therefore join and participate in the municipal regiment. Although each of the two half-guilds was completely independent in its craft and commercial matters and had its own guild house with a servant, they acted as a political unit.
However, no guild member was allowed to practice both trades at the same time. This was stipulated in the foundation charter of 1354.
Despite these regulations, the fishermen were not deterred from participating in the profitable transport of pilgrims and, on the other hand, the boatmen also claimed the right to fish. It goes without saying that this inevitably led to differences between the closely related trades.
Both fishermen and skippers took their professions very seriously. This is shown by the long apprenticeship period of the skippers. Those who wanted to be trained as skippers had to serve as oarsmen for two years. At the end of this time, he was able to navigate ships from the Basel region and from other countries up and down the valley. After another two years (a total of 4 years of apprenticeship), the helmsman applied for admission to the guild. If the judgement of the guild was favorable, he was accepted and at the same time promoted to shipmaster.
Around the year 1820, a kind of genius troop was formed from such guilds. From 1850, or even earlier, these pontooners and sappers were used in the Swiss army for river crossings and bridge building. Supporting the (military) units of that time were also loose associations and clubs, which, depending on the discretion of the authorities, also received subsidies.
Unfortunately, there is no precise information about the sport of water navigation in the long period from 1354 until the foundation of the first water navigation clubs. We only know that at that time it was reserved for fishermen and skippers to compete with their boats. Just as the raftsmen had always done with their logs.
With the founding of the first water riding clubs, these turned away from only "military" use to also practice water riding as a sport and as a competition.
The first club to be founded was the Limmat Club Zürich in 1869. In 1876 the Rhein Club Rheinfelden followed, in 1883 the Rhein Club Basel and in 1884 the Fischer Club Basel.
In the beginning, these clubs were mainly made up of fishermen who worked as boatmen on waterways and riverbanks, and who were therefore already in some way connected with and familiar with the wet element of WATER.
In the foreground of their activities was the cultivation of water sports, the maintenance of the health of the body and the strengthening of the nerves. Above all, however, it was about competing in sports and socializing.
Water riding found its expression not only in the sporty competition and social gathering, but also in so-called long-distance, vacation or valley trips. The most famous downhill trip is probably the "millet porridge trip" from Zurich to Strasbourg (F) in 1456.
In addition, a brief excursion into the history of the "millet porridge trip"
In Strasbourg, free shoots were held in the earliest times. Shooters from other countries and from Zurich were also invited. It is said that a bet was made between the people of Strasbourg and the people of Zurich.
The Zurichers claimed that if Strasbourg should be besieged during the turmoil of war, they would be able to bring a pot of warm millet porridge from Zurich to Strasbourg by water on the same day it was prepared. The millet porridge should then still be warm. And indeed, in 1456, the people of Zurich redeemed their bet and won it. Today, the millet porridge trips take a little longer and are certainly more fun.
The first boats were still the property of club members, who also needed them to practice their profession as fishermen and skippers.
Only when there were fewer and fewer fishermen and skippers who wanted to practice the beautiful sport of water riding, members of other professions were also accepted into the clubs. This way the sport could survive and be preserved until today.
The fact that water rafting has its typical Swiss origin should also be proven by the fact that it is practiced only in Switzerland. It has not been imitated abroad in modern times.
As in the past, the guiding principles still apply to water riders today:
„Defying the waves to the next for protection“
and
„The brave man thinks of himself last“
Our sports equipment
The first boats were still the property of club members, who also needed them to practice their profession as fishermen and skippers.
Only when there were fewer and fewer fishermen and skippers who wanted to practice the beautiful sport of water riding, members of other professions were also accepted into the clubs. In this way, the sport was able to survive and be preserved until the present time.
In the 16th century, our predecessors used so-called "Jag-boat", "Nauen" or fishing boats and navigated our waters with them. The Swiss rivers required smaller, more maneuverable vehicles (rapids, etc.), which gave rise to today's Weidling, a more common type of boat.
Likewise a longer Weidling, which was approx. 14 m long, (the today's long ship) for goods transports was used. These first Weidlings and longships were made of wood and cost about CHF 80.- at the turn of the century. Around 1913, a longship could be purchased for about CHF 100.
Today, weidlings and longships are mainly made of plastic. A weidling costs about CHF 27,000. For the purchase of a plastics longship with all the trimmings one must pay today already more than CHF 100'000.-.
A Weidling is approx. 10 m long and weighs approx. 320 kg. The longship is about 15 m long and weighs about 1'700 kg. Including material and rowing crew the longship weighs about 2'500 kg.
Our sports locations
That water riding has its Swiss origin should also be proven by the fact that it is only practiced in Switzerland. It has also not been imitated abroad.
In the past, water riding was practiced only on fast-flowing rivers and streams.
Due to the construction of hydroelectric power plants, clubs had to be relocated and became so-called "reservoir clubs." These are in the agglomeration of Basel, the AWS Birsfelden, the WFV Birsfelden, the WFV Muttenz and the WFV Ryburg-Möhlin.
The water riders are located in the regions of Berne, Zurich, Aargau and Basel. Basel can certainly be called the stronghold of the water riders. No less than nine water sports clubs are based here.
How to water ride ?
The weidling is moved along the shore, on both sides of the respective river (also possible on the lakeshore), with the spike (also called shifter) against the current and thus forward. This can be practiced alone (single driving) or in pairs (pair driving).
To cross a river (also lake) is changed from the sting to the standing oar. This is also possible alone or in pairs.
The rudder lies loosely in a rudder nail (also called rudder nail or cross) and can be moved to the left (swell) or right (hand up) by appropriate movements. Swelling means pulling the rudder from the back to the front (slightly angled) through the water. Hand up means to push the rudder vertically in the water from the front to the back and then to bring it forward again above the water. If the two movements are virtually combined during the rudder movement, the ship will drive straight ahead.
From April to September you can see this on the aforementioned rivers and at all water driving clubs in scale 1:1 and maybe try it yourself. How about it?
In addition to this standing rowing and spiking, there is also the so-called stroke rowing. For this purpose, benches are installed in the weidling and it is moved forward by galley-like rowing (4 men/women). The weidling is then steered by a helmsman. The same applies to the longship, where 8 - 10 men/woman row, but two helmsmen and additionally a so-called beat man are needed. Every year, the so-called stroke rowing championships are held in Basel, which attracts great interest from the public.
Clubs and associations
In the whole of Switzerland there used to be 32 water ride clubs, which were united in two federations. On the one hand in the Satus Wasserfahrer Verband der Schweiz (SWVS, 12 clubs) founded in 1919 and on the other hand in the Verband Schweizerischer Wasserfahrvereine (VSWV, 20 clubs) founded in 1921. In the meantime, two clubs have dissolved due to lack of members.
As a result of the merger of the aforementioned associations, the Swiss Wasserfahrverband (SWV) was founded in Basel in the Rest. Rhypark, on November 24, 2001. The SWV still has 30 clubs as members.
In 1893, the Swiss Pontoon Driving Association (SPFV) was founded as the first association. Due to different regulations and types of competitions, this association has only remotely anything to do with water navigation as practiced in the SWV. The basic training of both associations is the same. Regionally, the clubs have also joined together to form sub-associations.
All clubs train future military men and women (pontooners). In their youth they have to pass so-called performance tests, which are examined by the military.
In addition to the driving skills, they must also pass a swimming and knot-tying test. As recognition, they receive a badge, which is usually attached to the trainer sleeves, when they pass the test.
Competition
Every year, about 5 - 10 competitions are announced and held by clubs. There all competitors can compete in their category. There is no obligation to participate in these competitions. However, it is a matter of honor to visit each other, be it in Basel, Bern, Zurich or in the canton of Aargau.
In order to set the same requirements for the competitors everywhere, a set of racing regulations was created within the Swisss Wasserfahrverband (SWV). In these rules everything is regulated which concerns the competition.
Why do I water drive ?
Well it is actually simple. Sport is healthy. Our sport takes place outdoors in wind and weather and you meet people from other counties everywhere. This is how relationships are forged and some have already brought together families from two clubs (e.g. because of marriage)..
Bruno Henggi, Honorary President
Schweizer Wasserfahrverband (SWV)