The amount of sporting events is ever increasing and the number of crazy sports is starting to catch up. The more unusual ones may never enter the Olympic Games or see a TV screen but they give a lot of pleasure to the participant and sometimes help to promote local culture.
Elephant Polo - We associate polo with sleek, expensive horses but the elephant version is growing in popularity. The sport is played mainly in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal, and the Rajasthan region of India. The traditional sport has been modified for elephants to take part. They can’t cover the same amount of ground, so the pitch is smaller, and the mallets used are longer. Two riders are on the elephant and a ‘mahout’ drives the animal. Money raised from the sport contributes to the conservation of elephants. The current world champions are England.
Lawnmower Racing - This is ideal for anyone who wants to participate in a motor sport on a more modest budget. The standard ride-on lawnmowers have engines that can power up to 60 mph and competitors race round a two-mile track. The sport is open to anyone willing to have a go. Just remember to remove the cutting blade. It was invented in England and has spread to the USA and Australia. It beats mowing the lawn!
Cheese Chasing - You have to be fairly fit to do this but it’s only a once a year contest. The British have a reputation for eccentricity and this event in May in the Cotswolds illustrates the point. The Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling and Wake Event involves chasing a rolled wheel of Double Gloucester down a steep hillside until someone manages to get hold of the cheese and take it across the finish line. This is by no means easy as the cheese can reach 70 mph. Broken bones have been known. In addition to the glory, the winner’s prize is of course, the cheese.
Chess Boxing - Many people thought that this was a joke when this ‘sport’ began to get publicity but it is very real. It’s a test of boxing skills and chess ability as alternate rounds of each discipline take place inside the boxing ring. The chess rounds last 4 minutes and the boxing rounds last for 2 minutes. A knockout or checkmate decides the outcome. In the case of a chess stalemate, the better boxer is the winner. This strange activity first appeared in a French graphic novel. Be careful what you imagine! One wonders what Joe Louis would have made of it.
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Extreme Ironing - Combining adventure with housework was the stroke of genius of an Englishman (there goes that eccentricity again), called Phil Shaw. He is a keen rock climber and wanted to do something to spice up the boring task of ironing. The idea is to go to remote locations or difficult terrain to do one’s ironing. The finished, ironed item must be to a certain standard. Extreme ironers have ‘performed’ on the top of cliffs, up trees, over gorges, and underwater. An offshoot sport that combines ironing with bungee jumping is also gaining in popularity. The first international competition for Extreme Ironing was held in Germany.
There is a sport for everyone, it seems. Often, an idle daydream can lead to the participation of thousands of like-minded people and it doesn’t necessarily need a lot of money to organize events.
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