Holtville Celebrates Swiss Culture at Schwingfest - Calexico Chronicle (2024)

HOLTVILLE — Spectators got rowdy in the stands shouting encouragement to each pairing in the sawdust wrestling circle that made up the primary entertainment of the day for the Imperial Valley Swiss Club’s centennial celebration on Saturday, April 13.

Easily more than 100 folks gathered to enjoy the time-honored male-wrestling tradition that encompassed the Schwingfest. The Swiss folk-style wrestling tournament featured boys as young as age 5 grappling with each other, with helpful reminders from parents and the crowd not to let go of their opponent’s schwingerhosen (Swiss wrestling shorts), or else risk disqualification.

Holtville resident and I.V. Swiss Club member Paul Leimgruber took first place at the Schwingfest with 58.50 points total, earning him the title and honor that generations of Swiss Americans before him have grappled for.

For Leimgruber’s efforts, he earned a cash prize and was given a feeder calf — in traditional Swiss-farmer fashion — which he shared he was eager to take home as part of his hard-earned winnings. “Usually the winner gets a cow, but not always, but I’m taking mine home!” Leimgruber said later in the evening with a smile, talking about his prize sitting in a trailer outside.

Some offensive schwingers swooped out a leg, and attacked their opponents more aggressively for the win, while the defensive fighters laid out flat on the sawdust to make it harder for their opponent to get a grip on their shorts, a necessary component of the match for a win. People in the crowd reminded little ones, “Go on your belly!” to prevent being flipped over and getting pinned.

One schwinger helped explain scoring and rules for Swiss wrestling, which was different from other styles of wrestling. “If you take them from standing to flat back, it’s 10 points. A win you get 9.75 points, a loss is 8.75, and a tie, where nobody wins is 9 points,” explained second-place winner Steven Widmer, who earned a total of 56.50 points at the day’s end.

“And to win you have to have a grip on the shorts,” Widmer added, sharing the only notable rule in the five-minute bouts.

The traditional Swiss wrestling canvas shorts called schwingerhosen were fit with a leather belt, and grabbable by opponents from both the front or rear side of the belt. Each male had to don a pair of the Club shorts and had to begin the match with a hand on the belt, and a hand on the leg of their opponent’s shorts.

Widmer traveled more than eight hours to participate at the competition, something he’s done for more than a dozen years. As the 2023 Schwingen champion, he was casual and comfortable between bouts, rather than some of the other nervous looks on schwingers faces in the courtyard area.

“I’m more of a defensive wrestler,” he shared, and added, “I try to focus on ways to counter my opponent instead, due to my smaller size,” sharing his personal strategy that has not failed him yet.

A Swiss Cultural Celebration for All

Multi-generations of Swiss American families came out in droves to indulge in cultural festivities in the now 100-year-old hall, enjoying listening to live polka music courtesy of the Blaser-Faver Band after dinner and awards took place.

A traditional Swiss cowbell, custom-ordered and personally picked up in Switzerland by an I.V. Swiss Club member, dominated the right-hand corner of the stage, as the newest donation to the club’s collection hung from the ceiling near the hall’s entrance.

Some Swiss Club members dressed in authentic outfits, with black Swiss jackets with colorful embroidery for the men and festive Swiss dirndl dresses for the ladies. Children who didn’t wrestle participated in various games run by teen volunteers at the club and enjoyed a bounce house as well as hand-churned ice cream to keep cool. Additionally, many Swiss Club children took to the indoor stage to sing and play Swiss bell-ringing music, dressed in their own miniature Swiss wear.

“I’m not Swiss, but the community is great, the event is great … being the entertainment of the day, it’s not a bad gig,” Marcus Gonzalez of Manteca said.

Gonzalez traveled to participate in the event as an avid extreme sports fan, indulging in sports such as snowboarding, skateboarding and wrestling, among other hobbies. He added that he was looking forward to the Outsiders’ Dinner after all the wrestling was done. “I like the one dance they do, the Paul Jones Dance,” Gonzalez shared, explaining the traditional Swiss dance that he’s participated in at many Schwingfests.

“You meet people, you conversate, and you get to know the community,” he said, an admirer of the Swiss event.

Lynee’ Pacheco (now married, but formerly Lynee’ Von Flue), a lifelong Holtville resident, was among those who enjoyed the authentic music on the dance floor. “I am 100 percent Swiss; all four of my grandparents were from Switzerland,” she said with a proud smile.

“I remember my parents coming out to the Schwingfest and dancing, and I remember being so embarrassed of the dancing, we’d all run to the cars and hide, like typical kids,” she said with a laugh, reminiscing of the Swiss Club days of the past.

“I remember partying all day and night, and the next day having breakfast. And it actually used to be a two-day event, and it used to entail a golf tournament, and then the Outsiders’ Dinner after that,” Pacheco said, talking about how the event, although a fun-filled success, has slightly shrunk with time.

“I remember even one year that we had an after party at my mom’s house,” she said laughing.

Schwingers’ Feedback

Patrick Richardson was among the visitors who traveled from his local Swiss Club in Frances, Washington, where he is the proud president. Richardson took fifth-place overall in the seniors’ (men’s) division, with 55.5 points at the end of the day. He was tired and proud after a long day’s work and said, “I’ve been doing this a long time. I’m in year 32 of doing this … and it wears you down a little.”

The West Coast Championship will be hosted at the Washington club in 2030, so Richardson’s goal is to stay fit enough to see that through before joining the spectators on the sidelines. “I’m going to do it as long as my health will let me,” he added.

The West Coast Schwingfest series is held annually at each club along the coast. Following the series of Schwingfests, wrestlers can become eligible for the historic Eidgenössisches, an international Swiss-wrestling tournament that welcomes nearly 50,000 spectators and is hosted in Switzerland. Next year’s event is scheduled for Aug. 29-31, 2025, an event that traditionally only happens every four years, similar to the Olympics.

Second-place finisher, Widmer shared that he’s gone to the Switzerland competition twice, and when asked if he plans to go to the next one, he said enthusiastically, “Oh, I’m definitely planning on going next year, because I don’t know how many more times I’ll get the opportunity to.”