Most Bizarre Sports Ever – The Art Of Weirdness

Forget the classic soccer or tennis, read our article about bizarre sports, and you will find dumbfounding ones. The following competitions are somewhat crazy but in a good sense. However, several people want to try these odd activities at least once. No matter how weird some of them are, they are all the more exciting and challenging. We present games, sports, and competitions that one can only say are the most bizarre sports ever.

Extreme Ironing

The British Phil Shawsport invented extreme ironing in 1997 and took the nickname Steam. He said that one day after work, he went home and did not feel like ironing, so he grabbed the iron, the board, the clothes and went into the garden. Later, being an amateur rock climber, he ended up on a hillside. Ever since then, he started to look for even weirder places to do the chore, like on glaciers and cliffs. He then found followers and founded the Extreme Ironing Bureau. They established a similar organization in Germany by 2000, as well. The madness spread fast. The Germans, Japanese, Americans, New Zealanders, South Africans, and many more have joined the party. Some iron on a snowboard or in a canoe. Judges consist of competition winners, fashion gurus, and athletes. They score the difficulty of the stunt, the quality of the ironing, the pace, and the artistic ways. 

Most Bizarre Sports Ever - Competitive Shin-Kicking

This is a whole new level of the most bizarre sports ever. The English seem to have been kicking each other competitively on their shins since the 17th century. In this competitive sport, two opponents kick each other’s shin or at least try until one falls to the ground or gives up due to pain. Yikes! Initially, English shepherds used the shin kick method to settle disagreements, but later it spread among miners. They realized that they could bear the monotony of their work much better if they put in a little excitement.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-d_z3-X1OU Only the kick below the knee is valid. The goal is to kick the other's shin until hitting the ground. In the past, the fight went on until the first leg break, but thank God this is no longer an option. However, they allow competitors to stuff their pants and knee socks with straws. There are even those who attach a thick layer to the outside of their pants, as well. Of course, there are always one or two crazy people who, without protective gear, tolerate being kicked in their shins.

Cheese Rolling

A big roll of cheese, a crazy crowd, and a steep hill in England. That's all it takes. It’s a centuries-old cheese-rolling tradition that attracts fanatics and tourists from all over the world, both as spectators and participants. What's the point? You have to catch the cheese. If possible, without ending up in an ambulance, which is often the case. What is the grand prize? Wait for it! It’s the big roll of the cheese itself. The cheese rolling competition has been a regular event since the 15th century on the slopes of Cooper’s Hill in Gloucestershire, England. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fora0TmtnU Participants set off a round cheese on the slope, and then they rush to catch it before reaching the bottom of the hill. There are four races or rounds in the competition, with 15 participants each time. The winners get the cheese, but the runner-up receives £ 10, and the third will receive £ 5. So, one thing is undeniable, not the cash prize motivates the enthusiastic competitors. Because the cheese rollers run down the steep hillside as fast as possible, they can’t get away without major or minor injuries. Cheese rolling is definitely one of the most bizarre sports ever.

Kabaddi

You know tag, right? And wrestling? This is a sport that crowds love in one part of the world, and others barely know it elsewhere. Yet, in its own way, it's fun. This popular sport is an exciting blend of the mentioned two games. Four players from the same team cling together to receive an attacker from the other team, who must touch one of the four players. Then only the tagged player can try to wrestle the attacker to the ground before they get back behind the start line. One point goes for the successful wrestle or getting back behind the lane. It’s not complicated and quite enjoyable. Check it out at online sportsbook sites in India.  Kabaddi is an Indian-rooted sport, dating back thousands of years, with various versions. The game has now become a big deal. They updated the rules, there are professional leagues, and more than 200 million people watch it. You can even place bets on the competitions at 22Bet Sportsbook. Unfortunately, the new version doesn’t have the tradition where the name comes from. The attacking player could launch an attack with only one breath. The referees could check this while the player kept saying the word Kabaddi. 

Most Bizarre Sports Ever - Pea World Shooting Championship

They have been holding The World Pea Shooting Championships since 1971. It would be much more appropriate to name it the pea-spit championship. It is nothing more than participants using a tube, trying to hit the target with a piece of pea as accurately as possible. The competition takes place in Witcham in England, which started as a fun game at the fair. However, today the “pea spitters” come here from several countries. Participants take the tournament so seriously that they build tube tools with laser aiming and binoculars. Many people go to a tournament like this for having fun, and even make funny tubes for it. Although, some take this strange sport so seriously that they try to breed peas with the best properties for this purpose. The rules are simple. They grab a pea and use a tube to hit the board. You can use a simple straw for this, or even a device equipped with laser aim and binoculars, but it can’t be longer than 30 cm. Isn't it one of the most bizarre sports ever?

Most Bizarre Sports Ever - Toe Wrestling

This strange sport is also an English “invention”. The first toe wrestler tournament took place in an English pub. Since the 1970s, no matter how unbelievable this sounds, toe wrestling competitions have turned into world championships. The rules are pretty much the same as in the traditional Scandinavian version. The difference, of course, is that the competitors use their feet instead of their arms. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9og1uWTspc One of the most famous champions of toe wrestling is Paul (Toeminator) Beech. The winner of the women’s and men’s categories get an ice cream package enough for a year, thanks to the main sponsor, an American ice cream factory. It all started with regular guests in an English pub in the early 1970s, thinking about what sport could guarantee that English win. They decided that the only way was to invent an activity that no one else knew. This is how the foot version was born.

Rules

Two women or two men play each match. There are no mixed matches. Opponents sit opposite each other, barefoot, of course. They place their feet on a small platform and link their big toes together. They must keep their heels in their halves, and the fight does not begin until both players have indicated to the referee that they are ready. Then the referee will start the match with a “Toes Away” exclamation. The competition ends when the outside of one's foot touches the ground. This is "Toe Down."  They can't lower the non-wrestling foot to the ground, they have to keep it in the air. The bottoms of the players, on the other hand, have to stay on the ground. The players can also give up if the pain caused by the opponent is too great then they have to shout “Toe Much”. It is forbidden to release the grip if one of the players pulls their legs away. After two warnings, they disqualify the player. Each match consists of three games. With the left big toe and the right big toe, and if these two games end in a tie, the 3rd set comes. If you liked the article, check out the weirdest winter sports too.

Mobile phone throwing competition

Even the name suggests that this activity is definitely among the most bizarre sports ever. Everyone has pent-up energy and they can put it to good use here. People probably use this sport for stress relief, and it dates back to more than twenty years. Participants compete in various categories. In some, the distance is important, in some, the technique and the choreography. They held the first competition in Finland in 2000, but now it's an international event. They play it in many countries, but the World Championships are in Savonlinna, every August. There are four categories if you want to give it a try: freestyle, team, traditional, and children. Just make sure that your phone weighs at least 220 grams but no more than 400 grams.

Most bizarre sports ever - Bog snorkeling

This sport is relatively fresh, not in the literal sense, of course, but the first Bog Snorkeling Championship was in 1985. Imagine a 55-meter-long ditch filled with muddy water. This activity raised the term ending up in a ditch to a whole new level. The distance is not the real challenge here, but the nasty smell and to avoid the slippery pieces of branches and plants. However, the hard part comes after the competition since infections are common after paddling in the mud. Nevertheless, hundreds of people enter the competition every year. The World Bog Snorkeling Championship is the best example of the power of a pub conversation.  The idea of the race was born following an exchange over drinks in 1976, but the actual event took place almost ten years later in Llanwrtyd Wells. The competitors must swim through this 55-meter canal somehow, but they can’t use any other equipment other than flippers. In the men’s category 1 minute 26 seconds, by the women, 1 minute 33 seconds is the record. Many competitors race in various costumes, but there is a version where they try to complete the distance with the help of a mountain bike. 

Wife carrying

Finland has another peculiar sport, called wife-carrying. There is even the Wife Carrying World Championship in Sonkajärvi every year since 1992. The prize for the winner is as much beer as the wife’s weight. It may sound weird but beer in Finland is expensive. The competition has some basic rules. The track is 253 and a half meters long. Part of it contains a water pool about a meter deep, which is probably the greatest challenge for the husbands. However, it is way harder on the wives. Their stomachs, sides, ribs must hurt after a run like this since they usually hang from their husbands’ shoulders. Not to mention that the motion of running knocks the breath out of their lungs, making it difficult to breathe. These women must love their husbands to the moon and back. Or beer!  The rules don’t state whose wife the men have to carry, but preferably they compete with their spouses. The point is to be over 17, and if someone is lighter than 49 kilos, they have to carry some extra weight. Two or three pairs of competitors run at the same time, and the organizers compare their times. It’s a bizarre image, but if the men drop their better halves, they get a 15 seconds punishment. They can carry them any way they want, but the most popular is when the women hang on their mens’ backs and interlock their ankles in front of their necks. Online sportsbook sites offer various special bets you probably never knew you could bet on. Check them out and find some of the most bizarre sports ever from our list.

Most bizarre sports ever - Fowling

A man from Detroit came up with the idea because he wanted to create a new, fun sport. It’s a cross between American football and bowling. During the competition, two players face each other, about 15 meters apart, standing at the opposite ends of their lanes. The purpose is to knock down the opponents’ pieces before they knock down yours. The game isn’t complicated, but it’s not easy either. They play it in singles, doubles, or teams. Like in many sports, the competition starts after a coin toss. The winner can decide whether to go first or choose a defensive method. Each team members take turns throwing the American football at the opponents’ pieces. Each player has 20 seconds to throw. Like with bowling, they call the matches frames. The game ends when a team wins two out of three frames. 

Swamp soccer

Well, if it’s not the most bizarre sport ever, we don’t know what is. This game originates from Finland too. Nearly 30 percent of Finland is a swampy moorland, so it makes sense that a swamp soccer tournament takes place there every summer. The first competition was in 1998, and in 2000 it turned into a Swamp Soccer World Championship. Today, hundreds of teams compete from around the world. Countries like Ireland, Brazil, Iceland, China, etc., organize local events. However, the sport divides the citizens. Many worry about the wildlife of the bogs. Not just because of the competitions but because of the training sessions throughout the country. The idea belonged to a skier named Esa Romppainen. He wanted to keep up his stamina even in the summer, so he ran in the muddy area. That’s when he had a Eureka moment and came up with the idea. However, people thought it foolish at first, but the authorities had no objection, so they gave permission. They held the first Finnish Swamp Soccer Championship with 13 teams in 1998. This form of soccer is also popular among women. Several female teams take part in the competitions. The rules are the same as in regular soccer games, except that the playing time is 2 x 10 minutes. Hundreds of competitors kick the ball in the Kainuui swamp, but there are restaurants and swimming opportunities nearby which have also attracted thousands of spectators in recent years.

Most bizarre sports ever - Underwater ice hockey

Underwater ice hockey originates from Austria and is gradually gaining recognition among freedivers and extreme sports lovers. However, don’t confuse it with underwater hockey, which people play in indoor pools. They practice underwater ice hockey under an icy surface or frozen lake in a six meters wide and eight meters deep space. Anyone wanting to try this sport has to possess excellent breath-holding abilities since they use no breathing equipment. Players have to swim to the surface every 30 seconds to get fresh air. They can use flippers and ice hockey sticks, which are regular size, but they don’t play it at the bottom. They actually play the game on ice, just on the other side of it.

Boot throwing

Another popular Finnish craze is on the most bizarre sports ever list. Boot throwing is a sport where the goal is to throw a leather boot as far as possible. So the rules sound simple. First, each competitor throws three times, then the top 12 throws, again, three times. The winner becomes the officially accepted longest-distance thrower. Men throw an EU 43 size and women an EU 38 size boot. The throwing style is optional, but the bootleg must be straight during the flight. Participants can compete as individuals and teams. In the team category, they count the best three throws in the first round for their result as a team. The field looks similar to javelin throwing. The sport is the most popular in Finland, where they organize several tournaments, but people play it in many other countries. There is also a World Cup in boot throwing, but it is also fun entertainment at gatherings. 

Cuteness overload

Bunny jumping competition comes from Sweden. It dates back to the 70s but became popular in the 90s. Before the bunny jumping race begins, judges rate their jumping skills and put them into four groups. Bunnies should be at least four months old and jump over 8-12 obstacles in a maximum of 2 minutes. Canada, Switzerland, Denmark, Japan, etc., also hold competitions. This race resembles show-jumping the most, except for the animals, and there is also a long jump. 

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