The proceeds of the Christmas tree throwing event will be donated to the Cottbuser Tafel Photo: Frank Hammerschmidt/dpa
By Isabel Pancake
The people of Cottbus don’t just throw their Christmas tree out of their apartment, they throw it the furthest! The fire brigade in Ströbitz organized the traditional fir throw for the seventh time.
Each of the 65 participants had three throws and had to throw the tree – no matter how – as far as possible. Any technique was allowed: from a standing position, with a run-up, tip or trunk first. In the end, only the furthest throw counted.
Firefighter brings victory
In the end, the winner of the long-distance Christmas tree came from the organizers themselves: Fireman Stefan Gumpert threw the tree a total of 6.30 meters! However, he does not reach the peak values of previous years. Because, according to local military leader Michael Möbes, there were sometimes results of seven to eight meters – and more participants.
RBB weather presenter Joanna Jambor throwing the Christmas tree Photo: Frank Hammerschmidt/dpa
Cottbus Mayor Tobias Schick (43, SPD) was also there. But he didn’t make it into the top five with his throw. The proceeds from the participation fee of two euros per person go to the Cottbusser Tafel.
The boy was one of the 65 participants in the long-distance Christmas tree throwing at the Cottbus-Ströbitz fire brigade Photo: Frank Hammerschmidt/dpa
Around the holidays there are Christmas tree throwing events all over Germany, for example in Gelsenkirchen (North Rhine-Westphalia), Braunschweig (Lower Saxony) or Ottweiler (Saarland).