Around 800 people participated in the eighth edition of the Belgian Christmas tree-hurling championships in Oudergem in Brussels at the weekend. The event was won by a man who threw his tree a distance of 8.72 metres. "The existing record has not been bettered, but the atmosphere was up to the mark!", says organiser Samuel Serck.
It has now become an annual tradition in Oudergem: the Belgian Christmas tree-hurling championships. The event started 10 years ago, when the fire service banned the burning of Christmas trees on a local square. "If we are no longer allowed to burn the trees, we will throw them," was the idea behind the first staging. What followed was the Belgian Christmas tree-hurling championships.
It started as a small-scale neighbourhood festival but soon grew into a bigger event, with some 800 participants this year. "Today people come to Oudergem from various different Belgian provinces, even media from France have turned up," says Serck.
Champion throws 8.72 metres, record from 2019 not broken
"People come for the atmosphere, the ambiance, a snack and a drink, and for the fun” says co-organiser Laurien De Sutter. While the event may be intended as fun, the rules are strict. "The regulations are three pages long, with clear guidelines on what is and is not allowed and how the throw is measured by an official jury," says Serck.
This year, 33 teams participated in the team competition. In addition, 538 individual throwers also took a shot at becoming Christmas tree hurler of the year. They included 232 children, who hurled the 2-kilogram Christmas trees into the air. The record of 10.77 metres set in 2019 was not broken: this year’s champion, Alexandre Rossini, threw the tree 8.72 metres far.