In Finland, how it's turned out, there are a lot of really strange competitions, which, nevertheless, are getting more popular every year. Here I will show you some of them :)
Wife-carrying
Every summer this event takes place in Sonkajärvi, 100 km north of Kuopio. It's dated back in 1992 and during its existence the competition has reached an international level. Today it gathers over 6,000 spectators from different countries.
According to legend, this “sport” has existed since 19th century, when the local robber Rosvo-Ronkainen, who demanded from his gang to be fit, forced them to run through obstacles with a heavy burden like a 70-kilos bag of rye or a girl from a neighboring village.
In Finland, the competition takes place on a 253.5 meters track with sand and gravel parts, two obstacles and a water barrier one meter deep. The weight of the partner should be at least 49 kg. If the weight of the girl is less, then they put a backpack on her with the missing weight. A participant gets 15-second penalty for a fall during a competition. Also it's not allowed to fix the partner in any way.
The competition program also includes a sprint, marathon and team competitions. In the 100-meter race through gravel and sand with one pool the winner is the couple that did it faster, than the rest, and in the 6-minute marathon the winners are who was able to go a greater distance. But in the team competitions three participants should carry a partner in turn. At the same time here should be rewarded the funniest couple, the best costume and the strongest partner.
Have you seen this sport? If not, go and check YouTube. it's really crazy :)