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Village swing (Estonian: külakiik, Finnish: kyläkeinu) is a large swing designed for multiple adults,[1]: 14 traditionally built on village communal land,[2] in Estonia and Finland.[3][4]
The practice of swinging has been with Estonian culture for a long time, its origin is not known.[1]: 12 The prevalence of village swings was noted by Estophile August Wilhelm Hupel in 1781, stating "swings can be seen near almost every tavern and small village, often individual farms".[3]: 1
In recent times, authorities have begun considering village swings to be a safety hazard.[1]: 61 In 2013 the town government of Saue decided not to repair their swing because no companies were willing to accept liability in the event of damage.[5]
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The sport kiiking was invented in Estonia in 1993, where people compete for performing a full 360 rotation with a swing. The construction of kiiking swings is radically different from village swings, but shares the cultural underpinnings.[4]
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