Several sports exist that people are more than likely not aware of.
Games are fun, entertaining, and social activities that also help the body to remain active, and while people are accustomed to think of sports as those games that involve balls, goals, or sprints, they are wrong. Over the years, people have come up with some rather strange sports that don’t necessarily get much attention but are fascinating nonetheless. Anyone in search of the peculiar and quirky fields of endeavor to indulge in must take his or her glance through the following bright list of the wackiest sports.
- Cheese Rolling (England)
Cheese rolling has become a minor but rather popular event in Gloucestershire, England. People with arms stretched out trying to grab a large tire of cheese moving down the slopes of a hill. If all players reach the bottom, the first player to get to the “bottom” on the game board wins the cheese. It presents some elements of the danger with quite an entertaining experience when watching or being a participant if one dares.
- Wife Carrying (Finland)
The sport of wife carrying was said to have originated in Finland; it is an event where male participants carry their female counterparts (all or sometimes only wives) over an obstacle course. To achieve this, you need to have as many points as possible, and that means aiming to do the course in the shortest time possible without dropping your partner. It is a fantastic sport, where the husband runs out the beers equal to his wife’s weight, so it is rather entertaining.
- Bog Snorkeling (Wales)
Bog snorkeling is as simple as it sounds: snorkeling through a bog. This is a unique event, which takes place annually in Wales, in which participants have to swim through a trench filled with water and made through a peat bog. They can only swim using flippers and snorkel, though they cannot employ swimming strokes such as the breaststroke and the crawl, among others. It often resembles a swamp, and it can give one heck of a scare, but anyone who has grown up in the town knows about it.
- Toe Wrestling (England)
If Ze might be seen as a little weak when it comes to winning the battle of the arms wrestle, then that final act of surrender for the feet should soothe the ego and satiate the desires of Ze and the spectators. Of course, the toe wrestling interests you and considerably influences your choice. Here participants interlock two of their feet and one of the goals of this bout is to ‘nip’ your opponent’s foot. Its origin can be traced back to England in the 1970s, and it has now resulted in a competition that has its world championship. It is the true examination of physical strength, juggling ability, and, of course, the eccentricity of an individual.
- Extreme Ironing (Global)
Extreme ironing: This is a funny concept that entails ironing as a normal process of ironing clothes but is made to appear like it is an act of adventure. Men and women prepare their ironing boards and clothes and then indulge in ironing them at the most unusual places, such as on mountain peaks, underwater, skydiving, and more. What we have failed to achieve is to merge the daring passion of extreme sports with the pleasure of having a well-ironed shirt. It is an athletic event whose nature can only be described as hilarious.
- Chess Boxing (Global)
Chess boxing is a hybrid sporting competition in which the participants trade off between rounds of chess and boxing. Two fighters are in the middle of a chess game and at the same time box each other and the game concludes once either the checkmate is made or one of the competitors is knocked down. It should be noted that it is intellectually challenging and physical, which makes it a very interesting and rather exotic endeavor.
- Shin Kicking (England)
Shin kicking is a game that has its origins in England and is believed to have been in existence since the early part of the seventeenth century. Two people stand across from each other and try to kick the leg just below the knee of the opponent, and the first to be knocked off is considered the loser. The name of the game looks painful (and it is), but the fighters try to protect themselves with armor-like suits and simply attempt to tire each other out.
- Sepak Takraw (Southeast Asia)
Sepak Takraw is a sport from the Southeast Asia region that combines the soccer and volleyball playing styles. Powered by their feet, knees, chest, and heads, players kick a small rattan ball over a net, often flying high, making aggressive kicks. It is an intense game and very energetic, and much skill is displayed during the game.
- Buzkashi (Central Asia)
Buzkashi is a Central Asian sport that closely resembles polo, with the exception that instead of a ball, participants chase a headless goat carcass. Many games depend on horseback riding, such as trying to capture a carcass by any team while being chased by the other team and taking it to a goal line. It is a tough and powerful sport that is and always will be associated with the culture of the region.
- Ferret Legging (Scotland)
Another freak event is ferret legging, which involves putting living ferrets into performers’ trousers to see how long they can survive. The ferrets, who are equipped with bright claws and teeth, are not the easiest companions to cuddle with in your pants, which makes this a game for bold-hearted people (or those who are quite insane). It sounds like a strange festival that has its origins in Scotland during the 1970s.
These are not exactly standard sports, such as soccer or basketball, but they easily add a certain twist to the whole concept of sports. If you are seeking something different or simply want to know about survival sports, these activities will surely intrigue you.