August 23, 2022 - What happens when a teenage girl from Kazakhstan comes to Split? Meet Picigin, the sport that stopped her in her tracks.
As summer continues in great spirit and beaches around the Croatian coast are as active as ever, it is very likely that you will spot an indigenous game, ‘Picigin’ being played amongst locals. Having recently visited Split, it was a pleasant surprise to see several groups of people jumping around the shallow waters to keep a ball in play.
Developing an interest in the game, I had explored multiple articles surfacing around the internet – depicting fascinating information about picigin, which brought me to numerous facts.
Firstly, many believe that the indigenous game originated in 1908 when students from Split brought back water polo from Prague with them and wanted to play it on Bačvice beach. Now, gaining its present form, the game includes a number of players (usually two or more) and a worn-out tennis ball that is kept from falling into the sea with the palm of a hand for as long as possible.
Secondly, when talking about the tennis ball used in picigin, which is called the “balun”, many find it interesting that the fabric is cut with a knife to then be able to peel it off like an orange! Additionally, players find removing the adhesive remaining on the ball a key step when preparing for the game. This is usually done by rubbing the balun against a rough wall.
Moreover, the game itself has made Bačvice, known as the “centar svita” (the centre of the word), a key area to play in. As the water is shallow and the beach is as sandy as it can get, it is ideal to play the amateur sport in the centre of Split – granting ease of running and falling in the water!
Lastly, as the game has gained a vast amount of attention over the years, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia had decided to include picigin on the list of intangible cultural heritage. It is also known that Split celebrates the prised beach game by holding the unofficial “World Championships” every year as a tradition.
So, do not miss the opportunity to see and play this game in the alluring beach waters during the great summer heat!
But the most impressive time to watch a game of picigin? The traditional game played every year on... New Year's Day!
Want to learn more about Split? Check out the Total Croatia Split in a Page guide.
