Odd Sports

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Barmy bog snorkellers have a really dirty weekend
27th August 2007

Scores of competitors have enjoyed a dirty weekend in the heart of Wales - by snorkelling their way through a peat bog. Entrants had to complete two lengths of a 60-yard trench in the quickest time possible wearing snorkels and flippers - but without using any conventional swimming strokes. The bizarre international sporting event takes place ever year on August Bank Holiday Monday in the dense Waen Rhydd Peat bog on the southern outskirts of the smallest town in Britain - Llanwrtyd Wells - in Powys, Mid Wales.

One of the competitors, 11-year-old Ellie Jones, dressed up as octopus for the race, and another entrant decided to swim through the peat in a Borat costume. The barmy bog snorkellers first competed in 1985. Phillip John of Bridgend is the current world record holder with the time 1m 35s set in 2003. Proceeds from the championship go to a local charity.

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looks like a laugh - I've always found diving into water that's full of chemical run-off from fields alluring!

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Fearless competitors Stupid bastards risk life and limb to chase giant cheese
28th May 2007

Dozens of stupid bastards have taken part in one of the country's most bizarre and dangerous sporting challenges - chasing a giant cheese down a steep slope. They flipped, somersaulted and tumbled their way 200 metres down the sheer face of Cooper's Hill in Brockworth, Gloucestershire, in pursuit of the giant runaway circle of cheese. Despite heavy rain, around 3,000 people gathered on the hillside, which in places has a 1:1 gradient, to watch the five bone-crunching downhill races.

Rain didn't deter the mad competitors throwing themselves off the hill, in fact, it made the ground softer and the conditions more tolerable, and there were only 20 minor injuries reported - almost half that seen at last year's Cotswolds event. There were ghasts of amazement and shock at the speed of the races, the violence of the tumbles, and the amount of mud that flew as entrants chased after the circles of Double Gloucester cheeses. Wearing a straw hat and overall, the master of the "rolls" welcomed nearly 3,000 visitors to the event along with the world's press. Visitors were warned that one of the biggest hazards is the cheeses themselves, which can veer into the crowd at any moment as they hurtle down the imposing hill.

Jason Crowther from Pembrokeshire, west Wales, won the first race to complete a hat-trick of victories over the last three years. Clutching the 7-8lb Double Gloucester, the bruised and battered 25-year-old said: "There's no training you can do for this. You have just got to go for it. It was a bit slippery and I heard something crack, which I think was my knee. But there aren't any tactics involved as you can probably see."

Around 25 volunteers from the St John Ambulance were on hand to treat the inevitable injuries while a team from Search and Rescue Assistance in Disasters were also ready to treat any medical emergencies.

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let's hear it for stupid bastards!

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www.worldbeardchampionships.com

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www.extremeironing.com

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I thought this was brilliant looking - but the thing that impressed me most was his cornering technique... outstanding.

(video updated with a different clip; it's in hd now)

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On August 25, 326 people took part in Bubble Baba Challenge 2007 - a race down the Vuoksa River near St. Petersburg on inflatable rubber women. Forty-five women took part in the race, but had trouble finding male sex dolls, so were forced to use the female versions.

The race was held on the Losevo Rapids, about 50 miles northwest of St. Petersburg; the first Bubble Baba Challenge was held in August 2003. According to the organizers’ official site, the idea behind the competition is that: “a rubber woman is nothing more than a means of transport;” the Russian word “baba” is a disrespectful term for woman.

Competitors who reached the finishing line without their inflatable friend were disqualified; some held onto the dolls with their teeth. The winner of this year’s Bubble Baba Challenge was Dmitry Alexandrov, on his doll named “Number One Champion of Europe,” with a time of 2 minutes and 40 seconds. The fastest female contestant was Natalya Vanchkova, who reached the finishing line in 2 minutes and 54 seconds on her doll “Posudina,” which roughly translates as “old vessel”.

Organizer Dmitry Bulanov apparently thought up the idea when drunk at a party at which the female guests hadn’t turned up.

www.bubblebabachallenge.ru

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Now that's a sport!

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Paintball tank

October 2, 2007

Anyone who thinks of paintballing as a rather geeky way of simulating combat, might want to think again. That's because a mini-arms race may be about to break out after the introduction of the first paintball tank.

The Paintball Panzer is armed with a 60cm (24in) gun that can pepper opposition players with 15 paintballs a second. The one-man machine, which costs £9,000, was invented by former RAF engineer Philip Parsons.

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Soap Box Derby crashes

(updated 2014)

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Pigs to race near St Petersburg
18/10/2007

ST. PETERSBURG, October 18 (RIA Novosti) - Pig races are set to take place in Lakhta, a municipality northwest of St. Petersburg, from October 27-28, the event's organizers said on Thursday.

Pig races in Russia began in the 16th century during the youth of the future Ivan the Terrible, as a means of entertainment for the young tsar. The winner was honored by being cooked for the royal dinner. In Lakhta, pigs will race on specially-designed racing tracks with obstacles featuring water and sand, and human visitors to the races will be able to try pig ears and trotters at a nearby restaurant. The first to race will be four piglets. The winner will receive a big cup full of carrots and cream, and the chance to continue its career in sport.

Pig races are becoming more and more popular in Russia. In 2005, the Federation of Sport Pig Breeders was established, and racing tracks were built in Moscow. The craze is not limited to Russia - thousands of people visited Shanghai to watch pigs compete at Pig Olympics, held in Shanghai in 2005. The Pig Olympics also took place in Moscow in 2006.

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Torrential rains make UK's mud-covered race to become the big cheese a dangerous sport
26th May 2008

Relentless rains made the UK's most bizarre and dangerous sporting challenge even more perilous than ever today as fearless thrill-seekers chased a giant cheese down a steep slope. Racegoers were covered in mud before the event had even began as they struggled to climb the slippery slopes at Cooper's Hill in Brockworth, Gloucestershire.

And as the rain continued to pour throughout the event it became impossible for competitors to stay on their feet. Caked in mud they flipped, somersaulted and tumbled 200 metres down the sheer face in pursuit of a giant runaway circle of cheese. Organisers claimed the wet weather had softened the ground, reducing the risk of serious injury, but more than 30 volunteers from St John Ambulance were kept busy dealing with 19 injuries.

Christopher Anderson, 19, who won the first race, was carried away from the hill on a spinal board after hurting his back as he tumbled past the finish line head over heels. Fellow contestant Shane Beard said: "The conditions were horrific, you just have to get your head down and hope for the best. Chris went absolutely flying - he is completely fearless but I hope he hasn't hurt himself."

As has become the norm, the event attracted competitors and spectators from across the world. A film crew arrived from Brazil while contestants heralded from far away as Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

Among the contestants were comedians Rory McGrath and Patrick McGuinness. McGrath, 52, who lives in the Cotswolds, slid down finishing last in the penultimate race. He said: "It seems people taking part just dull their fear by having a few drinks beforehand. I think my low centre of gravity counted against me. I live nearby but have never been before - they go absolutely flying by." More than 3,000 drenched spectators climbed the hillside to watch five bone-crunching downhill races.

Flo Early, a 17-year-old student from Painswick, was triumphant in the women's downhill. She said: "Next year I want to take on the boys."

It is thought the tradition of cheese rolling may date back as far as the ancient Britons or the Romans, but no-one knows for sure how the race started. During rationing between 1941 and 1954, a wooden substitute with a token piece of cheese inside was chased by competitors.

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Any sport where the winner is carried off on a stretcher is a proper sport!

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Crazy kayakers are Waterfools
By VIKKI THOMAS
30/06/08

THIS daredevil proves he is a real WATERFOOL. Crazy kayaker Pat Keller plunged 120ft from La Paz Waterfall in Costa Rica and miraculously the thrill seeker escaped with just a BROKEN HAND.

Snapped by professional photographer Lucas Gilman, who has caught some of the most thrilling kayaking runs in Brazil, Mexico, India and the USA, the picture is a thrilling demo of the power of water. "I want to show the power of water and how inconsequential the kayaker is compared to the power of the water,” said the 31-year-old from Western Colorado, USA. "Every time a kayaker goes over a waterfall of more than 40 feet there is chance for injury and even death."

From Brazil to India, Lucas has followed some of the world’s best kayakers as they have attempted to gain the ultimate thrill. In April 2007 Lucas photographed kayaker Jesse Coombs, 37, hucking down Cardiac Canyon at speeds of 300 feet per minute at Lower Mesa Falls in Idaho, US. In November 2006 Lucas also photographed Ben Stookesberry, 29, a colleague of Jesse's, rappelling around an 180 foot waterfall in the rugged Rio Alceseca in Mexico.

Jesse and Ben became legends in the kayaking world and were named as finalists for National Geographic Adventure magazine’s 2006 Adventurer of the Year award. And Lucas has nothing but respect for the professional daredevils.

"I have to take my hat off these guys for their bravery and taking their sport to the extreme," said Lucas. "Their enthusiasm allows me to take these kind of pictures. Jesse and Ben are legends and tackle extraordinary runs. Even when Pat, who was only 19 at the time, broke his hand in Costa Rica he was laughing and joking afterwards."

In his pursuit of the perfect picture, Lucas often has to perch himself in dangerous terrain. "To get the best shot you have to get to the best location to shoot," he added. And this could mean setting himself up in the base of a gorge battling snakes and bugs. "It’s hot, humid and usually in a country that doesn’t have hospitals readily available, so you are on your own and your team is all you have," he said.

And with just one chance to get his perfect shot, he has to meticulously plan each picture. “I try to pre-visualise the shot and usually shoot with two camera’s one acting as a remote, so I have a horizontal and vertical view of almost every situation,” he said. "There’s no second chance with these - you can’t ask a guy to go run that 100 footer again."

Lucas’ next stop is France, where he will photograph the Tour De France before heading to Brazil later in the year. “But I am still looking for that favourite image," he adds. "I am never satisfied and want to continue to improve my craft."

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Swamp Soccer World Cup

looks a great time!

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This is video of the British Shin-Kicking Championships (!!). The competitors stuff straw down their trousers to protect against the worst of the hits, but I doubt that works too well!

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Daredevil kayakers take the plunge down Britain's tallest dam
By Chris Johnson
17th November 2008

Thrill seekers would probably agree that this fast-flowing spillway is much more fun - and terrifying - than your average theme park log flume. At 300ft tall and almost 1,150ft long, the Llyn Brianne Dam near Llandovery, Midwales, is the tallest dam in the UK.

These breathtaking shots show a group of brave kayakers taking their lives in their hands as they launch themselves down the spillway, being propelled to speeds of around 40mph. The man-made dam, situated in the headwaters of Wales's River Tywi, was constructed in the late 1960s and early 1970s to regulate the flow into the river. The spillway of the dam is a notable tourist attraction when the reservoir is spilling.

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wahey!