Hornussen
 Stopping the hornuss in flight | |
| Presence | |
|---|---|
| Country or region | Switzerland |
| Olympic | No |
| Paralympic | No |
Hornussen is an indigenous Swiss sport. The sport gets its name from the puck which is known as a "Hornuss" (hornet) or "Nouss". When hit, it can whizz through the air at up to 300 km/h and create a buzzing sound.
History
The sport probably developed in the seventeenth century. The earliest reference to Hornuss is found in the records of 1625 of the consistory of Lauperswil, canton Berne, in a complaint about the breaking of the Sabbath. Two men were fined the then princely sum of 20 francs for playing Hornussen on Sunday. In the 19th century this amateur sport was very popular in the Emmental and in Entlebuch.
In 1902, the federal Hornussen association was founded, which organises a competition every three years. In 1988 there were 232 clubs in the association, with around 6,900 members. During the season inter-association and inter-cantonal events are held, as well as group and elite events.
In 2012, the international Hornussen association was founded, which helps promote the sport in countries throughout the world. Since its founding more than 20 clubs have been founded in the United States.