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Playable heritage game

Ring Tilting

Also known as Sinjska alka · Sinj Alka

A rider at full gallop carries a long lance and tries to pass its tip through a small iron ring hung high on a cord above the track. The ring swings, the pace is fast, and only a steady hand and good timing take the centre.

Play the previewAbout this tradition
Ring Tilting: photograph by L. Carević
Photo: L. Carević, CC0, source on Wikimedia Commons
Ring Tilting: the game in attract modeLive previewPlay

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How to play

  1. Press and hold: a crosshair marks where the lance tip will be, and it shakes with the pace of the run.
  2. Release when the crosshair sits inside the swinging ring; the lance needs a moment to arrive, so aim a little ahead of the swing.
  3. Three runs make a round, and there are three rounds.
Rules at a glance
  • Through the centre of the ring scores 3, the upper band 2 and the outer band 1; a miss scores nothing.
  • The ring swings from side to side and slightly up and down, so time your release.
  • Each run has a single try; your total over all runs decides the stars.

About the tradition

Held every summer in the Dalmatian town of Sinj since the early eighteenth century, the Alka is a riders' contest in which each competitor gallops the length of a street and aims a lance at a small iron ring hung above it. Riders from the surrounding Cetina region keep the contest alive in historic dress.

Origins

Usually placed in the era of Modern Heritage (1800 to today), although its exact origins are uncertain, within the cultural world of Mediterranean.

Credits

Sources

Get the app

Ring Tilting is one of 18 sports and skill games in the Sports & Skill of the World app for iPhone, iPad and Android. Submitted to the App Store and Google Play; in review. Store links appear here the day it goes live. One app, many traditions, no account needed.

See all 18 sports and skill games in the app

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