Rachel Muller-Heyndyk
An Austrian tram driver has been crowned the winner of the first ever Tram Driver World Championship in Vienna.
Drivers from Hong Kong, Rio de Janeiro, and San Diego travelled to the city to show off their tram operating skills in front of thousands of spectators.
The event saw drivers compete in a series of tram-based challenges, including quirky tasks of bowling and curling using the vehicle.
Organisers said that thousands of visitors came to watch the spectacle, which marked 160 years since trams were introduced to Vienna.
The Austrian team beat off competition from reigning European champions Budapest who were on track to win, but ended up in fourth place.
A total of 25 teams from across the globe battled out on a 250 metre long course.
The world’s tram-driving pros were tested on their ability to operate the vehicles in eight challenges, which included braking and accelerating smoothly.
One test saw a bowl of water strapped to the front of the tram, with the driver tasked with braking smoothly in an effort to not spill any liquid.
Another challenge – tram curling – saw the drivers push a bicycle trolley so it halted at a specific spot.
Tram bowling, in which a giant ball is used to knock down inflatable pins, was another fan favourite.
ReutersWhile Austria nabbed first place, second place was awarded to Poland, while Norway took third, and Croatia finished last.
The Austrian entrant Florijan Isaku said he was “overwhelmed” and “speechless” to have won in his native country.
“It’s just great”, he said, calling Vienna’s public transport operator Weiner Linien “a family”.
But it was a disappointing day for Hungary, who learnt that speed isn’t everything.
“Curling was the most challenging task for me and I didn’t really succeed as I would have liked”, European champion Krisztina Schneider told AFP.
“I thought my speed would be enough but in the end it wasn’t.”
Next year’s European championships are due to take place in Warsaw, Poland.
