Today you will not find a person who does not know what football, baseball or hockey is. These main sports are played literally everywhere: in the yard, at school, even in prisons. However, there are other, less popular, but much more exciting and unusual sports that you should be aware of.
The types that we will tell you about are probably too strange to be included in the Olympic, but still there are followers of such hobbies that even hold competitions all over the world - from local to international. This article covers the most extreme and bizarre of them, so get ready - we will definitely surprise you. Here are 12 unusual sports.
Checkbox
Let's start with the strangest. How can you possibly combine these two completely different sports? Yes, this is chess + boxing! In principle, both are strategic attempts to outsmart the enemy. This is the ultimate challenge that requires the involvement of both the brain and muscles. In this hybrid sport, players alternate rounds of chess and boxing, trying to either knock each other down or checkmate an opponent. The game lasts up to 11 rounds, and the winner is either the one who ultimately won chess, or the one who knocked the opponent out of the ring. In some cases, the judges will decide the winner.
This sport is mainly played in Germany and England. It gained its popularity thanks to one comic that was published in 1992 by the French comic artist Enki Bilal.
Wife Transfer Obstacle Competition
This sport came to us from Finland. During this event, male rivals must go through a series of obstacles, and the sooner they do it, the better for them, but at the same time, each man must carry his wife on his back. There are three ways how to carry a spouse correctly: across the back, firefighter (over the shoulder) or Estonian (on the back, upside down). The latter is obviously the most popular.
Diving
This is not just scuba diving, but a swim in a peat bog with snorkel and fins. Conventional equipment for such sports is not allowed here, but it is recommended to wear normal swimming trunks. The competition is held annually in Wales (UK).
Underwater hockey
This is a new hobby for Australian diving enthusiasts and fans of extreme sports, which spectators watch on monitors. Underwater hockey rules are very similar to the classic ice hockey game. What's even more extreme is that the game is played under ice, without oxygen, on a 6 x 8 meter rink. Each period is 10 minutes long with a 10 minute break for divers to warm up. Players must surface for a dose of air every 30 seconds.
Quidditch
Yes, we've all read the Harry Potter books or watched the movies, and we all know what Quidditch is. For those who, for some reason, are not familiar with this sport, we will tell you. Quidditch is a magical competition in which two teams take part, each with seven players. They fly on brooms, and there are four balls involved in the game. Players assemble real brooms for themselves and try to throw balls into circular hoops at opposite ends of the field, much the same as in the book.
Bossball
This team sport came to us from Spain. Bossball is very similar to volleyball, but also includes elements of soccer, gymnastics and capoeira. The game is played on a huge inflatable trampoline. Integrated additional trampolines on each side allow players to bounce high enough to throw the ball. Believe it or not, this game is very addictive!
Playing polo on bicycles
This activity is much like regular polo, except that the participants “saddle” their unicycle to chase the ball. Imagine how difficult it is, because they need to balance on one wheel while trying to hit the ball. Seriously, if you're bored or want to kill time, try something like this. It's pretty fun.
Extreme ironing
It all started in England when a bored guy named Phil Shaw decided to take ironing to a whole new level. The point of this extreme sport is to grab your ironing boards and clothes and travel to remote and unusual places where you will have to iron things and still shoot everything with your camera or just take a photo. There is even a special TV program called Extreme Ironing.
Games for brave firefighters
Firefighters also get bored, naturally, at a time when they do not save lives. So they came up with a game. The rules are pretty simple: competitors climb a high wall, set up a ladder, and then climb to the top. The winner is the one who gets to the top faster than the competitors. This crazy sport is about the speed of a sprinter, the grace of a panther, and the headgear of a rock climber.
Bubble soccer / Ball soccer
The rules of the game are almost the same as in standard football. All you need is a ball and a bunch of friends. Using a bouncy ball, you can push and knock other players and shoot the ball. If playing football isn't that exciting anymore, you can always try this weird variation.
Pumpkin racing
Basically, any pumpkin lover can take part in this weird yet fun race. All you have to do is find a huge pumpkin and make a boat out of it, that is, hollow out all the contents of the vegetable. It is also very important to decorate your boat somehow. So get creative! There are no special rules, but you need to swim very fast. The bottom line is that it is not very convenient to operate such an unusual tool on the water.
Throwing a log
This sport is special because, unlike the ones we talked about earlier, it has historical roots. Log throwing is a traditional Scottish sporting event in which opponents throw large wooden posts. Nevertheless, the point of the game is not to throw the log as far as possible, but rather to land the top of the log next to the person who is throwing it. And, of course, all competitors wear kilts.
All the more original and exciting people come up with games that are not similar to those to which we are accustomed (football, basketball, hockey). And here is a small selection of sports that are collected from around the world. A creative approach to sports will not leave you indifferent.
Coopershield Cheese Race
Every year in the picturesque Cotswold Hills, a game is played in which a crowd of daredevils run down the hillside in pursuit of a head of Double Gloucester Cheese. People from all over the world flock to Cooper's Hill to watch and even take part in this dangerous, but very funny competition.
Hurling
Can you imagine a combination of football, baseball and hockey? And there is already a game in Ireland called hurling that fits that description perfectly. The Hurler player's outfit consists of a soccer jersey, a protective helmet and a wooden stick. The goal of this game is to earn as many points as possible by hitting balls into the opponent's goal.
Finnish running with wives
Finland has a very funny competition in which men have to overcome an obstacle course with their wives on the shoulders of their husbands in a strange upside-down and head-down position. And to make it even more difficult, the 250-meter obstacle course has two barriers and a water pit. The main prize is an amount of beer equal to the weight of the winner's wife.
Buzkashi
The national sport of Afghanistan, in which the players, while on horseback, must grab the carcass of a goat and hold it until they reach the goal line. Buzkashi resembles polo without a club and a ball, and in terms of its rudeness it is compared to American football, since Buzkashi does not do without blows, kicking and even shooting.
Eton wall
Traditional sport game held exclusively for students at Eton College in England. Some people compare it to rugby or football, but this is mistaken, since the Eton wall is a completely different game in which the playing field is a wall. Players move along the wall and pile on each other in the fight for the ball. If the player is close enough to the edge of the wall, he is entitled to shoot the ball at a target, which could be a tree or a door. This game is not as easy as it seems, considering that the last goal was scored back in 1909.
Jai Alai
Jai Alai is viewed by sports fans as a mixture of badminton and handball. It is usually played singly or in pairs. The object of the game is to throw the ball into the wall in the opponent's zone with a scoop-like racket. And the opponent, in turn, must catch the ball right in the air or on the first bounce off the wall. Otherwise, the player or team will lose points.
Checkbox
Imagine a picture: chess players moving pawns and rooks with boxing gloves, and boxers who sit on a chair and think about how to beat an opponent at chess. Strange, isn't it? You will be surprised, but in Finland there is already a certain game where boxing and chess go hand in hand. Chessboxing is unlike any other sport you know of. First, the players play a chess round, then a boxing round, and so on for 11 rounds.
Swim through the swamp on a mountain bike
It is sincerely surprising that the sport, which involves riding a mountain bike, being waist-deep in dirty and disgusting stinking water, has become insanely popular all over the world. It is attended not only by local residents, but also by contestants from different countries. But what can I say - even the world championship is held on it. To win, you need to drive through a ditch with swamp slurry back and forth in the shortest possible time.
Kabaddi
This interesting game begins with one team sending an "invader" into enemy territory. If the invader touches someone from the opposing team and escapes into his territory, then he earns a point. But if the invader is touched or he was captured, not having time to escape, then the point goes to the rivals. Any player who is touched is eliminated from the game. And so on until one of the teams loses all participants.
Royal Shrovetide Football
Can you imagine a football match in which an entire city with a population of several thousand participates, where even women and children reach for the ball, forgetting about everything in the world? This is how you can describe the royal Shrovetide football, which is held in the small English town of Eschborn.
Shin kick championship
This harsh competition is quite popular in the Cotswolds, the same place where the Cotswold cheese race is held. The essence of the game is as simple as its name. You need to kick the opponent's shin until he falls. The victory is yours if you gain the upper hand in two rounds out of three.
Bossball
Many beach volleyball players would like to jump high over the net to deliver a powerful attacking blow. And although it seems that such a complex element can only be done by professionals, however, any player, even an amateur, can do it by playing the Brazilian variety. beach volleyball- bossabol. In this sport, especially for attacking players, a special inflatable platform with trampolines has been created.
Jibbing
This unusual sport will appeal to fans of extreme sports who have not achieved much success in roller skating or skateboarding. For jibbing, you only need a pair of sneakers with a special groove to glide over the railing. This trick is so popular that it is used by video game characters such as Sonic and Tidus from Final Fantasy X.
Holding the ferret in the pants
I say right away that this is one of those games in which it is strongly discouraged to take part. Two angry rodents in your pants can quickly ruin your day. The record time a ferret was in trousers was 5 hours.
Towel throw
In this game, the participants are divided into two teams: "throwing" and "girdling". The “throwing” team choose one player, around whom the rivals gather in a round dance. The thrower must hit someone from the round dance with a towel soaked in beer. If the thrower hits, the point is awarded to the team of “throwers”. But if he misses, he drinks a certain amount of beer. The game ends when all 4 rounds have been played, or when no one is able to stay on their feet.
Hornussen
Hornussen is positioned as a game for farmers. It combines the features of hockey and baseball. One team launches a rubber ball called a hornuss with a flexible rod. In order to earn points, their opponents must hit the ball with a special racket that looks like a huge poster. Otherwise, the point is awarded to the serving team.
Skibob
Throughout the winter, snowboarding and skiing give us a lot of fun and thrill, but for beginners, riding at such breakneck speeds can lead to very unpleasant and even dangerous health consequences. However, if you are a fan of winter extreme sports, then skibob will not leave you indifferent. There is only one difference from other winter sports: instead of skiing and snowboarding, you will have a kind of bicycle.
Camel fighting
You've probably heard about cockfighting, pit bullfighting and even bullfighting. All of the above battles are extremely brutal and usually end in the death of one of the animals. But the camel fights, which are held in Turkey, fortunately, do without blood and casualties. The fight ends when one of the camels either runs away or falls to the ground.
Extreme ironing
The essence of this sport is very simple: you need to take an iron, ironing board and iron something in the most unexpected place. Here a pure flight of imagination already begins. You can iron on the board while skydiving, or ironing things calmly while at the top of Mount Everest. Unfortunately, there are no special sporting events for extreme ironing yet, but ironers continue to show the world another crazy way to iron things.
Todd River Race
Have you ever seen dragonboat races that move over land rather than water? By the way, this funny competition is called the Todd River Race, which is held in Australia, in the town of Alice Springs. More than 20 teams are fighting for the victory, among them the names of famous corporations flicker. All dragon boats have no bottom, so players must run in such a way to reach the finish line without ever falling.
Trivia game
Who would have thought that Winnie the Pooh could inspire people to create a new sport? As strange as it may be, the game of Trivia became so popular in some parts of Europe that they even began to host world championships on it. Your task is to throw a stick from the bridge at the same time with other participants. The winner will be the one whose wand is the first to appear from under the opposite side of the bridge.
"Real beer storm"
If you think this is a simple bike race on a quiet afternoon, then you are very much mistaken. It's okay as long as these guys are going straight and have a firm grip on the steering wheel. By the way, as part of the annual beer festival in Central Wales, an unusual bike ride takes place. At checkpoints, each participant is required to drink a certain amount of alcohol. The challenge for the riders is to get to the finish line while being able to ride the bike. Obviously, people with high alcohol tolerance are more likely to win.
Contest to "charm" worms
In the UK, worm charming is an official sport. It is so popular that the World Worm Enchanting Championship is held annually in Cheshire. The rules are pretty simple. You are given a plot of land 3x3 meters, and you must lure out of the ground and collect as many worms as possible in 30 minutes. I bet this sport is perfect for anyone looking for cheap fish bait.
Conker game
The World Conker Championship is held every October in the small British village of Ashton, located in the county of Northamptonshire, where conquer players from all over the world come, the number of which exceeds three hundred. The goal of the game is to smash the opponent's conker. "And what are these conkers?" - you ask. These are the fruits of the horse chestnut, which are hung on a string. And the player himself must be fast and dexterous, otherwise his conker will be broken.
Bed racing
Back in 1965, only the American military organized bed races, but over time this fun game became more popular. To win, you must be the first to cross the finish line. But there are certain rules that must be followed. First, a bed with only one person must be pushed by six people. And secondly, the bed must stay on the water, since the last stage of the race is the crossing of the river. Although quite often the last step is neglected.
Since the modern Summer Olympics began in Athens in 1896, sporting events have changed with every game. The popularity of sports changed, new sports were added, and old ones were removed from the program.
Now in London, athletes compete in 32 sports. Of these, only five - Athletics, archery, swimming, gymnastics and fencing are sports activities that have been on the Games program since 1896.
However, not all sports have such a long history. Competition in some sports was a series of failed experiments. Most of them only lasted one season of games and were removed from the Olympic program.
Pelota
Year introduced: 1900
Number of Olympiads: 1
Last game: 1900
According to David Goldblatt and Johnny Acton, authors of How to Watch the Olympics, pelota is a quick game in which participants throw and catch a ball off a wall using a curved basket or other equipment. Like croquet and cricket, pelota, also called Basque Pelota, was an official Olympic sport only in 1900 at the Games in Paris.
The only gold medals were awarded to the Spanish team of two, while the silver one was awarded to the deuce from France. On Olympic Games in 1992, which took place in Barcelona, pelota was presented as an exhibition sport.
Tug of war
Year introduced: 1900
Number of Olympiads: 6
Last game: 1920
The tug of war was first performed at the 1900 Olympics in Paris. Competitions were held at six Olympic Games as part of the athletics... The winners were multinational teams: the Danish-Swedish team won in 1900 and the German-Swiss team won in 1906.
During the 1908 London Games, when British teams won gold, silver and bronze medals, controversy arose after an American coach accused the use of special shoes, which led to his team's defeat.
Polo
Year introduced: 1900
Number of Olympiads: 5
Last game: 1936
The ancient game of polo, which draws its origins from China, Iran and India, was first introduced as Olympic look sports in Paris in 1900. Due to a shortage of qualified players, the game featured four mixed groups of men from Mexico, England, Spain, France and the United States.
At the 1904 Olympics, the game was not declared due to the cost of transporting horses over long distances. The United States did not field a team for the same reason in 1908 London. In 1924, Games debutant Argentina won gold in a match against the United States. At the Olympics in 1936, Argentina won again gold medal after an 11-0 score against England.
Croquet
Year introduced: 1900
Number of Olympiads: 1
Last game: 1900
Croquet is a sports game, the participants of which, with blows of wooden hammers, bring balls through the wire gates, placed on the court in a certain order. The game can be played by 2 to 8 people. The balls are distributed equally among the players: one, two or four.
Croquet as an official sport was presented only once - during the 1900 Olympics in Paris. Medals were awarded for both single ball and two ball competitions. All six medals in individual competitions were won by France, as well as gold in doubles... The competition was also the first Olympic event to be attended by women.
Cricket
Year introduced: 1900
Number of Olympiads: 1
The game was originally supposed to be part of the program at the first Olympics in 1896, but was shifted due to the lack of participants. In 1900, cricket, as an Olympic sport, was played in Paris by only two participating teams from the United Kingdom and France, since the teams from Belgium and the Netherlands were withdrawn from the competition.
The UK fielded a team that consisted primarily of members of the Devon County Wanderers Club, many of which had been on tour in France. The French team included many British expatriates who lived in Paris and competed in the Olympics under the name “All Paris”.
Golf
Year introduced: 1900
Number of Olympiads: 2
Last game: 1904
Golf spread from Scotland to the rest of the United Kingdom and then to the British Empire and the United States of America in the late 19th century. Gradually, golf began to be played throughout the British Isles. In 1880 there were 12 golf courses in Britain, and in 1887 there were up to 1000. Golf competitions at the Summer Olympics were held in only two Olympics - 1900 and 1904 - and were then canceled. In 1904, women, in comparison with previous competitions, lost the right to participate in competitions.
Votes were held to accept this sport for the 2012 Summer Olympics, but then this proposal was rejected. Then golf was included in the list of candidates for inclusion in the program of the 2016 Summer Olympics and was adopted at the 121st session of the IOC on October 9, 2009 (63 votes against 27).
Roque
Year introduced: 1904
Number of Olympiads: 1
Last game: 1904
The only time rock was introduced as an Olympic sport was in St. Louis in 1904. Roque was considered a simplified Americanized version of the English croquet game. It was developed by Samuel Crosby, who came up with the name, abandoning the letters "K" and "T" in the word "croquet".
The game was played on a hard court, in addition to croquet, there were separate aspects of billiards and golf. The only competitors in the competition were the Americans.
The sport remained popular in the United States for several decades after its appearance in the Olympics, in part due to the large number of playgrounds built during public works during the Great Depression.
The game is mentioned by writer Stephen King in his novel The Shining, when the main character, Jack Torrance, uses Roque's hammer as a weapon.
Lacrosse
Year introduced: 1904
Number of Olympiads: 2
Last game: 1908
Lacrosse was played in 1904 at the St. Louis Games and in 1908 during the London Games, although it was included in the program as a demonstration sport rather than an official event at the 1928, 1932 and 1948 Olympic Games. In 1904, Canada sent two teams as athletes who took part in the Olympics registered as individuals. One of these Canadian teams then won gold, and the other - bronze.
Powerboat racing
Year introduced: 1908
Number of Olympiads: 1
Last game: 1908
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Powerboat racing appeared in Olympic timetable only once, in 1908 at the London Games. They were not included in the program again because the rules of the Olympic Charter prohibit sports that rely on mechanized traction. The three powerboat races consisted of five laps of 15 kilometers. France won gold in the open class and Great Britain won gold in the boat races from six to eight meters in length and in the class for boats up to 18 meters in length.
Racket
Year introduced: 1908
Number of Olympiads: 1
Last game: 1908
The racket game is similar to the modern squash game. However, there are some differences, including in the inventory. The game dates back to 18th century Britain, where debtors in prison entertained themselves as best they could. In 1908, only athletes from Great Britain took part in the games in London. True, the final of the game did not take place due to an injury to the hand of one of the participants.
Art
Year introduced: 1912
Number of Olympiads: 7
Last game: 1948
In Stockholm in 1912, art competitions were included in the program of the Olympic Games. It was part of the idea of Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1894. Later, at the 1912 Games, De Coubertin won the gold medal in literature.
In 1948, 25 countries sent artists to London to compete in architecture, painting, sculpture, literature and music. This was the last time art competitions were held at the Olympic Games. Since most of the artists were professionals, this was contrary to the then charter of the IOC and the competition was removed from the program of the Olympic Games.
Mountaineering
Year introduced: 1932
Number of Olympiads: 2
Last game: n / a
In 1924, at the first Winter Olympics in Chamonix, the first awarding of prize-winners in mountaineering competitions took place. Interestingly, there was no traditional competition at the Games, since the Games were in session mode. Medals were awarded to individuals or groups who achieved the most notable feats in mountaineering or in previous games. The first medals were awarded to members of the unsuccessful 1922 British expedition to Mount Everest.
Seven medals were awarded posthumously.
In 1936, two were awarded Olympic medals... After this event, there was a lull. Only in 1988, at the Games in Calgary, climbers Reinhold Messner and Jerzy Kukuczka were awarded for the successful conquest of fourteen peaks of 8,000 meters.
Aeronautics
Year introduced: 1936
Number of Olympiads: 1
Last game: 1936
Swiss Hermann Schreiber probably felt he had a good chance of winning a gold medal ahead of the aeronautics (aeronautics) competition at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. After all, he was the only participant in the sport. The event involved a glider, which was launched from a cable.
Although aeronautics is considered an exhibition sport, not a competitive sport, the International Olympic Committee nevertheless approved the events for the 1940 Olympics to be held in Tokyo. World War II confused the cards. Therefore, Schreiber is still the only competitor to compete in aeronautics.
Baseball
Year introduced: 1992
Number of Olympiads: 5
Last game: 2008
The first written mention of baseball dates back to 1846, when the first official baseball game was played in New Jersey. Then most of the rules were taken from the English game "rounds". Professional games began in the United States in 1869, and the national league was formed in 1876. Then the game spread very slowly in Europe, primarily in Italy and France, and after World War II - in Asia. Baseball is now played in over 120 countries around the world. Baseball was more often than other sports included in the program of the Games in the status of demonstration performances, but in 1992, at the Games in Barcelona, medals were played for the first time in this sport. At the July 2005 IOC meeting, baseball and softball (the women's form of baseball) were stripped of their Olympic status. The decree came into force with the London 2012 Olympics.
We've all heard about chess and boxing, but did you know about chessboxing? What about a ferret-in-pants? Or camel fighting? Our world is full of all sorts of oddities, and unusual sports only confirm this fact. As famed baseball player Yogi Berra once said, there are so many interesting things you can notice just by watching. Perhaps it's time to learn something new right now?
25.Bo-taoshi (or botaoshi, or botaoshi)
Botaoshi is translated from Japanese as “pillar down”, and this is, well, a very active sport. Each team consists of 150 members, which are divided into 75 attackers and 75 defenders. What is the purpose? Shoot down the enemy team's pillar, of course.
24. Extreme ironing
Photo: Theredrocket, English Wikipedia
According to the Bureau of Extreme Ironing, it is "the youngest and most dangerous sport that combines the thrill of being outdoors with the satisfaction of a well-ironed shirt." Extreme ironing originated in England, but nowadays it has become an international phenomenon, and competitions in this sport are now held under water, in the mountains and even during skydiving all over the world.
23. Gagabol
Photo: Camp Pinewood
This game is especially popular in summer camps, and it originated in Israel. Gagabol is somewhat reminiscent of a bouncer, with the difference that all the action must take place within a wooden octagon, and the participants in the game knock each other out with a ball below the knee to get rid of the opponent.
22. Coopershield Cheese Race
Photo: Dave Farrance
This annual competition is held on the slope of Cooper's Hill near the English city of Gloucester, from the top of which a head of traditional Gloucester cheese is rolled. The task of the participants is to catch up with the head, rolling down the mountain with it. During this time, the cheese accelerates to a speed of 112.5 kilometers per hour, so there is no need to talk about a real pursuit of this bait. By and large, the winner is the one who crossed the finish line first, and the daredevil gets… cheese as a reward.
21. Snow polo
Photo: Clement Bucco-Lechat
This type of polo appeared in Switzerland in 1985, but today it can be found almost all over the world. In the United States, snow polo is played exclusively in Aspen, Colorado. As you may have guessed, mostly wealthy people are fond of this sport, because not everyone can afford a personal stallion for training.
20. Rabbit jumping or canin hop
Photo: sv: User: Wikkie
In Sweden, they came up with another interesting type of competition, and for it rabbits are specially trained to jump over a variety of obstacles. This spectacle, of course, cannot be compared with show jumping, but how not to be moved by jumping rabbits?
19. Underwater hockey or octopush
Photo: DavidUnderwater
The name speaks for itself. Yes, yes, this is almost ordinary hockey, only now they play it at the bottom of the pool. As you might have guessed, it is extremely important for an athlete in this discipline to be able to hold their breath for a long time. In addition, instead of a regular club, special pushers are used, which are small sticks-spatulas.
18. Roller derby
Photo: Earl McGehee
Most widespread among women, this sport was forgotten for some time, but in the last 10 years it has regained its former glory. There are 2 roller skating teams participating in the game, and they all compete on one common racing track. One of the members of each team plays the role of a jammer, and the main task of this player is to overtake his rivals, who are trying to hinder him in every possible way. It is not surprising that this sport is sometimes very aggressive and traumatic.
17. Man versus horse marathon
Photo: Jothelibrarian
Every June in the Welsh town of Llanwrtyd Wells, marathoners line up to prove they can overtake a horse over 35 kilometers. How did it all start? In 1980, local pub owner Gordon Green was rumored to have heard a dispute between 2 customers trying to figure out if a person could outrun a horse over a long distance. Since then, athletes have been trying to test this for several years now, and for the first time a cyclist won this race - in 1989. Later, bicycles were banned, and according to the new rules, a person was able to defeat an animal only in 2004.
16. God snorkeling
Photo: Rud-gr
You will not only have to put on a snorkel, mask and fins, but also swim 120 meters in them through the swamp. It is forbidden to use traditional swimming styles, as well as to raise your head above the muddy water. You can only help yourself with fins. Like some of the other sports on this list, the discipline originated in England from an old controversy.
15. Fights on cardboard tubes
Photo: Helen Cook
According to the official statement of the League of Cardboard Trumpet Fighting (yes, everything is for real), this sport is based on 3 main principles: people need to have more fun and be less serious, events can be fun without alcohol, cardboard sword fights - it's very funny. Indisputable logic!
14. Belliflop or belly jumping
Photo: Prayitno
This is probably one of the most traumatic and painful types of non-team sports, but in a few seconds of torment you can win a lot of money. And if you don’t win, then at least indulge your vanity and are guaranteed to get your moment of glory. The main task of the athlete is to jump beautifully from a height, fly with his stomach to the water as long as possible, and at the last moment manage to group so as not to break his back.
13. Athletic mustache growing
Photo: Mike Mozart
Compared to most of the other disciplines on this list, sport cultivation seems to be the safest and most relaxed experience. Just don't try to tell one of these barbel that they are not real athletes!
12. Checkbox
Photo: Sascha Pohflepp
These competitions were invented by the author of comics at the end of the 20th century, but they were brought to life by another person, and the first world championship took place in 2003. consists of 11 rounds of boxing and chess games alternately, and victory is achieved either by knockout or checkmate, or surrender, or delay in chess time, or by decision of the judge and by points.
11. Buzkashi
Photo: WikipediaCommons.com
The goal of this competition is simple - to grab the carcass of a decapitated goat at full gallop, prevent opponents from taking it away and reach the finish line with the trophy. Buzkashi is popular throughout Central Asia and is considered the national sport of Afghanistan.
10. Pesapallo or Finnish baseball
Photo: Jannev
It is the national sport of Finland, but in recent times it became popular throughout Northern Europe. Pesapallo resembles a variation of baseball, but the difference between the sports is that the Finns throw their ball up. This makes it easier to hit the ball with the bat, and the dynamics of the game becomes much more varied.
9. Ferret-in-pants
Photo: Artofmanliness.com
Do you think ferrets are the cutest creatures? What if the ferret ends up in your pants? And two ferrets? The goal of this sport is to keep a couple of animals in the player's pants for as long as possible, with all the ensuing consequences. Incredibly, the world record is as much as 5 hours and 26 minutes, and it was set without underwear!
8. Toe wrestling or foot wrestling
Photo: Sarah
And again, for an incredibly strange sport, we can thank the UK. If it weren't for the British, the world would not have known about such great toe wrestling champions as Paul “Tomatominator” Beech. According to the rules of etiquette, each player takes off his opponent's shoes and socks before the match.
7. Mountain monocyclism
Photo: Ian Burt
As experienced hikers know, sometimes it can be difficult to stay on two legs on mountain trails, and even more so on one wheel. Not only is it about the athlete's incredible sense of balance, unicycle is not yet equipped like mountain bikes, so handling these unicycle requires special maneuvering skills. Despite all the unusualness and complexity of this discipline, mountain monocyclism has recently become more and more popular, especially in the Midwest of the United States.
6. Riding a tube (inflatable sled) on the water
Photo: Peter Opatrny
Perhaps this is one of the most dangerous sports on our list, because over the past 5 years several people have died in water tubing competitions and many competitors have been injured. The task of the athlete is to stay on a special inflatable chamber tied to the boat for as long as possible. At high speed, these tubes literally fly into the air, but if you come across an inflatable sled that is not intended for flying, it threatens serious injuries, because it is very difficult to control such cameras, and landing back on the water is very hard.
5. Bossball
Photo: Bossaball Master
This is a mixture of football, gymnastics and volleyball. This crazy sport was invented in Spain, but later found its fans far beyond its borders. The game takes place on a huge inflatable field with trampolines, the ball can be hit with any part of the body, the players of one team are entitled to a maximum of 5 touches until the ball flies over the net to a foreign field.
4. Camel fighting
Photo: Halit Edip Ozcan
If you've gotten to this point, you've probably figured out by now that people love fighting. We compete on toes and hands, wrestle on horseback and even force camels to fight! Few people associate this humpbacked animal with fighting, but believe me, it's all about motivation. If two camels are knocked together with their heads together in the presence of a female ready to mate, these massive creatures are ready to do anything to win. Competitions are traditionally held in the countries of the Middle East and South Asia.
3. Carrying wives
Photo: WikipediaCommons.com
According to the rules described in the regulations of the World Championship for Carrying Wives, a man can carry on himself as a load either his own wife, or the wife of a neighbor, or he must find her somewhere else. In addition, the woman must be over 17 years old and weigh at least 49 kilograms.
2. Quidditch
Photo: BenHollandPhotography
This game was first described in the Harry Potter series of novels and has become more and more popular lately. Most of the time, Quidditch competitions are held on college campuses. Quidditch is a great chance for a simple Muggle to make his dream come true and join the world of magic, taking hold of a broom, not only during cleaning.
1. Kicks on the shins (or shin-kicking, or purring)
Photo: David Stowell
All you need to participate in this challenge is 2 pairs of shins and a pain tolerance. The game came to the United States along with immigrants from Great Britain (again, the British), and became extremely popular there due to its simplicity and fervor. The task of each athlete is to knock the opponent to the ground, beating him in the legs. Participants put on white coats, grab each other by the goal and kick the opponent in the shin until one of the players surrenders.
Is running a race with a hefty stallion more enjoyable than sipping beer in front of the TV and lazily cheering for ours? You will be surprised, but a lot of people think that the stallion is better. It all started with incorrigible dreamers who stubbornly rummage in their garages and at night invent something inexplicable there. Sooner or later, these eccentrics become overgrown with crowds of like-minded people and armies of fans, and their weird entertainment turns into full-fledged competitions with strict rules. Are you ready to take off on wheels into the sky? Then go ahead!
It's all about a bicycle with a motor and a propeller, to which an ordinary parachute is attached. This two-seater vehicle can easily withstand a pilot and a passenger, travels 50-60 km per hour and rises 6 kilometers in height. You can fly with the engine off, gliding on the canopy, and if it is winter outside, there is a reason to replace the wheels with skis.
Where did it come from: From the workshop of Valery Digoyev, a resident of North Ossetia, although the Americans, as always, claim that they were the first to invented the aero-chute.
What do you need: Good weather, 20 liters of fuel, quality oil and 50 meters of level takeoff space. If you want to steer, you will have to attend a three-hour training course (and brag to your acquaintances with a clear conscience that you are now a sky rider). You can fly just like that, without a judge and rules, or for the time or accuracy of jumps, because the most reckless passengers are also parachuted from airchutes - the pilot remains at the helm. Which, of course, pleases.
It is played by everyone from princes of blood to garbage collectors - especially in Denmark, which has the most federated clubs. And although boccia is an ordinary team game, the main thing in it is not muscles, but brains: in order to win, you need to calculate the trajectory of the ball as accurately as possible and determine the power of the throw.
Where did it come from: Appeared in ancient times in ancient Greece.
What do you need: An area with any surface, an area of 6 by 12.5 meters, participants (2, 4, 8 or 12 people), as well as leather balls slightly larger than tennis balls: 1 white, 6 blue and 6 red. The white ball is considered a target and is at the edge of the field. The blues and reds try to shoot their balls to white. The winner is the team whose shells are closer to the target.
To come up with it, the descendants of the samurai did not take any effort: they only extremely complicated the task of football players, tying their binoculars to their eyes.
Where did it come from: From Japan.
What do you need: Players in binoculars with cyclopic magnification run across a standard soccer field for an ordinary soccer ball, completely unaware of where it is - three meters from the boot or thirty centimeters from the goal. Naturally, a binocular match is a hilarious spectacle: only a few hit the goal, as well as the ball, but basically everyone uselessly swing their legs and swing from side to side, trying to determine their coordinates in space.
Underwater hockey is fought in many countries of the world, and in some places - in the most difficult conditions. For example, recently an international ice hockey tournament was held in Austria: the players passed the puck to each other not along the bottom of the reservoir, but along the back of the ice crust. It was possible to breathe only in the window of the ice-hole, arranged next to the "field".
Where did it come from: It was invented by the British in 1954.
What do you need: Swimming pool with underwater gates. There are two teams, each of 6 people, equipped with swimming trunks, masks, ear plugs, fins and snorkels. The task of these gallant guys is to hammer a plastic-upholstered metal washer into the opponent's goal with the help of a 30-centimeter stick.
Who is faster - a horse or a man? You do not doubt the answer, but in vain, because once a man still won: in 2004, Huv Lobb covered the distance, overtaking the horse by more than 120 seconds (and received a prize of 25 thousand pounds). Yes, it was only once - but the trouble is the beginning: our men will still show these stallions!
Where did it come from: The marathon took place for the first time in 1980, again in foggy Albion.
What do you need: Lots of health, willpower, 35 kilometers and horses. Recently, 40 horses have been competing with five hundred runners.
In 1973, the Frenchman Gilles Ebersol invented a ball of two spheres, the space between which is filled with air, and inside you can climb and roll anywhere, and patented his invention. On the mainland, they looked at the ball with caution, and it became famous only when it got to the other hemisphere.
Where did it come from: Became popular with the light hand of the New Zealand extreme.
What do you need: A zorb, a stopwatch, and a half-mile long hill - grassy, snowy, or artificial. If there are no hills, water is fine. In the avenues of amusement parks, rolling down earthen hills is called Hill zorbing, rolling on water - Water or aqua zorbing, descending from snow slopes - Snow zorbing. There is also Hydro zorbing (this is when the ball is filled not with air, but with water), Aero zorbing (the ball rolls along the wind tunnel), Night LED zorbing (night zorbing in a ball stuffed with LEDs) and a lot of other variations. In a word, there is enough pleasure and squeal for everyone.
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