Art and Culture
The Asturian shoring competitions were the most popular labor contests held in Asturias. Since 1944, one of the most important ones took place in the district of Sama, in Langreo. It was organized by the association Sociedad de Festejos de Santiago, and it was included in the program of the patron saint's festivities. It was sponsored by local companies, such as Hunosa since its creation in 1967, and was attended by miners from Asturias and other regions of the country.
It aimed to recover, promote and preserve one of the most representative professional techniques of mine work—shoring. This skill was sentenced to disappear as the wooden timbers were replaced by metal frames, but its purpose was to preserve and maintain the safety of the galleries inside the coal mines. These allowed access to the mining workshops, the transit of staff and materials, and the extraction of the ore.
The contest began after the draw for the positions to be occupied by the participating couples, which took place in the town hall of Langreo. Then, the contestants, already in their work uniforms, paraded through the town to reach the place of the competition followed by authorities, live music performances and spectators. Once they arrived at the competition site, the test began. It consisted of placing, in the shortest time possible, a life-sized wooden frame using only the techniques put into practice inside the mines.
The qualifying jury valued aspects such as the selection of the cylindrical timbers, the carving of the tip of the logs, the execution speed, and the aesthetic presentation of the final result. Special prizes were also awarded for speed, perfection, determination and initiation.
The photographer Manuel Ortega captured the festivities of Santiago de Sama and featured the shoring competition. His images allow us to follow this competition year after year.
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