6 Most Unusual Sports That Actually Exist
Oil Wrestling
Everyone is familiar with our most popular sports. But what about Oil Wrestling? Did you know that this sport is actually played all over the world? It was brought about in celebration of the Ottoman victory, with contests being played that date back to 1357. Of course, this probably isn’t everybody’s idea of fun. Eastern Macedonia and Northern Greece hold oil wrestling festivals, along with Japan and the Netherlands.
Pooh-Sticks
Check this one out, it’s called ‘Pooh-Sticks’. This was a sport mentioned in one of the Winnie-the-Pooh books. It must be aimed at fun for kids since it is Winnie-the-Pooh, and it is a simple sport played over running water. It is like stick racing, which all US kids used to do in Kentucky when the roads flooded. You each drop your stick and see which one gets to the finish line first. However the World Pooh-stick Championships take this sport to a whole new level. They’ve been holding these championships since 1984 on the Thames River in the UK.
Bed-Racing
This sport was actually played by the Marines, the Army, and the Navy. Now it is open to anyone. Home of bed-racing is in the North Yorkshire Town of Knaresborough in the UK. The teams consist of 5 people, with one of them on the bed. The teams provide their own beds and decorate them for whatever the theme is that years. The beds all have 4 wheels and can also float. They race from Conyngham Hall and end up back there to win.
Zorbing
In this sport everybody in the competition rolls down the hill in an orb. The orbs are made of clear plastic. Sometimes it is played on level ground so the participants can have better control over their orbs. This is not so much a competition as it is something fun to do.
Wife Carrying
In this sport the male competitors race with their wives on their backs. This is a competition that is held in Finland, usually around early July. The males have to make their way along a 253.5 m course with the wives piggybacking. There are different types of terrain to navigate and water obstacles as well. You can win your wife’s weight in beer and a mobile phone to boot.
Chess Boxing
This sport is a hybrid, combining chess with boxing, alternating the rounds. Its inventor is Enki Bilal, a French filmmaker and artist. This is becoming very popular in a quick fashion. Every other round is determined by either the boxers for the chessboard. If a checkmate happens first, it decides the match. If a knockout happens first, than that decided it. They go for as long as 11 rounds, with each round consisting of either 2 minutes of boxing or 4 minutes of chess.
