{{Short description|Sport from Estonia}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
thumb|A man Kiiking '''Kiiking''' ({{IPA|et|ˈkiːkiŋ}}) is a sport which involves a person making a swing gain increasingly more momentum, to pass over the spindle with the longest shafts possible. It was invented in Estonia by Ado Kosk in 1993;<ref name="eas.ee">{{cite web |title=Kiikingu rekordite sadu Milano EXPO-l |url=https://eas.ee/kiikingu-rekordite-sadu-milano-expo-l/ |website=EASi ja KredExi ühendasutus |access-date=15 February 2023 |language=et |date=17 September 2015}}</ref> in Estonian, ''kiik'' means a swing.
In a kiiking swing, the swing arms are made of steel to enable a person to swing 360 degrees going over the fulcrum of the swing. A person is fastened to the swing base by the feet. To swing, the person begins to pump by squatting and standing up on the swing. The swing will gain momentum and will, by skillful pumping, take a person over the fulcrum.
Kiiking is regulated by the Estonian Kiiking Association.
==History== {{See also|Village swing}}
The practice of swinging has had an important place in Estonian culture for over a century. Traditional village swings have been prevalent in rural communal lands for centuries, places where villagers held festivities.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Vissel|first=Anu|date=2002|title=Eestlaste kiigekultuur enne ja nüüd|url=https://www.folklore.ee/tagused/nr21/kiik.pdf|journal=Mäetagused|language=et|volume=21|pages=7–84|doi=10.7592/MT2002.21.kiik|doi-access=free}} ([https://www.researchgate.net/publication/26481775_Eestlaste_kiigekultuur_enne_ja_nuud Translated abstract available])</ref> The construction of kiiking swings is radically different from village swings, however.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bradshaw|first=Luke|date=17 November 2017|title=Estonia and its Love for Extreme Swinging|url=https://theculturetrip.com/europe/estonia/articles/estonia-and-its-love-for-extreme-swinging/|access-date=2020-08-04|website=Culture Trip|archive-date=20 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920071033/https://theculturetrip.com/europe/estonia/articles/estonia-and-its-love-for-extreme-swinging/|url-status=dead}}</ref>[[File:Johannes Pääsuke 214 284.jpg|thumb|Estonian boys swinging over the spindle at Ohessaare village in Saaremaa in 1913; an early form of kiiking.]] The first kiiking swing was made by Ado Kosk in 1993. Kosk observed that it becomes more difficult to swing over the fulcrum as the arms of the swing become longer. He then designed telescoping swing arms to gradually extend the arms for an increased challenge. The person able to swing over the fulcrum with the longest swing arms is the winner. The first modern kiiking swing with adjustable shafts was made in 1996.
==Kiikingswing types== There are three models of swings: *KIKI1 – shaft height 3–4m *KIKI2 – shaft height 4–6m *KIKI3 – shaft height 6–8m
==Records== The Estonian record as well as Guinness World Record for longest swing shafts was set in 2022 by Estonian Sven Saarpere, with 7.43 metres.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/longest-kiiking-swing-shaft-successfully-acheived-men |title=Longest successful 360° kiiking swing (male) |publisher=Guinness World Records |access-date=2023-05-03}}</ref> Estonian Kätlin Kink holds the women's Guinness World Record of 5.93 m,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/77911-longest-kiiking-swing-shaft-successfully-achieved-women |title=Longest successful 360° kiiking swing (female) |publisher=Guinness World Records |access-date=2021-08-26}}</ref> while the Estonian women's record of 6.08 m is held by Helga Ehrenbusch.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.kiiking.ee/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Kehtivad-Eesti-rekordid-01.01.20.pdf |title=Kehtivad Eesti rekordid 01.01.2020 seisuga |trans-title=Current Estonian records as of 01.01.2020 |publisher=Estonian Kiiking Association |language=et |access-date=2021-08-26}}</ref>
An American record of 5.66 m was set by Matt Dart of Georgia in 2015. Maxwell White of Auckland set a New Zealand record of 4.83 m in 2012.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lamiaestonia.it/en/kiiking |title=Kiiking | la mia Estonia |access-date=2011-05-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110521022857/http://lamiaestonia.it/en/kiiking |archive-date=2011-05-21 }}</ref>
Previous Guinness records:{{citation needed|date=May 2023}} *7.38 m, Sven Saarpere, 2018<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/longest-kiiking-swing-shaft-successfully-acheived-men|title=Longest successful 360° kiiking swing (male)| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206101621/https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/longest-kiiking-swing-shaft-successfully-acheived-men|archive-date=2023-02-06}}</ref> *7.15 m, Kaspar Taimsoo, 2016<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/longest-kiiking-swing-shaft-successfully-acheived-men|title=Longest successful 360° kiiking swing (male)|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170923175455/https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/longest-kiiking-swing-shaft-successfully-acheived-men|archive-date=2017-09-23}}</ref> *7.10 m, Ants Tamme (et), 16 September 2015 *7.02 m, Andrus Aasamäe, 21 August 2004
==Gallery== <gallery> Kiiking 06.jpg|Indoor kiiking Kiiking 09.JPG|Outdoor kiiking Kiiking 15.JPG Kiiking Tartus 2012.JPG|Kiiking in Tartu </gallery>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category}} * [https://www.kiiking.ee/ Estonian Kiiking Association]
Category:Individual sports Category:Sports originating in Estonia