10 Weird Sports From Around The World

Depending on an individual’s perspective, some sports outside professional leagues can be classified as weird. North Americans aren’t too fond of cricket and even a few South Americans haven’t even heard of hockey. 

The following sports go beyond the boundaries of unusual sports when it comes to rules and equipment.

Weird Sport #1. The Ultimate Test: Man v.s. Horse

If you thought the sport had anything to do with strength, then you’re wrong. The annual Man Versus Horse marathon requires stamina and agility. Taking place in the Welsh town of Llanwrtyd Wells, the marathon puts human contestants up against mounted horse contestants. 

The event started in 1980, when a landlord decided to hold the event after hearing two men arguing about whether or not an individual could beat a horse in a cross country race.

 
Weird Sport #2. Where Love Is The Key To Success

First introduced in Finland, wife carrying is an actual sport where male competitors race while carrying a female teammate. The objective is for the male to carry the female through a special obstacle course in the fastest time. Major competitions are held in Sonkajarvi, Finland, Monona, Wisconsin and in Marquette, Michigan. 

Talk about tough love.


Weird Sport #3. Going For A Different Kind Of Swim

Even though it does seem kind of gross, bog snorkelling is a sporting event where competitors swim in a water-filled trench cut through a peat bog. Competitors must wear snorkels and flippers and can only complete the course by swimming with their flippers and not using traditional swimming techniques.

The World Bog Snorkelling Championships take place every August Bank Holiday in a dense peat bog near Llanwrtyd Wells, in Wales.



Weird Sport #4. Putting Your Toe To Good Use

A popular activity for children, toe wrestling is now a competitive sport. The World Toe Wrestling Competition first started at a pub in Derbyshire, UK in 1976. Locals thought it would be a great idea to hold a competition where individuals lock toes together and force their opponent’s foot to the ground. The organizers applied in 1997 to get the sport included in the Olympics, but unfortunately, it was not accepted.



Weird Sport #5. Another Use For Those Fists Of Steel

Despite not being well-renowned in the media, fistball is an old sport that’s practiced all over the world. Like tennis and volleyball, the purpose of the sport is to hit the ball with your fist or arm and place it in the opponent’s half where they won’t get to it. After passing the net, the ball may be contacted up to three times (bounces are allowed) by the five players on each team.

The sport is played indoors and outdoors and is featured in The World Games. 



Weird Sport #6. Taking Underwater Sports To The Next Level

Octopush (also known as underwater hockey) is a non-contact sport where two teams compete to maneuver a puck across the bottom of a swimming pool and into “goals”. Just like hockey but underwater, the game has actually become popular in countries like the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa. 


Weird Sport #7. Reinventing A Childhood Sport

Even though it’s not entirely unusual, the fact that there is a kickball league is fun, yet weird. The popular playground game has now become a competitive sport with the creation of the World Adult Kickball Association. 


Weird Sport #8. Combining Brains And Brawn

If you’re looking for a sport that combines using your strength as well as intelligence, then chess boxing is for you. The sport is a combination of boxing and chess with the different games alternating after each round. A match between two individuals lasts up to eleven rounds, starting with a four minute chess round and followed by two minutes of boxing.

The sport is governed by the World Chess Boxing Organization whose motto is:

“Fighting is done in the ring and wars are waged on the board”



Weird Sport #9. Finding Out Who's Faster: You Or Cheese

Cheese rolling is probably one of the simplest sports out there. From the top of hill, a round of Double Gloucester cheese is rolled and competitors chase after it. The first individual across the finish line at the bottom of the hill wins (the cheese of course).

Competitors aim to catch the rolling cheese but this rarely happens as it has a one second head start and can reach speeds up to 112 km/hr. In 1997, the cheese took a wrong turn down the hill and accidentally injured a spectator.



Weird Sport #10. Putting Testosterone To Good Use

Facial hair can certainly make a man more masculine, but a competition? The World Beard And Moustache Championships is a biennial competition where men show off their extraordinary beards and moustaches. Categories include Dali moustache, goatee and full beard freestyle. 

If only the competitors played in rock bands.