Some sport they arise from games or traditions and become real competitions. In Finland the Wife Carrying is an obstacle course carrying a person on your shoulders, while the Mobile Phone Throwing involves throwing an old phone as far as possible. In England the Cheese Rolling involves chasing a wheel of cheese rolling down a hill.
In the United States the Mudpit Belly Flop rewards the dive in the mud which creates more splashes, while the Pillow Fight is a tournament-style pillow fight. In New Zealand the Sheep Shearing Championships measure speed and precision in wool shearing.
In Europe the Fingerhakeln it’s a challenge of finger strength, moles Timbersports we compete in wood cutting with professional tools, while the Chess Boxing alternates boxing and chess and the Woodkopf requires balance with a board on your head.
The most bizarre sports in the world
Wife Carrying, transporting your wife to Finland
The Wife Carrying it is a couples race in which a competitor must run along an obstacle course carrying a partner in the shortest time possible. The official track measures 253.5 meters and alternates sand, solid obstacles and a pool of water about one meter deep.
Despite the name, the “wife” does not necessarily have to be such: it is enough that she has at least 17 years old and a minimum weight of 49kg (otherwise extra load is added). The origins of this discipline are often traced back to the Finnish tradition and the figure of the brigand Herkko Rosvo-Ronkainenwho according to a popular legend trained his men to run carrying weights during raids on villages. Today it is a fully organized competition: from 1992 an annual world championship is held in Sonkajärvi in July, with official regulations and categories.
Among the prizes for the winners there are objects of Finnish design, awards for the most original costumes and, above all, a decidedly curious reward, namely a quantity of beer proportionate to the weight of the partner being transported.
Mobile Phone Throwing, the launch of the phone in Finland
The Mobile Phone Throwingor phone throwing, is a competition in which the person who throws a phone the furthest possible wins. Born in Finland around 2000has curious origins: an interpreting company proposed that its employees throw away their old cell phones “reduce stress” giving rise to the first competitions which then evolved into real world championships which take place every year in Savonlinna.
The world record belongs to the German Tom Philipp Reinhardtwhich threw a phone a distance of 135 meters. The races include multiple categories: pure distance, freestyle and team or junior events. Finally, the phones used must have a minimum weight (generally over 200 grams) and are provided by the organization. The rules are simple but strict: the competitor cannot cross the throwing line and the phone must land within the valid area.
Cheese Rolling, launch of English cheese
The Cheese Rolling takes place every year in Gloucester, England, along Cooper’s Hill where a wheel of Double Gloucester cheese weighing 4kg is started with a head start of one second and rolls down a slope of approximately 180 meters. Participants chase it at full speed, but the extreme slope makes falls and rolls practically inevitable. Whoever manages to reach the finish line at the bottom of the hill first, winning the cheese, wins.
Mudpit Belly Flop in the United States
The Mudpit Belly Flop it is one of the most bizarre sports born in the United States, linked to the so-called RedneckGamesa fun competition that took place in Georgia between 1996 and 2012.
The competition consists of a simple belly dive into a pool of artificial mud: the participants launch themselves free body with the aim of create as many sketches as possible. It’s not the speed or technique that counts, but the impact of the jump. The pool is specially prepared and must have sufficient depth to guarantee a spectacular dive, which is evaluated based on “performance” of the sketch produced.
Pillow Fight
The Pillow Fight (pillow fighting), is a true discipline born in North America, whose first structured league, the Pillow Fight Leaguewas born in 2004 in Toronto thanks to former drummer Stacey P. Case, during a concert in which the dancers on stage started throwing pillows at each other.
The matches took place in the ring with precise rules (no forbidden blows, only pillows), and lasted approx 5 minutes and, in case of a tie, the referee decided; the league spread to several North American cities before closing in 2011.
The. was then born in the United States Pillow Fight Championshipwhich made the sport more structured: match from 3 rounds Of 90 secondscushions reinforced by approx 1kg and categories by weight and experience. The first official event in 2022 saw winners Istela Nunes and Hauley Tillman, awarded with around 5,000 dollars and a belt.
New Zealand Sheep Shearing Championships
THE Sheep Shearing Championships they are a competition born from an agricultural activity and now widespread internationally. The main event is the Golden Shears World Shearing Championships of Masterton, New Zealand, active since 1961 and also followed on TV. The main competition consists of shearing the greatest number of sheep in the shortest time possible, following precise techniques evaluated by the judges. The competitions are divided into categories and can be individual or in pairs.
Among the best-known records, that of the New Zealand couple stands out David Fagan And Sir David Wallacewhich they sheared together in 1999 1,637 sheep in 9 hours. The World Cup takes place every 2-3 years and were hosted by eight different countries: New Zealand, England, Australia, Wales, Ireland, South Africa, Norway and France.
Fingerhakeln, finger fight
The Fingerhakelnor finger wrestling, is a typical Bavarian and Austrian tradition that has become a real sporting competition. Participants, divided by weight and age, sit facing each other and pull a leather ring using a single finger. The goal is drag the opponent over the table: Whoever does it first wins.
Despite its unusual appearance, the discipline requires intense training, with specific exercises for finger strength and pain resistance. In fact, injuries such as cuts, fractures or dislocations are common. The origins are not entirely certain, but Fingerhakeln is thought to have originated in 19th century as a traditional method for resolving disputes between people quickly and “physically”, before becoming a regulated sport.
Timbersports, challenge between lumberjacks
According to legend, i Timbersports are born in 1870 at Ulverstone, when two woodcutters challenged each other as to who would fell faster than a tree. Since then the competitions have spread, until the birth of the first official rules in 1890 and, later, to the definition of the six main disciplines still in use today.
The competitions include six main disciplines, including cutting with axwith saw and with chainsawin addition to the famous Springboardin which a trunk is cut while balancing almost 3 meters from the ground. The main tournaments are the Individual World Championship, the European Nations Cup and the Champions Trophy, with events also followed on TV and online. Winners receive cash prizes of up to $100,000 in major competitions.
Chess Boxing, chessboxing
The Chess Boxing it is a hybrid sport that alternates rounds of boxing and chess matches. The idea comes from the Dutch artist Iepe Rubinghinspired by a comic novel, in which a boxing match was followed by a game of chess between the two opponents.
The matches take place in alternating rounds: chess rounds and boxing rounds, up to 11 shots in totalwith victory by checkmate or knockout. The first world championship was held in Amsterdam in 2003 and it was won by the creator Rubingh. Today the discipline is regulated by the World Chess Boxing Organization (WCBO).
Woodkopf in the Czech Republic
The Woodkopf it is a sport born in the Czech Republic, whose name literally means “wooden head”. The idea was born in 1992 during a cultural festival in Prague and then spread to various areas of the country.
In Woodkopf, players must balance a wooden board on their head and move around a fenced field trying to knock their opponent’s board down, without direct contact. The board weighs approx 3-4kg and can be made to fall by hitting it or by making the other person’s balance difficult. Victory comes when you manage to make the fall twice your opponent’s board.
