Our typical Canarian games and sports reflect the character of Canary Islanders, before and after the conquest, with physical activity as a means of defence or combat, entertainment or as a demonstration of ability.

CANARIAN WRESTLING
A competitive activity between two fighters, who try to bring the other down using a series of techniques.

STICK FENCING (VARA)
An ancient aboriginal game-sport like fencing in which two players fight using sticks, trying to score points without hitting the other player's body.

LATA FENCING (JUEGO DE LA LATA)
Type of Canarian stick fencing characteristic of the island of Fuerteventura which is played with a long stick called a "Lata". This is longer than the player and held in the middle so that the hands can be slid along the stick according to the technique used.

JUMP OF THE SHEPHERD (SALTO DEL PASTOR)
A sport which consists in jumping over uneven and craggy land with the help of a long wooden staff, generally with a metal tip to protect it.

PLOUGH LIFTING (LEVANTAMIENTO DEL ARADO)
Test of strength in which the plough is held at the other end to the ploughshare and raised from the ground to a vertical position. It is then balanced, and then slowly lowered to a semi-horizontal position and turned through 360º, before being lowered to the ground.

STONE LIFTING (LEVANTAMIENTO Y PULSEO DE PIEDRA)
An incredibly heavy stone is lifted as high as possible. In this particular type of stone lifting, the stone must not touch the body.

WATER RAISING (CALABAZO)
This sport evolved as a game from the agricultural practice of raising water from a channel or irrigation ditch to a higher level using an instrument called a "calabazo" which is a stick with a dried gourd at one end.

PINA
A competitive team game which consists in hitting a wooden ball into the goal of the other team using sticks or poles.

HANDBALL (PELOTAMANO)
This competitive team game consists in returning a small, solid, leather ball (with not much bounce), which is thrown by the other team before it bounces twice on the ground, hitting it with the hand, or if necessary, stopping it with the hand or the foot.

CANARIAN BOULE (BOLA CANARIA)
Precision game which consists in throwing a certain number of balls towards the jack in order to get the greatest number of balls as close as possible to it.

TÁNGANA
Players place bets (coins) on a pyramid-shaped stone, and throw stones from a line 4-5 metres away. If it is knocked over, the person with the closest stone wins the money.

BILLARDA
This game involves hitting a piece of wood of between 15 and 20 cm long as far as possible using a stick which is approximately one metre long.