With the holiday season behind us and the New Year finally here, try this for one last bit of holiday cheer.
In early January, the small town of Weidenthal in southern Germany hosts The World Christmas Tree Throwing Championships also known as Knut Fest. Instead of sending trees directly to the landfill or recycling center, competitors bring their stripped Christmas trees to the self-proclaimed championship event to compete in three disciplines including Weitwurf (javelin-style), Hammerwurf (hammer-style) and Hochwurf (high jump-style) throwing.
The overall winner is determined by totaling the distances achieved in each of the three events. The 2013 winner achieved a combined distance of over 22 meters or 65 feet. The 13th annual championship takes place on Sunday, January 5th, 2014 but similar events take place in small towns throughout Germany and Austria.
Apparently the trend is catching on as the town of Ennis in County Claire, Ireland is also preparing for its 3rd Annual Christmas Tree Throwing Championship also on Sunday, January 5th 2014. The Ennis event invites the people from anywhere to the challenge, to see who can throw their 1.5 meter tall Christmas Tree the farthest distance. The Ennis event is a benefit for Cystic Fibrosis but the winner will receive a trophy and a 2 night Bed and Breakfast vacation.
So if you feel like adding one more step in the life cycle of your Christmas Tree, why not start a local Christmas Tree Throwing event in your own town. Who knows, it might catch on. You can even list and promote the event right here on Kompster.com – The World of Competition. And if that’s not exciting enough for you, why not host the first Christmas Tree Rocket Championships.