Kiige (Kiik)

Swing. Made of wood, the traditional Estonian swing took on as many passengers as a Greek motorcycle and provided a similar degree of adrenalin. Today, higher, more evolved and distinctly more singular, an Estonian sport, kiiking, where the participant must swing 360° over the top bar. There seem to be three species of kiik: 1) the previously-mentioned mainframe version; 2) the pöörkiik or ‘rotary’ kiik with cord attached to the top of a pole and seats at the bottom; and 3) the poor man’s version, the kiigelaud, bascially a plank across a log. Having killed at least 3 children in the past 800 years, Europe has deemed Estonia’s traditional swings unsafe, and therefore illegal. Cars, on the other hand... Street located near site of former kiik. Street first known as Aia aka Gartenstraße and Садовая ул. (1926-59), with 2 temporary renamings as Ploomi (1940-41) and Ale (1959-60), see Alemaa.