Strangest Sports in the World
Sports go way back. Cave drawings depict wrestling as early as 3000 B.C., while the first ancient Olympic Games debuted in 760 B.C. with a footrace. That's a far cry from the global event the modern games have become.
The world’s most popular sport today, football (soccer), originated in China in the third century B.C. But football didn't reach Europe until the 12th century. In North America, Native Americans played stickball (a precursor to lacrosse). Golf was born in Scotland in the 1500s. And through the years, sports have become more formalized in everything from baseball to bobsledding.
We all know about the most popular sports, but there are some unusual ones you have to see to believe. These are the strangest sports in the world.
Bog Snorkelling
Place of origin: Llanwrtyd Wells, Wales
First played: 1976
Team members: Single competitor
Type of sport: Outdoor, aquatic
Equipment: Snorkel, flippers
Bottom Line: Bog Snorkelling
Forget about tropical waters and colorful marine life. The only thing bog snorkelling has in common with traditional snorkelling is the equipment.
This sporting event is a 120-yard swim competition in a trench cut through a peat bog, or muddy marshland. The catch? You can use only your flippers to power you. No conventional swimming strokes.
The sport started after a bar conversation and has held an annual world championship in Llanwrtyd Wells, Wales, since 1985. The world record is 1 minute, 18.81 seconds, for any aspiring bog snorkellers out there.
Bossaball
Place of origin: Spain
First played: 2005
Team members: Four players per side
Type of sport: Outdoor/indoor, ball game
Equipment: Inflatable court, trampoline
Bottom Line: Bossaball
What do you get when you mix volleyball, football (soccer) and gymnastics with music, capoeira (an Afro-Brazilian martial art) and Brazilian beach culture? Bossaball. The word "bossa" means style in Brazilian Portuguese, so think of bossaball as "The Girl From Ipanema" come to life as a sport.
Filip Eyckmans, a former Belgian tennis player turned soccer enthusiast/DJ, developed the game while living in Spain, after traveling to Brazil as a band manager. He wanted to capture the late afternoon Brazilian beach vibe with athletic grace and physical skills. Mission accomplished.
Now, bossaball is played in over 20 countries and four continents.
Cheese Rolling
Place of origin: Gloucester, England
First played: 15th century (estimated)
Team members: Single competitor
Type of sport: Outdoor, running
Equipment: Round of Double Gloucester cheese
Bottom Line: Cheese Rolling
Think you have what it takes to take the cheese? Better bring your wheels. The 7-9 pound round of Double Gloucester can reach speeds of 70 miles an hour when it’s rolled down Cooper's Hill near Gloucester, England.
The exact origin of cheese rolling is unclear, but the annual event at the end of May used to be just for locals. Now people come from all over the world to compete for glory during the Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake.
Like any good sportsperson, keep your eye on the cheese. It’s been known to injure some unfortunate souls.
Competitive Sleeping
Place of origin: United States (California)
First played: 1998
Team members: Single competitor
Type of sport: Outdoor/indoor, low impact
Equipment: Bed
Dog Surfing
Place of origin: United States (California and Hawaii)
First played: 1920s
Team members: Single or double competitor (dog and owner)
Type of sport: Outdoor, aquatic
Equipment: Surfboard
]]
Bottom Line: Dog Surfing
Dog surfing started in California and Hawaii in the 1920s and has become a popular pastime. Dogs can ride alone or with their owners.
Over the years, some surfing dogs have become stars, appearing in movies, TV shows, magazine and newspaper stories. In fact, dogs got so good at surfing that humans decided to hold competitions and judge their skills based on balance, wave size and ride length.
Next time you’re at a beach with some nice waves, don’t be surprised to see Spot surf.
Egg Throwing
Place of origin: Lincolnshire, England
First played: 1322
Team members: Teams of two
Type of sport: Outdoor, throwing
Equipment: Eggs
Bottom Line: Egg Throwing
How far you can throw an egg without breaking it is more than a field day activity or Easter tradition.
According to Reuters, the World Egg Throwing Federation, founded in 2004 to support the sport of egg throwing, said the game originated in the 14th century when an English abbot, the only person in his village with chickens, encouraged church attendance by giving one egg to locals. When a flooding river prevented parishioners from attending church, monks threw them eggs.
Ever since, people from around the world have been throwing eggs for fun, bragging rights and money. A Texas man set the world record in 1978 with a throw of 323 feet, 2 inches (98.51 meters), a mark that stood until 1999, when Guinness stopped listing the record.
Now, the World Egg Throwing Federation confirms world records, and the current longest distance is 233 feet, 6 inches (71.2 meters), set by two Irishmen in 2013.
Extreme Ironing
Place of origin: Yorkshire Dales National Park, England
First played: 1980
Team members: Single or multiple competitors
Type of sport: Outdoor/indoor, extreme
Equipment: Iron, ironing board, clothes
Bottom Line: Extreme Ironing
Ironing has become part-performance art and part-adventure cult as people seek crazy places and ways to press their shirts.
The unique fad started when an English man, inspired by his eccentric brother who ironed clothes on camping trips, started ironing in bizarre places like an airport and on top of telephone booths and mountaintops.
What started as stunt gained mass appeal with a documentary that showed the first extreme ironing world championships. Now, extreme ironing has spawned other "extreme" activities such as extreme cello playing.
Face Slapping
Place of origin: Russia
First played: 2018
Team members: Single competitor
Type of sport: Combat
Equipment: Hand
Bottom Line: Face Slapping
Face slapping is nothing new, but competitive face slapping is. And it’s already been christened the world’s greatest sport. For good reason.
Two men (of any size) take turns slapping the sense out of each other until one taps out or gets floored. Knockouts come fast and furious.
The winner of the 2019 Male Slapping Championship at the Siberian Power Show in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, was Vasily Pelmen, a 370-pound bear of a man nicknamed "Dumpling." He took home 30,000 Russian rubles, or $470, for his effort. And became an instant legend.
Far Leaping (Fierljeppen)
Place of origin: Netherlands
First played: 1771
Team members: Single competitor
Type of sport: Outdoor, running and jumping
Equipment: Wooden pole, body of water
Bottom Line: Far Leaping (Fierljeppen)
Some sports are created out of necessity, by accident or both. Take far leaping (fierljeppen), or pole vaulting for distance.
Because the Netherlands are under sea level, the country has many waterways. Friesans (Dutch people from the province of Friesland) used fierljeppen as a way to move around the waterways.
They turned this practical application into informal competitions in 1771. The sport became organized almost 200 years later, holding championships with leagues and clubs.
Today, thanks to international tourism, the sport has spread beyond the Netherlands.
Giant Pumpkin Kayaking
Place of origin: Canada (Lake Pesaquid in Windsor, Nova Scotia)
First played: 1999
Team members: Single competitor
Type of sport: Aquatic, racing
Equipment: Giant pumpkin, kayak paddle
Bottom Line: Giant Pumpkin Kayaking
Standard jack-o'-lanterns are child’s play compared to giant pumpkin kayaking.
First, you need to hollow out a 1,000-pound watercraft. No small feat. It takes patience and a strong knife.
Then, you need to get your pumpkin to the water to make sure it floats. You can’t just carry it. A Bobcat, or some other heavy-duty transporter, can do the job.
After the pumpkin is in the water, and you are in the pumpkin, it’s time to paddle. Navigating requires practice, but once you get the hang of it, row, row, row your gourd.
Besides Nova Scotia, giant pumpkin races have been held in Vermont, Oregon and Maine.
Goat Dragging (Buzkashi)
Place of origin: Central Asia
First played: 10th-15th century
Team members: Teams or individuals, 10-12 participants per side
Type of sport: Outdoor, physical
Equipment: Horses, headless goat or calf
Bottom Line: Goat Dragging (Buzkashi)
Afghanistan’s national sport is not for the weak. In Persian, "buzkashi" means "goat dragging," and that about sums up this game.
Teams or individuals ride horses around a playing area that’s as big as two football fields, vying for control of a headless goat or calf carcass that weighs 50-100 pounds. The goal is to put the carcass in the opponent’s kazan, or goal.
Nomadic Turkic peoples moving westward from China and Mongolia created buzkashi around the 10th century as a diversion from ordinary herding. Their descendants are the game’s main players today.
Kabaddi
Country of origin: India
First played: 1923
Team members: Seven players per side
Type of sport: Indoor/outdoor, contact
Equipment: None
Bottom Line: Kabaddi
Are you ready to rumble — and achieve total consciousness? Kabaddi combines wrestling, tag and holding your breath. Some accounts claim the Buddha played the game recreationally.
Two teams compete against each other. The object is for one player on offense (a "raider") to tag out as many opponents as possible, without being tackled, in a single breath.
Popular in India and Asia, kabaddi (from the Tamil word "kai-pidi," meaning "to hold hands") is the national sport of Bangladesh and Nepal. It's taught at an early age in school, and some kids dream of playing in a pro league and big competitions.
Kick Volleyball (Sepak Takraw)
Place of origin: Malaysia
First played: 15th century
Team members: Three players per side
Type of sport: Indoor/outdoor
Equipment: Rattan ball
Bottom Line: Kick Volleyball (Sepak Takraw)
Imagine playing volleyball with no hands. All you can use are your feet, knees, chest and head to touch the ball. That’s the game of sepak takraw, or kick volleyball.
The sport originated in Malaysia in the 15th century and remains popular there and across Southeast Asia in Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand.
The International Sepak Takraw Federation (ISTAF) governs international play. Annual major competitions include the ISTAF SuperSeries, ISTAF World Cup and King's Cup World Championships.
Lawn Mower Racing
Place of origin: United States (Twelve Mile, Ind.)
First played: 1963
Team members: Single competitor
Type of sport: Motorsport
Equipment: Lawn mower, race track
Bottom Line: Lawn Mower Racing
Ladies and gentlemen, start your lawn mowers. All ages are welcome. Just keep it safe. Speeds can reach over 30 miles per hour.
Lawn mower racing has been a tradition in the U.S. for decades. Twelve Mile, Ind., started an annual Fourth of July race in 1963 that runs like a NASCAR contest. North Carolina, Missouri and New Mexico also host regular events.
But lawn mower racing isn’t just loved in America. The U.K. held its first organized race in 1968. The British Lawn Mower Racing Association (BLMRA) was formed in 1973, and several racing clubs promote sprint or endurance events.
In the Southern Hemisphere, Australia has been racing lawn mowers since 1978 and held its first national race in 2009.
Man Versus Horse Marathon
Place of origin: Llanwrtyd Wells, Wales
First played: 1980
Team members: Single competitor
Type of sport: Running
Equipment: Running gear
Bottom Line: Man Versus Horse Marathon
The United Kingdom is not short on creative ideas for sporting events. This annual race pits human versus animal. The marathon is 22 miles, not quite an official marathon, but still impressive.
The first competition started in 1980 in Llanwrtyd Wells, Wales (also the home of bog snorkelling) after an argument in a pub. The owner, Gordon Green, wanted to settle a debate and prove that humans were equal to horses over long distances.
He was proven right in 2004, the 25th iteration of the race, as a man racing on foot beat a horse for the first time (a cyclist won the race in 1989) and collected 25,000 pounds ($32,610 today). The winner's pot had been growing by 1,000 pounds ($1,304) every year.
In 2013, 65 horses entered the event, and 44 completed the course, making it "the world’s largest horse race."
Other man versus horse marathons are held in Scotland and New Zealand.
Mud-Pit Belly Flopping
Place of origin: United States (East Dublin, Ga.)
First played: 1996
Team members: Single competitor
Type of sport: Aquatic
Equipment: None
Bottom Line: Mud-Pit Belly Flopping
Who could forget the Redneck Games? Started in East Dublin, Ga., in 1996 by a local radio station’s general manager, the games featured the kind of events that would make Jeff Foxworthy proud: toilet seat throwing, armpit serenade, bobbing for pig’s feet and more.
Mud-pit belly flopping was a fan favorite from the beginning. Competitors never failed to capture the triumph of the human spirit by falling face first in a pile of mud.
The Redneck Games ended in Georgia 2012, but the tradition continued in Minto, Ontario, Canada, and Athens, Texas. Of course, mud-pit belly flopping remains popular wherever dirt and water can be found.
Pole Toppling (Bo-Taoshi)
Place of origin: Japan
First played: 1945
Team members: 150 per side
Type of sport: Contact, strategy
Equipment: Wooden pole
Bottom Line: Pole Toppling (Bo-Taoshi)
Bring the pole down. That’s the rough translation of bo-taoshi, the game invented by the Japanese military as a training exercise.
Now, the game — which combines rugby, wrestling, sumo and NFL football — is played at the National Defense Academy of Japan, where students are shaped into officers.
This capture-the-flag variation may look like unorganized chaos with 300 players squaring off on a field, but there’s a method to the madness in the quest to lower a 12-foot, 8-inch wooden pole to a 30-degree angle.
Rabbit Jumping (Kaninhoppning)
Place of origin: Sweden
First played: Early 1970s
Team members: Single competitor
Type of sport: Outdoor, physical
Equipment: Jumping course, rabbit
Bottom Line: Rabbit Jumping (Kaninhoppning)
One day in the 1970s, some Swedes had an idea: If horses can jump in competitions, why not rabbits? The rest is history. Jumping courses for rabbits were built, rules were developed to suit the smaller species, and the first national championship was held in 1987.
The Swedish Federation of Rabbit Jumping (SKHRF) formed seven years later, and before long, Germay, Norway, Finland and even the United States had created clubs. Now, rabbit jumping, or kaninhoppning in Swedish, has a subculture all its own.
Any rabbits can participate, but the ideal furry friend is between 4.4 pounds (2 kilograms) and 11 pounds (5 kilograms). The world record for a rabbit jump is 39.2 inches, or 99.5 centimeters, and has stood since 1997.
Shin Kicking
Place of origin: England
First played: 1612
Team members: Single competitor
Type of sport: Combat
Equipment: Soft shoes, straw padding in pants
Bottom Line: Shin Kicking
Kicking shins is nothing new, but there’s an art to this English martial art that goes beyond brute aggression and playground bullying.
Winning is all about timing and kicking your opponent in the right place. Learn the proper technique, and you, too, could become a master in the way of shin kicking.
With enough training, you even might be good enough to battle in the annual World Shin Kicking Championships at the Cotswold Olimpick Games, which draws thousands of spectators.
Toe Wrestling
Place of origin: Staffordshire, England
First played: 1974
Team members: Single competitor
Type of sport: Combat
Equipment: Foot
Bottom Line: Toe Wrestling
If you can’t beat ‘em, create your own sport. That’s what four drinking buddies did at Ye Olde Royal Oak Inn.
Tired of not having any world champions from the United Kingdom, they invented toe wrestling in 1974. One of the founders became the first champion and repeated. But a ringer from Canada took his title, and the sport dissolved.
Now, it’s making a comeback with the annual World Toe Wrestling Championship and players like the "Toeminator" and "Nasty." Can you say foot five?
Underwater Hockey
Place of origin: England
First played: 1954
Team members: Up to 10 (six in play)
Type of sport: Aquatic
Equipment: Diving mask, snorkel, fins, water polo cap, stick, puck
Bottom Line: Underwater Hockey
Rodney Dangerfield liked to joke about going to a fight and a hockey game breaking out. The same could be said about going to a swimming pool and underwater hockey.
The game, also known as Octopush, started when the founder of an underwater diving club wanted to keep his members engaged during winter. It worked. While there is no fighting in underwater hockey, the game has plenty of action pushing a hockey puck into an opponent’s goal along the bottom of a pool.
Canada hosted the first Underwater Hockey World Championship in 1980. Interest spread to South Africa, Australia and the Philippines. And now the game is popular in many countries, including the Netherlands, New Zealand and U.S.
Unicycle Polo
Place of origin: Germany
First played: 1925 (unicycle hockey in the German film "Varieté")
Team members: Three to five players per side
Type of sport: Indoor/outdoor, limited contact
Equipment: Unicycle, mallet, wooden ball
Bottom Line: Unicycle Polo
Polo is considered a rich man’s sport because a polo horse alone can cost between $5,000 to $200,000. A unicycle goes for as low as $36. Any wonder why unicycle polo was created?
The biggest barrier to entry is learning how to ride a unicycle and finding a court or parking lot to serve as a field of play. Once those hurdles are crossed, the same rules of the polo game apply.
Then, it’s off to the races on one wheel with dozens of unicycle clubs and organizations around the world. And if you want to play another unicycle game, like unicycle hockey (the forerunner of unicycle polo), just switch to a hockey stick.
Urban Golf
Place of origin: Scotland
First played: 1741
Team members: Single competitor or teams
Type of sport: Outdoor, club and ball
Equipment: Golf clubs (putter, wood, iron), tennis balls, air flow ball, squash ball, cayman ball, customized ball (leather filled with goose feathers)
Bottom Line: Urban Golf
Just like golf, urban golf is believed to have started hundreds of years ago in Scotland. Legend has it that the first urban golf course was outside an inn in Edinburgh.
The game is the same except 18 holes are played in a city environment such as an industrial site, school or even the street. Players use standard golf clubs and hit tennis, squash balls or other types of non-destructive balls into targets. Real golf balls are used only when it’s safe.
The game is free. There’s no dress code. And it can be played around the world with associations on almost every continent.
Wife Carrying
Country of origin: Finland
First played: 1992
Team members: Two
Type of sport: Running
Equipment: Belt (worn by carrier), helmet (worn by carried)
Bottom Line: Wife Carrying
Behind every great man is a great woman. Often, that woman is a wife, who carries a heavy load supporting her husband and family in underappreciated ways. Wife carrying returns the favor.
The sport involves a male competitor racing through two dry obstacles and one water obstacle while carrying a female teammate. The female must weigh at least 108 pounds (49 kilograms), or additional weight will be added to her. The team that completes the course fastest wins.
The Wife Carrying World Championships began in Finland in 1992. The winner gets her wife’s weight in beer. Now, wife carrying contests take place in the United States, Hong Kong, Estonia, United Kingdom and Australia.
Zorbing
Place of origin: New Zealand
First played: 1994
Team members: One to three competitors
Type of sport: Indoor/outdoor, extreme
Equipment: Zorb
Bottom Line: Zorbing
Ever wanted to take a spin in a hamster ball? Then, you’ll love zorbing.
The recreational sport involves getting in a transparent plastic orb and rolling down a hill. It also can be used on water and flat surfaces.
In 2001, zorbing became a word in the Concise Oxford English Dictionary, defined as "a sport in which a participant is secured inside an inner capsule in a large, transparent ball which is then rolled along the ground or down hills.”
Let the good times roll.