Strange Contests Around the World

Send us a Comment, Question or Request, we'd love to hear from you Prepare to be amazed, amused, and occasionally horrified as we journey through the strangest competitive events humanity has devised. From the Finnish forests to the steep hills of Gloucestershire, people around the world have found truly bizarre ways to challenge themselves and entertain spectators.We kick things off with Finland's Wife Carrying Championship, where competitors navigate obstacle courses with their partners draped across their shoulders – all for the chance to win their "wife's" weight in beer. The strategies involved might surprise you, with Hannah confirming she'd be the perfect weight-to-portability ratio for maximum beer winning potential!The conversation takes several unexpected turns as we discover Japan's Baby Crying Contest (where sumo wrestlers make infants cry for good luck), England's stomach-churning Toe Wrestling Championship, and the genuinely dangerous practice of Cheese Rolling, where competitors chase an 80mph wheel of Double Gloucester down a nearly vertical hill.Not all competitions involve risk of bodily harm – though many do! The Air Guitar World Championships judges participants on "airness" and stage presence, while Mobile Phone Throwing competitions (another Finnish specialty) combine distance with style. For those seeking the truly extreme, there's Extreme Ironing, where participants press clothes in unlikely locations like mountaintops or underwater.Throughout our exploration, we debate which competitions we'd actually enter versus simply observe. Some clear favorites emerge (Wife Carrying gets two enthusiastic thumbs up), while others receive a hard pass (Bog Snorkeling and anything involving feet).Have you ever wondered what it would be like to throw tomatoes with thousands of strangers in Spain or compete in an underwater hockey match? Join us for this lighthearted journey through human creativity, competition, and occasionally questionable judgment. And if you're feeling inspired, maybe we'll see you at the next World Wife Carrying Championship in Finland!Support the show