And now, after the Olympics and the Paralympics and the World Nomad Games (and not to forget the hobbyhorse championships) we have the results of Europe’s 11th Annual Tram-Driver Championship, held this year in Frankfurt.
The team from Budapest placed first this year. Each team consisted of a male and female representative for the city; only Kyiv, Ukraine was an exception as its male tram drivers are barred from traveling internationally because of the war with Russia.
Drivers from 26 cities competed in events that included tests of braking skill (including the ability to stop smoothly enough not to spill water from a bucket attached to the front of the tram); emergency braking, and the ability to remember, in order, a series of symbols and signs that appeared on mock traffic signs along the way. Measuring clearance and estimating speed were also required. There was also a tram billiards event, not no tram bowling this year.
Most European cities’ trams are quite similar in terms of design and control boards, so there was really no home-team advantage; in fact, the only home team ever to win was Brussels in 2019. Only Edinburgh needed special practice: one of the operating pedals on European trams is located where the horn is on Edinburgh’s vehicles.
Vienna is next year’s host, and organizers there hope to attract teams from Asia and the Americas to begin developing a true world championship.
