Kwalleballen

 

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Kwalleballen is a kind of sportsmanlike rugby in the mud. It is played on a field of 16x32 meters, sprayed with water. Creating a soaked area of mud. The rules are simple: Who score the most wins. Scoring is done by throwing the bag with sand in the water hole of the opponent. Or by jumping, falling, slipping or stumble together with the bag in the water hole. The rules are restricted to not strike, kick, and other unsportsmanlike behavior. The Rugby tackle is allowed, as well as run with the bag. It is allowed to struggle with ten or more people for the bag. One mud bath takes 9 minutes, with teams of 7 men, women or both.

kwalleballen is a day of fun. The festival begins at 11 a.m., when the music is launched, the tap and matches starts. After 4 hours of mud fights with arbiters, struggling for survive and keeping up the rules, is the game over. But the festival go on. Duringthe day by al kind of unexpected performances of the public themselves or with hired acts. After the finale enter 1000 man the festival tent, where it is always particularly pace musical spectacle to an hour or eight of the Tribune.

My first visit on Kwalleballen in Valkenswaard was on advice of Marc from Belgium. He was in Thailand with the Sankron festival. Extensive instructions were given. I was with a brand new camera. The first and nicest pictures are lost, because the camera didn't have a film in it. That was a pity because they started rather early with a castle filled with air and water for the youth. One group of the older ones started immediately with dunking each other in the ponds. The first moment of soaking is the nicest. So it is quiet sensible to practice somewhat with a new camera in advance.

It is practical by participation to kwalleballen to have suitable clothing. In order to prevent injury is a long trousers the least required. The attraction of contagious clothing is spectacular, but relatively. In fairly short time, the original color of the clothing is no longer recognizable. I would have had great appreciation for the above young, that are completely in the white. At first glance you think that he initially be an onlooker. Even then, some mud splatter can be avoided. But it is not a hopeless task to clean the trousers. Early during the day he starts falling several times in the mud and ended covered completely with mud. I myself have also inspired by the above several times participated with an initial bright white trousers.

Although the trousers after intensive treatment again has become reasonable white, is a little less recommend clothing. The second year in the presence of ton I had several changes with me. Ton made some pictures. After the end of the semi-finals one remark to the blonde boy was enough to start a fight. He was satisfied with me once falling in the mud. Thus, I was after the end even 'reasonable clean'. It was as a dream. It will succeed over the years to get such a but rarely to provoke spectacular struggle and with some nice photographs to show...

In front of a photographer or filmer, some people are quite willing to sustain what sacrifices. With a photographer ready it lookes less weird when you take a full clothed jump in the mud. In some events have spectators even funny cameras in order to create an excuse for a memorable mud bath. Next the broadcaster of a TV-stoot of kwalleballen. At the final, he agreed with the winners to arrange a fully clothed dip during an interview. It is not entirely clear whether the microphone in his hand was really functioning. Ton had his camera with them, but was also totally surprised by the events. He has the interviewer dry and completely soaked, covered with the players of the winning team in a water hole...

Suitable clothing is a T-shirts and a thin grey trousers. Over the years many participants are dressed in this way. Especially with guys who stay out of the direct fights. It takes some time until were covered with mud. It should be clear, however, that even the most careful player cannot expect after four or five matches still to be identifiable. During fighting it can happen you are than do agree entirely buried under a of mountain players. It is nice to see how the boy after the first water car is seated in the mud and is completely trashed...

The following young showed very flattered by my interest in him. He was there only for a few matches. I myself did video and have relatively little real photographs of him. At the beginning of the day the fields still relatively dry and little sludge. However, clearly he had a complete mud bath planned. He lay down completely unnecessary during fights on the muddiest places. He also was hesitant to jump several times in a water hole. For the last photo he sit down on the corner of the hole to show the complete trashing of his clothes.

The boy, who throw me dressed in kaki in the mud, was during the day transferred from a perfectly neatly young streets in a complete mud pillar. A good observer shall take these same boy also in the previous years (2003 and earlier). In the first year (2000) was he, together with his friends already fully clothed in the water holes even long before the start of the matches. Unfortunately, I had some difficulty with my new kamera, so these picts are not available.

In addition to participants nicely dressed become covered with mud during the competitions, there will also be some spontaneous fights. Ton was quite proud of the following serie. I myself have gone home, when suddenly two spectators in their normal clothing began to play. Ton put his camera already in the car. So it took some time to get the camera ready again. But the boys were not easily satisfied and start fights after fights. In the last photograph is even the last clean part of clothing is completely covered with mud.

ladies spectators/participants are determined not safe. Several times a day, there are fight like these. It should be careful not to intervene. Otherwise you itself also ended up in the water hole. boys, which is a lady over long distances can carried to the hole, are easily able to soak a spectator, which is trying to restore the balance. It did happen over the years regularly. You only have to make some threatening behaviour, challenging and you are already in the water in a glimpse.

I always try to become involved with this kind of fights, especially when the fields have become really sludge. The three photographs concerns a situation at the end of the day. These boys do it with me every year. Halfway the day, they ask whether they are allowed to throw me in the water. I try to become as muddy as possible during the fight. Mud is better then water. I let them work for it. Blocking them by grounding the figth. On the first photograph I am still almost clean. Although the mud on my trousers and jumper are already there. On the second photograph I on the muddiest part of the field on the ground to ruin my clothes as much as possible. On the last photograph, we arrive on my back near the pond, where the adventure is completed soaked and covered by mud...

A moment later in the same year I knew dressed in a subsequent change to provoke a fight with the already relatively soaked young. Initially I had the upper hand. Although such a fight you can ask is that worth. Later he is sitting on me soaking me in a deep pool with mud. A moment later is the result once again to admire. The shoulders are clean only...

 

I would prefer to be there in clothing totally unsuitable for a mud fight. Jeans, jacket, tshirt, shirt, jumper seems not the clothing you think on for mud. But it makes it more special. It is difficult to get the whole thing really good sludge. Certainly if it is still at the beginning of the day. You may have been dropped sit, forward in the mud and throw a diving in a water hole. Forward in the mud, however, is most spectacular. You see such from 2005 and 2009, in which the results after a diving forward in the mud to admire...

Also during regular fighting you see participants in the course of the day become more dirty all the time. While nevertheless remains clear, that the starting point was a fine clean jeans. The boy in the middle of the picture changed during the day t-shirts after each match. Thus he seemed at the beginning of each match still 'clean'. Of course opponents did everything possible to changes in these irritant state of his clothing. The speaker came during the final with the following story:

This year there was a really 'professional' speaker. Without his valuable contribution nobody should understand what was going to happen. On the video you can watch his comments very nicely:

A promising group was this couple of boys in jeans. All ending considerably under the mud. The best rugbyer was the boy with the blonde long hair. He was constantly active and already after one or two matches complete covered with mud. The others did the same, but it took them somewhat longer. In the pond finally the worst mud is washed off. It is always a matter of choice during such a day. If you want to participate yourself with all kind of changes, then you must do take part with the game. Then you do have however less time to photograph. The next group I missed during day largely. Fortunately Ton was present...

During, between and after the matches arise if the weather is nice mud fights. Even then the choice: participate or photographing... Personally I prefer to take part. Fortunately Ton was present. Het is small and less enthusiastic of raw fighting. Three fights below, where I struggle in my ordinary clothes with some ordinal participants. The upper set concerns a boy, who also participated in fully clothed in jeans. In the middle a boy in more usual clothing. Under I take it up against a boy in jeans, which is much stronger, than I. The result is a more than complete bath in jeans, while the boy has remained disappointing clean.

Rules of Kwalleballen

Even with mud baths by fourteen players struggling for a burlap bag with sand some rules are inevitable. Again the organization tries with as little as possible to rule the matches. Kwalleballen is there for the pleasure of everybody. Take care of your opponents. Have pleasure, but doesn't play hard, clumsy or aggressive. Let we have a nice and fair day all !!!

 

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