Ten Weird World Championships
Here’s ten of the weirdest ‘sports’ and pastimes you can take part in and stake a claim to being a World Champion.
World Gravy Wrestling Championships
16 men and eight women grapple in front of a judging panel in a bid to be named the best gravy wrestler. The championships, now in their third year, were staged at the Rose and Bowl pub in Stacksteads, Lancashire – and was sponsored by Bisto, who provided 2,000 litres of out-of-date gravy.
Bog Snorkelling
With several events throughout the year in the tiny, boggy mid-Wales town of Llanwrtyd Wells, bog snorkelling draws competitors from far and wide. Exactly why they come from far and wide to spend their time swimming (and, in the Bog Snorkelling Triathlon, cycling) through muddy water in silly costumes is not entirely clear.
Rock-Paper-Scissors
Rock-Paper-Scissors is the universal method of conflict resolution for children (and adults), and yes there’s an international association and yes there’s the World Championship, which takes place annually in Toronto. Unreal.
Wife Carrying
One of the many daft sports that sees its world championships being held in Finland. Wife Carrying does not actually imply that the couple are married – non-married pairs can also take part – and the woman is even allowed to carry the man, if that arrangement works better for them.
Mobile Phone Throwing
The Mobile Phone Throwing World Championships were started in Finland in the year 2000. Competitors take part in one of four categories of phone throwing that include the ‘Traditional’ method – an over-the-shoulder throw with the farthest distance winning – and “Freestyle”, where contestants get points for aesthetics and creative choreography.
The Redneck Games
The Redneck Games draws 10,000 competitors and spectators to the small town of East Dublin in Georgia each year – where they take part in such noted events as the mud pit belly flop, bobbing for pig’s feet, making farting noises with your armpit, and spitting watermelon seeds.
Cheese Rolling
The traditional English summer pastime of chasing a large circle of cheese down a hill so steep that in places it’s basically a cliff. Every year people gather at Cooper’s Hill in Brockworth to chase the cheese. And every year, lots of them get injured. And yet still they come.
World Sauna Championships
After 11 years it looks like the World Sauna Championships could be a thing of the past following the death of one finalist and near-death of another during the 2010 contest. The Championships were first held in 1999 and grew to feature contestants from over 20 countries. It’s not difficult to figure out how this competition works. Sit down and heat up the sauna as hot as it can go. Last one out wins.
Toe Wrestling
The sport of toe wrestling began in the mid 1970s when a group of walkers at the Royal Oak Inn in Wetton set about finding a game the British could actually win. After a few more pints, the World Toe Wrestling Championships were born – but the inaugural event was promptly won by a visiting Canadian, which saw the competition shelved for two decades. In 1994 the inn’s new landlord George Burgess resurrected the contest and on it’s went every year since. Madness.
World Stone Skimming Championships
This years World Stone Skimming Championships 2010 takes place on Sunday 26 September 2010 on Easdale Island, near Oban in Scotland. The championships are held every year. Anyone of any age and any level of skill can enter. Each competitor is allowed 3 skims using specially selected Easdale slate skimming stones. For a skim to qualify the stone must bounce at least three times – it is then judged on the distance achieved before it sinks.
Posted on September 8, 2010 | Filed Under Really
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