Technically speaking, the official definition of a “sport” is any athletic activity that requires ability or physical skills in a competitive nature. However, both abilities and skills have been loosely defined to create numerous “sports” all over the globe that may seem at least a bit odd or completely off the wall to outsiders who do not perform the activity. The players though are just as dedicated to these different sports as those who embrace more mainstream pastimes. Don’t knock them until you try them out for yourself! Just be careful not to hurt yourself in pursuit of these odd sports from around the world.
1.
Wife Carrying
How much do you trust your husband? Really trust him in a very literal sense rather than a romantic one? Not hypothetically, would you let him carry you upside down on his back through an obstacle course? The sport of wife carrying was first introduced to the world in Sonkajarvi, Finland where it was basically a joke as it was reminiscent of an ancient method of courtship where a man would run into the woman’s village to pick them up and carry them off. The primary objective is for a male to carry a female through a set course in the fastest time. Three “types” of holds are acceptable for the carrying aspect of the race—piggyback, fireman hold (basically a toss over the shoulder), or the very popular Estonian style (the woman hangs upside down on the man’s back by holding onto his waist with her arms and her legs around his shoulders). The Estonian style allows for more mobility and comfort as the woman doesn’t have to press around the throat of the man to properly balance and hold on, creating a more equitable division of labor in the race as the man gets increased maneuverability and can take in more air as he runs in compromise of the woman holding more of her own weight. It takes a great deal of practice as a team instead of the woman merely being yet another prop or obstacle.
2.
Chess Boxing
Chess boxing is a sport that is exactly what its name describes. It is a hybrid activity that combines both a game of chess and a boxing match in eleven alternating rounds of each activity with a one minute break between them. This combo-sport was began by a Dutch artist named Iepe Rubingh who arranged actual matches upon inspiration from fictional depictions by French comic book artist Enki Bilal. The two opponents that face off need to be skilled in both boxing and speed chess as a match can be won through domination in either activity or some combination—a knockout, checkmate, exceeding of the twelve minute limit on speed chess, or by judge decision. Germany, Russia, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom all have relatively strong followings of this minority sport.
3.
Octopush/Underwater Hockey
As opposed to actual ice hockey where one of the primary goals is to physically attack members of the other team and give the crowds a thrill by drawing blood on the ice, octopush (also known as underwater hockey) is a non-contact sport. Two teams compete with each other on the bottom of swimming pools by pushing pucks along the floor of the pool with hand held size sticks that are basically the lower half of a normal ice hockey stick. The puck is pushed around to specially marked “goals” underwater. Snorkeling gear is the gear of choice for players to perform underwater without having to completely surface for air and to maneuver more agilely in the pool. It is a very popular sport in the countries of New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
4.
Kabaddi
Kabaddi is a very interesting contact sport that originated in India. Its name is derived from a Hindi word that means “holding of breath” and is generally chanted during the game. With a name like that, it’s easy to guess what primary skill is involved. However, to make the activity into an actual sport, holding your breath is not the only aspect of the competition. Kabaddi occurs on a field that is split in half with one team assigned to each side. Teams take turns sending a “raider” into the opposing team’s half of the field where he or she then wins points by wrestling or tagging members of the other team then tries to return to his or her original side of the field all while holding his or her breath. This sport is the national game of Bangladesh and the state game of several Indian regions including Punjab and Andhra Pradesh.
5.
Buzkashi
The steppe people of Central Asia were highly skilled horse riders, and it was claimed that these riders could easily grab a calf or goat from the ground while being on the back of a horse at full gallop. This skill was altered to be a team sport in itself. Players ride on horseback separated into two teams, similar to polo. However, rather than mallets and a ball to push around the field, players grapple over the carcass of a headless calf or goat which they then attempt to toss across a goal line or into a target circle. The sport is very popular in Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan.
6.
Bossaball
Bossaball is the ultimate hybrid sport. It combines multiple sports (volleyball, soccer, gymnastics, and the Brazilian martial art dancing of capoeira) in a massive, complicated activity with integrated trampolines on both sides of the court surrounded by inflatable platforms and inflatable posts that hold up the net. The trampolines prove to be extremely practical for this game as the net is so high that most players need the special “bounce” just to spike the ball over to the other team. Teams can consist of three to five players with one player located on the trampoline portion alone (called the attacker) while the others surround him on the inflatable parts of the court. The attacker acts as the server by bouncing high on the trampoline and either throwing or kicking the ball into the opposing team’s court. Contacts with the ball are encouraged to be exercised by different and varying body parts as the player is only allowed two successful contacts with the feet or head and only one with the hands per serve.
7.
Disc Golf/Frisbee Golf/Frolf
Frisbees are a fun childhood toy that recently had a brand new makeover to transform it from a relatively simple game of catch that involves a disc to a sport unto itself. Disc Golf (also nicknamed as Frolf or Frisbee Golf by most players) is another hybrid sport. It takes a lot of the rules and goals of golf and melds them with frisbees instead of clubs and balls. Rather than a bag full of different types and makes of clubs, a Frolf player will generally have two different types of frisbees—one for distance and one for precision. These specialty frisbees are a bit different than the colorful discs you used to toss around the playground as they are made for their unique purposes with subtle aerodynamic changes, making them more useful when trying to precisely hit a metal basket that acts as the “hole” several hundred feet away and more expensive than a disc from a toy store.
Author: Brooke Windsor — Copyrighted © roadtickle.com
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