Bizarre Sports Around the World

AirKicking



This human catapult launches individuals over 26 feet in the air into a swimming pool or foam pit.
Describing the AirKick’s functionality, Jochen Schweizer explains, “it propels participants through the air in a pre-calculated parabolic trajectory using a special combination of air pressure and water recoil technology. The participant sits in a specially constructed seat at the back end of the catapult arm and 3,2,1…Liftoff. He sets the device in motion himself by pushing a button. Approximately 60 Liters of water are then forced through a rocket nozzle under the seat. This pressurized water (8 to 10 bar of air pressure) propels the participant 8 meters though the air for a cool and refreshing splash down in a swimming pool.”



Tuna Throwing



The Tunarama festival is arguably the highlight of the year in Port Lincoln, South Australia. Even though the festival has such attractions as a slippery pole competition and camel rides, nothing can top the tuna throwing competition. For a grand prize of $7,000, contestants have to launch a full-grown tuna like a hammer throw. For those who were concerned, the competition only uses only spoiled fish, so the event is even somewhat Peta-friendly.

Midget Throwing



The Midget Throwing, or Dwarf Tossing, originated in Australia in the 1980’s.
A bar attraction in which dwarves wearing special padded clothing or Velcro costumes are thrown onto mattresses or at Velcro-coated walls, participants of the contest compete to throw the dwarf the farthest.
Dwarf tossing is widely considered to be offensive to the dignity of dwarfs, and some legislators have considered bans. Proponents of the sport have criticized such moves, with some arguing bans deny dwarfs a possible source of income.


Cheese rolling



Cheese rolling is an exercise in simplicity – the event literally entails rolling a wheel of cheese down a hill and chasing it. The official event takes place in Gloucestershire on Cooper’s Hill, a rather steep incline. The event, not surprisingly, attracts plenty of drinking, which can lead to injuries when combined with a high-speed chase down a steep hill. One year, two thirds of the contestants got injured and in 1998, the police shut down the event for public safety. Cheese rolling has a rich history, having combated food rationing (contestants instead chased a wooden wheel with a small piece of cheese inside) and a ban on rural activities due to the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak.

Wife-carrying contest



A wife-carryingcontest is actually a lot like it sounds. Men, carrying wives, race through an obstacle course that includes sand, water and fences. The prize for winning the race is the wife’s weight in beer. It’s really all very civilized.
The sport — yes, it’s a sport — originated in Finland, and was most likely inspired by a duo of historical tales. A 19th century legend has it that men stole wives from neighboring villages. In a second tale, an outlaw named Rosvo-Ronkainen made potential soldiers prove themselves in a race where they carried heavy sacks

Mobile phone throwing



Mobile phone throwing is an international sport that started in Finland in the year 2000. It is a sport in which participants throw mobile phones and are judged on distance or technique.
There are usually four categories in the sport:
Original (also called ‘Traditional’): an over-the-shoulder throw with the farthest distance winning (best of 3)
Freestyle: contestants get points for aesthetics and creative choreographics
Team original: up to three competitors have one throw each with their scores added together
Junior: for children aged 12 or younger
The phones used vary not just between events but between competitors, with any phone that weighs over 220 grams being acceptable
At some events the choice is down to personal preference from those provided by the event organisers, while others provide only one model of phone.


Buzkashi



The national sport of Afghanistan, Buzkashi is kind of like polo, except that it’s played with a calf’s carcass. The calf or goat, if a calf isn’t available, is decapitated and placed in a hole in the ground. Riders on horses compete to grab the body, ride around two poles, then get it back in the “circle of justice.” The winner is the one who gets the calf into the circle, even if he didn’t carry it around the poles, which makes the game mostly pointless until the end. Still, it’s eternally popular in Afghanistan (the Taliban even allowed infrequent matches to be held) because of the way the spirit of the game mirrors the Afghan spirit.