Even Weirder and Unusual Sports Around the World
Maxim Trevelyan
March 2016
Welcome to the second installment of Weird and Unusual Sports Around the World. We are continuing from my article in The Wizarding Times where I have already talked about wife carrying, extreme ironing, bossaball (my favorite!) and worm charming. This installment will again offer you four sports that you do not usually see on ESPN.
The first two sports are built completely upon the contestants' ingenuity. Beer Can Regatta originates in the city of Darwin, which is situated in the far north of Australia. The city itself has one of the highest beer consumptions per capita in the world, so it is just common sense that there are also a lot of beer cans left from the drinking. In 1974, the residents came up with a solution for all the empty beer cans; make a boat and float it. There can be any number of contestants to a team, though it is suggested only a couple actually try and ride in it. At first, boats could only be made from aluminum beer cans, but since the organizer started to promote responsible drinking, you can use any type of can, from alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks. The boats themselves are not tested beforehand, so if any fall apart, it is considered a part of entertainment for the onlookers. In the main event, The Battle of Mindil, the winners get 500 dollars and afterwards some boats are even displayed in the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney.
Now, our second sport was born out of jealousy, or so the legend goes. Milk Carton Regatta was Adelaide's answer to Darwin's Beer Can Regatta, situated in southern Australia. It was first held in 1980 at the Patawalonga. The goal is exactly the same as in the Beer Can Regatta, only the structure must instead be made completely out of milk cartons. The prize was a little bit smaller, only at $100, but the contestants say that the fun more than made up for it. Unfortunately, the last annual regatta was held in 1987 with a revival in 2002 and a further attempt in 2010.
Another racing competition, bathtubbing is exactly what you think it would be. Unlike previous two sports, this one is held around the world and there are even more World Championships than just your usual one. Loyal Nanaimo Bathtub Society first organized the sport in 1967, where bathtubs were allowed to have a motor attached to them to make them faster. No rules were being enforced, so it was a mayhem until it the organizers decided on a limitation of horsepower. Nowadays, there are usually three competitions as a part of bathtubbing: an individual time trial of 100m, where the contestants race against a stopwatch; multi bathtub races, where up to four bathtubs compete at a time; and synchronized bathtubbing, where two contestants (one paddling forward and one backward) must beat the 100m course in quickest time.
For our last sport, we go to Scotland, where we face haggis hurling. The name is pretty straightforward. In this sport, the people try to hurl the haggis as far as they can from on top of a platform, while also being the most accurate. Scots believe that the sports originates in ancient times, when a woman wanted to bring the haggis to her husband, who was working on the fields, but did not want to make the journey. Instead, she threw the haggis to her husband, who had to catch it with the front of his kilt. The sport itself started in 1977 in our modern time, mostly as a joke. However, it has since evolved into a serious competition. The haggis must be prepared traditionally and when it is cooled, it is thoroughly inspected to prevent any foul play. A sporting haggis weighs around 500g, with heavyweight up to a kilo. As an interesting fact, the world record for haggis hurling is 66 metres (217 feet) by Lorne Coltart in 2011.
I hope I have broadened your knowledge about certain unusual sports and perhaps we will see each other in Scotland, Australia or at a bathtubbing competition near you soon!
Welcome to the second installment of Weird and Unusual Sports Around the World. We are continuing from my article in The Wizarding Times where I have already talked about wife carrying, extreme ironing, bossaball (my favorite!) and worm charming. This installment will again offer you four sports that you do not usually see on ESPN.
The first two sports are built completely upon the contestants' ingenuity. Beer Can Regatta originates in the city of Darwin, which is situated in the far north of Australia. The city itself has one of the highest beer consumptions per capita in the world, so it is just common sense that there are also a lot of beer cans left from the drinking. In 1974, the residents came up with a solution for all the empty beer cans; make a boat and float it. There can be any number of contestants to a team, though it is suggested only a couple actually try and ride in it. At first, boats could only be made from aluminum beer cans, but since the organizer started to promote responsible drinking, you can use any type of can, from alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks. The boats themselves are not tested beforehand, so if any fall apart, it is considered a part of entertainment for the onlookers. In the main event, The Battle of Mindil, the winners get 500 dollars and afterwards some boats are even displayed in the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney.
Now, our second sport was born out of jealousy, or so the legend goes. Milk Carton Regatta was Adelaide's answer to Darwin's Beer Can Regatta, situated in southern Australia. It was first held in 1980 at the Patawalonga. The goal is exactly the same as in the Beer Can Regatta, only the structure must instead be made completely out of milk cartons. The prize was a little bit smaller, only at $100, but the contestants say that the fun more than made up for it. Unfortunately, the last annual regatta was held in 1987 with a revival in 2002 and a further attempt in 2010.
Another racing competition, bathtubbing is exactly what you think it would be. Unlike previous two sports, this one is held around the world and there are even more World Championships than just your usual one. Loyal Nanaimo Bathtub Society first organized the sport in 1967, where bathtubs were allowed to have a motor attached to them to make them faster. No rules were being enforced, so it was a mayhem until it the organizers decided on a limitation of horsepower. Nowadays, there are usually three competitions as a part of bathtubbing: an individual time trial of 100m, where the contestants race against a stopwatch; multi bathtub races, where up to four bathtubs compete at a time; and synchronized bathtubbing, where two contestants (one paddling forward and one backward) must beat the 100m course in quickest time.
For our last sport, we go to Scotland, where we face haggis hurling. The name is pretty straightforward. In this sport, the people try to hurl the haggis as far as they can from on top of a platform, while also being the most accurate. Scots believe that the sports originates in ancient times, when a woman wanted to bring the haggis to her husband, who was working on the fields, but did not want to make the journey. Instead, she threw the haggis to her husband, who had to catch it with the front of his kilt. The sport itself started in 1977 in our modern time, mostly as a joke. However, it has since evolved into a serious competition. The haggis must be prepared traditionally and when it is cooled, it is thoroughly inspected to prevent any foul play. A sporting haggis weighs around 500g, with heavyweight up to a kilo. As an interesting fact, the world record for haggis hurling is 66 metres (217 feet) by Lorne Coltart in 2011.
I hope I have broadened your knowledge about certain unusual sports and perhaps we will see each other in Scotland, Australia or at a bathtubbing competition near you soon!