Want to build a human tower?

Members of the Castellers Joves Xiquets de Valls try to complete their human tower during the 25th Human Tower Competition in Tarragona, Spain.

Members of the Castellers Joves Xiquets de Valls try to complete their human tower during the 25th Human Tower Competition in Tarragona, Spain.

Published Oct 16, 2014

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London - Forget the modern-day competitions that get all the headlines – this is the ultimate extreme team sport.

With traditions dating back to the 18th century in Spain’s Catalonia region, the fascinating group event known as castelling – or human tower building – was on fine display during a biennial competition that attracts thousands of “builders” and anxious spectators.

With nerves of steel, the Spanish daredevils, known as castellers, worked together to build impressive human towers from six to ten tiers at an arena in the port city of Tarragona.

The competition challenges spirited teams of castellers to build and dismantle the tallest and most complicated human towers, known as castells.

Like any sport, there is the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat, but defeat can be painful when the tower collapses.

At last weekend’s competition, castellers came tumbling down on top of each other as towers toppled on several occasions.

But the success of building a tower brings immense, fist-pumping joy to the adrenaline junkies, who are carrying on a tradition that can be found at festivals across Catalonia.

The highest castell, or castle, in the history of the competition was a ten-tier structure with three people in each tier.

In 2010, Unesco added castells to its list of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. – Daily Mail

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