Santa Úrsula Day marked by the falls

VallsValls has once again become the center of the world of human towers with the Diada de Santa Úrsula. The Plaça del Blat, considered the kilometer zero of 'castells', was packed to the rafters to witness the great duel between the Colla Vella dels Xiquets de Valls and the Colla Joves Xiquets de Valls. Both groups arrived at the event eager to make history and push their limits a little further. However, on a day that lasted nearly four hours and ended around four in the afternoon, ambition clashed with the difficulty of the structures and physical exhaustion, which ended up defining the outcome of the event.

The day began with the Grallers Bufalodre, who performed Els segadors while a large 'estelada' flag was unfurled. The draw gave the first turn to the Colla Vella, which decided to open the square with the 4 de 10 amb folre i manilles, one of the most difficult structures in the world of human towers. The 'rosats' wanted to start with the biggest challenge: to fully unload a tower that they had already loaded three times this season.

La Vella had already opened Santa Úrsula with the 4 de 10 amb folre i manilles on two occasions. In 2016 they had successfully unloaded it, while in 2024 they had only managed to reach the top. This time, the people of Valls sought the complete tower again, but the first base was dismantled because one of the rows was too open. Far from giving up, the group tested themselves again. In the second attempt, the structure went up well-squared, but the connection between the 'manilles' and the 'quarts' did not quite work. The tower began to struggle very early on, practically from the entry of the 'setenes'. Although they managed to reach the top, the tower ended up collapsing. The attempt once again demonstrated the difficulty of the great colossus.

La Joves took up the challenge and responded with one of their great towers: the 4 de 9 sense folre. The 'vermells' opted for a structure they know well and which has become one of their specialties at Santa Úrsula. Before this performance, they had already loaded it five times at this event and unloaded it five more. Furthermore, this Sunday's was the fifth 4 de 9 sense folre of the season. With some changes, the tower went up with control and, although the structure trembled at times, the group managed to complete it. The successful unloading made the square erupt, celebrating the first great success of the day with cheers.

A second round of maximums

The second round brought the Vella before another of the great challenges of the casteller world: the 3 of 9 without a base (3 de 9 sense folre). The group had loaded it for the second time in its history on October 4th, at the Tarraco Arena Plaça, during the Concurs de Castells, and at Santa Úrsula it wanted to demonstrate its great technique with this human tower.

After a first dismantled base, the pink-shirted group tried it again. The square followed the attempt in silence while the human tower gained height, with all eyes fixed on every movement. The construction managed to be crowned, however, when the acotxador (the person crowning the tower) began to exit, the structure broke. The Vella was once again left at the gates of completing a human tower that demands extraordinary precision on all levels.

The Joves also wanted to go to the limit with the 2 of 8 without a base (2 de 8 sense folre). This season, they had only loaded it once, at Sant Fèlix, on August 30th, and had not yet been able to unload it. The attempt began with good sensations, but the structure lost stability when the acotxador was already beginning to exit. Finally, the human tower fell. After two rounds, both groups had already seen how some of their most demanding objectives vanished in the decisive moments.

The wear and tear takes its toll

The fall of the 3 of 9 without folre by La Vella forced a long pause. A quarter of the group required medical attention, and the break highlighted the physical exhaustion accumulated by the castellers. On a day when the constructions demanded the maximum from every member of the groups, recovering strength and reorganizing was as important as deciding which human tower to attempt next.

When the performance resumed, La Vella opted again for the 2 of 8 without folre. The first base was dismantled, and in the second attempt, the group introduced several changes regarding the planned alignment. With the acotxador already in place, the tower suffered a jolt and finally collapsed. The new fall was especially significant because the 'rosats' have not successfully dismantled this construction since Santa Úrsula in 2022. Once again, the tower remained pending, and the group had to rethink the rest of the performance.

La Vella decided to skip the round and save strength for the 3 of 9 with folre, which they brought to the square in the fourth round. The circumstances also forced La Vella to give up the pillar of 8 with folre and manilles, one of the objectives, which had been compromised by the falls and fatigue. In this way, Manel Urbano's team closed a great season.

La Joves, for their part, maintained their ambition with the 2 of 9 with folre and manilles. The tower went up with difficulties, and before the 'dosos' could get into position, the children climbed down. The decision avoided another fall and opened the door to a change in strategy: La Joves opted for the 3 of 9 with folre, which, despite some shaking, they managed to successfully dismantle.

Unknown dimension

The Joves still wanted to reserve one last challenge for the end of the day: the 7-pillar, a construction that no one has yet managed to complete. Francesc Inglés's group attempted it for the first time last year, in Vila-rodona, and today they bet on it again after continuing to work on it in rehearsals. The square followed the attempt with anticipation, aware of the difficulty of a structure in which any movement can be decisive, but the pillar ended up giving way before the enxaneta could complete the entry. A pity. Despite the fall, the good rehearsals of this construction have given the Joves arguments to keep the challenge alive, and the public recognized with applause the ambition of a group that has not given up on looking higher until the last moment.