[ISL] "Tug-of-war draws rival Estonian islands closer"

[rfmcdonald]

The Gulf Times carried this charming AFP article from Estonia.

Residents on Estonia’s two biggest islands took their age old rivalry to a whole new level over the weekend by staging their first tug-of-war using a 10km long rope across the part of the Baltic sea which separates them.

For centuries, the islanders of Hiiumaa and Saaremaa, off Estonia’s west coast, have revelled in poking fun at each other.

But on Saturday night, they decided to finally let bygones be bygones and pull the islands closer together - at least symbolically.

Over 500 people grabbed the rope at Hiiumaa’s Soru marina, while over 600 competitors pulled its other end at the Soela marina on Saaremaa, an AFP photographer saw.

It took just 10 minutes for the rope to break, forcing referees from the “neutral” smaller island of Vormsi to declare a tie.