In the sun-dappled valley of Arco, nestled in Italy’s Trentino region where limestone cliffs rise dramatically above the Sarca River, a centuries-old tradition is straining to regain its footing. Tug of war — known locally as tiro alla fune — is experiencing a grassroots resurgence, driven by devoted volunteers and nostalgic families, even as aging infrastructure and bureaucratic delays threaten to undermine the momentum.
The sport, once a staple of village festivals and alpine fairs across northern Italy, has seen participation dip over the past two decades. But in Arco, a town of roughly 17,000 residents famed for its rock climbing and mild climate, a dedicated group of enthusiasts has begun organizing regular training sessions and exhibition matches. Their goal: to revive tiro alla fune not just as a spectacle, but as a structured competitive discipline with youth pathways and official recognition.
“We’re not just pulling ropes — we’re pulling community together,” said Marco Dallago, a 42-year-old physical education teacher and longtime advocate for traditional sports in the Valle dei Laghi. Dallago, who helped found the local association Associazione Sportiva Dilettantistica Tiro alla Fune Arco in 2021, estimates that over 80 residents now participate intermittently, including teenagers and retirees. “The passion is real. What’s missing is the support — safe equipment, proper surfaces, and access to municipal spaces.”
That support has been slow to materialize. While the Italian Tug of War Federation (Federazione Italiana Tiro alla Fune, or FITAF) recognizes Arco’s initiative as part of a broader national revival effort, local officials cite structural and financial constraints. The town’s primary outdoor venue, the Campo Sportivo Comunale, lacks a dedicated tug of war strip — a 12-meter-long, high-friction surface required for safe competition under International Tug of War Federation (TWIF) standards. Currently, teams train on adapted grass fields or temporary gravel patches, increasing slip risks and limiting official sanctioning.
According to TWIF regulations, sanctioned matches require a surface with specific texture and drainage properties to prevent rope burn and ensure consistent footing. Natural grass, while traditional, becomes hazardous when wet — a frequent concern in Arco’s alpine microclimate, where afternoon thunderstorms are common even in summer. Synthetic alternatives approved by TWIF exist but carry installation costs exceeding €15,000, a sum beyond the town’s current sports budget allocation.
“We’ve submitted proposals for modular surfacing systems that could be shared with other sports,” said Elena Moretti, Arco’s deputy mayor for sport and leisure, in a recent interview with Trentino Alto Adige. “But priority funding goes to facilities serving larger participant pools — football, athletics, swimming. Tug of war, while culturally valuable, doesn’t yet meet the threshold for major investment under our multi-year plan.”
Still, signs of progress exist. In June 2023, Arco hosted a demonstration event during the annual Festa della Polenta e dello Sport, drawing over 300 spectators and featuring mixed-age teams from nearby Riva del Garda and Dro. The Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) listed the event in its registry of promoted traditional sports activities, a step toward potential future funding eligibility. The Trentino regional government offers small grants for “sports of ethnographic interest,” though applications require detailed participation logs and safety plans — documentation the Arco group is still compiling.
Internationally, tug of war maintains a quiet but persistent presence. Though absent from the Olympic program since 1920, the sport features biennial World Championships governed by TWIF, which includes over 50 national federations. Italy last competed internationally in 2019 at the European Championships in Switzerland, fielding a mixed-gender team from Lombardy and Veneto. Arco’s athletes have not yet reached that level, but Dallago hopes regular local competition could serve as a qualifier pipeline.
“It’s not about medals yet,” he said. “It’s about keeping a practice alive — one where grandparents teach grandchildren how to grip the rope, how to breathe in unison, how to win not by strength alone but by rhythm and trust.”
For now, training continues twice weekly at the Campo Sportivo, weather permitting. Participants bring their own gloves and wrist wraps; the association shares a single competition-grade rope, inspected monthly for fraying. When rain falls, sessions move to the covered bocce court — a compromise that limits lateral movement but preserves continuity.
As autumn approaches and the valley light turns golden, the tug of war community in Arco faces a familiar challenge: sustaining effort without guarantees. Yet in the rhythm of hands on hemp, in the shouts of “Uno, due, tre, tira!” echoing off the cliff faces, there is a quiet conviction that some traditions are worth the pull.
The next official checkpoint for the Arco tug of war initiative is a scheduled meeting with municipal sports officials in mid-November 2024 to review funding proposals and venue access requests. Interested individuals can follow updates through the association’s Facebook page, Tiro alla Fune Arco, where training schedules and event announcements are posted regularly.
What began as a nostalgic impulse is becoming a test of whether a town can bend its structures to honor its past — one pull at a time.
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