“Bordegassos de Vilanova took the 12 place in the 2012 Concurs de Castells by completing the human towers 4d8, 3d8 and 2d8f.” Honestly, how many of us here in Vilanova i la Geltrú would have believed in such a headline only a year ago? I dare to answer nobody. Many of us who are active in the team would have answered that this would be our dream and that we would not rule it out, but the fantastic result we now have at hand would simply have seemed out of reach.
Not only because, back then, we had just recuperated a certain stability with 2d7 and just completed our first 4d8 for many years. No, among us there was also a conviction that a big part of the team was still against participating in the bi-annual Concurs de Castells, with the argument that building human towers is a social activity in which you must not compete.
2d8f by Bordegassos de Vilanova: photo by Maite Gomà
Looking back I will admit that, to me, that always looked like an excuse from a bad loser. Those who used to say it were just as sad and obsessed with our lack of good results as those of us who admitted having a more competitive mindset. And that is not strange – we all wanted to for Bordegassos to a be a major ingredient in our pride of Vilanova i la Geltrú, but what was there to be proud of when we did not deliver?
Now this has all changed, thanks to our head coach (cap de colla) Edgar Granados and the rest of his team. At the Festa Major in Vilanova last year, they challenged our confidence in ourselves by deciding that we were to build a 2d7 – which we at that point did not master – and surprised us by proving our own capability. That was the starting point of a positive spiral which only seem to be spinning faster and faster. The annual objectives we had set up for this year were surpassed several weeks ago.
3d8 by Bordegassos de Vilanova: photo by Maite Gomà
Last weekend, for our day of the human tower competition, we managed to mobilize 300 people to join us in a performance away from home. By completing the human towers 4d8, 3d8 and our first 2d8f since 2002 we ended up as prelimary winners of the first day and took the 12th place in total! Amazing!
To our coaches, to those of my fellow team members who always come to our rehearsals and to all new friends who will hopefully continue to help us, I want to extend my warmest thanks for making all this possible.
Visca els Bordegassos de Vilanova!
4d8 by Bordegassos de Vilanova: photo by Maite Gomà
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Do you want to know more about Bordegassos de Vilanova? You find us in our club house in plaça de les Casernes, 2, where we practise on Mondays (20:00-21:00), Wednesdays (19:30-21:00) and Fridays (22:00-24:00). To watch or joins us building human towers is free of charge. Please, feel free to pass by to check if this something for you or for your children!
photo by Maite Gomà
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My strongest personal memories from the long Saturday I spent at Concurs de Castells?
… The silence in the base (pinya) when the second support ring (folre) climbed up on us for the 2d8f. Compared to other teams, Bordegassos are exaggeratedly talkative human tower builders and when we have rehearsed the pinya amb folre the noise level of all unnecessary complaints have always been so high, that you have not been able to hear our coaches’ instructions. Not so during the competition – for a change we understood the importance of the situation and kept our mouths shut!
… The great support we received from fellow Penedès team Nens del Vendrell, who joined our pinyes, which we reciprocated by doing the same for them. (Personally, I made to loops to their part of in Tarraco Arena Plaça, most importantly for their splendid 2d8f.) This sportsmanship felt so absolutely natural there and then, but was observed and appreciated beyond the circles of our two teams. Just like my love for our neighbour town Vilafranca del Penedès has its origin in a deep admiration of Castellers de Vilafranca, thanks to Nens del Vendrell I am starting to warm up to the town of El Vendrell.
… And, of course, my own children who endured the five hours in the arena without complaining. They looked so cute dressed up as-if Bordegassos, although neither of them shows the slightest interest in trying to climb up on a human tower.
photo by Maite Gomà
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