On August 23, more than 350,000 fans will descend on Zug for the three-day event known as Schwingfest. The Federal Swiss Wrestling and Alpine Festival takes place every three years but takes at least six years to plan. The stadium built especially for the “mega event” seats more than 56,000 and is the largest construction of its kind in the world. Heinz Tännler, president of the organizing committee, talks about what it takes to pull off “the biggest event in Switzerland.”
The new Swiss flying sailboat that may change the market
The TF35 flying sailboat is the first of its kind, says class manager Bertrand Favre. The Swiss-made foiling catamaran, which made its successful debut on Lake Geneva last month, will launch a whole new market, but only for those with at least 750,000 euros to spare, not to mention the 500,000 per season to maintain it.
Switzerland’s “Jetman” wants to turn us into a “flying species”
Swiss pilot Yves Rossy is back in Switzerland after some years based in Dubai. Known to many as the “Jetman,” Rossy is perfecting his jet wing, which now successfully flies vertically up and down (if only indoors). Before he gets new sponsors, the next step is to take his invention outdoors. Now all he needs to do is improve the safety features to “turn humans into a flying species.”
Schwingfest showdown: the Swiss event of Olympic proportions
On August 23, more than 350,000 fans will descend on Zug for the three-day event known as Schwingfest. The Federal Swiss Wrestling and Alpine Festival takes place every three years but takes at least six years to plan. The stadium built especially for the “mega event” seats more than 56,000 and is the largest construction of its kind in the world. Heinz Tännler, president of the organizing committee, talks about what it takes to pull off “the biggest event in Switzerland.”
The business of e-bikes in Switzerland
The electric bike was patented back in 1895, but it is only in the last 15 years that the market has really taken off. Switzerland saw a jump in sales in 2018 and e-bike manufacturers predict that level of growth will continue, says Andy Kessler, CEO of Flyer.
The business of golfing in Switzerland
There used to be around 40 exclusive golf clubs in Switzerland that were considered too high-brow and unapproachable, but the market has since changed radically, says Keith Marriott, president of the Swiss Professional Golfers Association. From raising young Swiss golf champions to doing business on the golf course, the scene has become much more diverse and affordable, as he explains to Matt Leighton.
The business of horse riding in Switzerland
Switzerland has a rich past in horse riding, with a history of freely-available horses and access to stables, not to mention Swiss Olympic equestrian champion Steve Guerdat. But the sport can be pricey. Alban Poudret, editor-in-chief of Le Cavalier Romand, says that while CHF 20,000 won’t buy you a sport horse, it can certainly “buy you a good friend.”
The business of sport climbing in Switzerland
Since it was announced that sport climbing will make its debut on the Olympic program in Tokyo 2020, its popularity in Switzerland has taken on another dimension. The easy proximity to mountains has always made it easy to climb, but now even indoor climbing has had a major boost. Hanspeter Sigrist, head of sport climbing at the Swiss Alpine Club in Bern, talks about qualifying at next year’s Olympics and the real dream: to host the 2023 Climbing World Championships in Bern.
