Monday, June 22

homemade rafts, funny costumes, and a big goose

One of my favorite events on the Alto Adige is the anual Palio dell'Oca, depicted in my banner. This year I decided to take a closer look at some of the 60+ squads coming from all over Trentino for a chance to compete.

The teams of 5 come together, donning colors representing their respecive villiages. They have to make their rafts and then race them the following day down the raging Alto Adige river. It's an obstacle course on water in which they have to launch arrows, toss rubber ducks, and get a large ring over the neck of a giant goose.

We sat down near the goose.




You can see the team trying to position them selves so that they can pass the ring over the goose's head as they float by.



Here's a better view of the goose. Much further down river there is a reflective yellow ring suspended over the water through which they have to toss a rubber ducky. The bridge in the distance is the finish line.

This team is positioning themselves for the goose. You can see the ring in the hand of one of the raftsmen (who also has the rubber duck hanging from his neck). It's a major feat for these teams to just remain on the raft throughout the course.


Here's the team featured in my banner as they zip by...

Looks like a lot of fun, huh?

7 comments:

  1. It looks like a ton of fun. What a clever idea! It must be so much fun to watch, too.

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  2. Hilarious! Sounds like it brings out the crowds for a good time.

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  3. Looks like a ton of fun! How great that you can go out and see that!

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  4. Have you ever heard of the "bed race" in Miami? Funny stuff.

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  5. this looks fun watching..so who finally won?

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  6. They hold a race for self designed and built watercraft here every year. It's hilarious to see the ideas people come up with, like hundreds of 2-liter bottles glued together....

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...and you may ask yourself, well...how did I get here?