While statistically the happiest country on Earth, Finland doesn’t have the best climate for outdoor sports, except perhaps for a short period in summer.
Finland has 6 months of seemingly never-ending days, followed by the next half of the year in darkness. To keep themselves busy, the Finns have come up with some novel ways to keep fit and entertained.
Wife carrying.
While not the sole domain of Finland, wife carrying is a big deal here. Traditionally, the husband slings his spouse over his shoulders and carries her on an assault course race through marshes and rough terrain. The wife has to do her fair share of the hard work too, having to ride facing her hubby’s backside all the way.
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The International Air Guitar Championships
Not a Finnish invention, but it seems the Finns take this competition far more seriously than anyone else. Every year, the city of Oulu hosts the Air Guitar World Championships.
International Air Guitar Contest, Finland.
Credit: Nanami Seven Seas Nagura, FB
Boot Throwing
There’s a lot of throwing of things in Finland, and what better way to spend the day than training for the boot throwing championships. The international competition began in Finland in 1992 and has subsequently spread as far as the UK and New Zealand. There is even the IBTA, International Boot Throwing Association.
Boot throwing competition.
Credit: Saapasseura Ronttoset FB
Finland’s quirky sports often involve chucking stuff
Mobile phone throwing
Perhaps born out of frustration when Finnish company Nokia refused to adopt the tactile screen and subsequently folded was when Finns stopped chucking their boots about and started lobbing Nokia 3310s. The mobile phone throwing championships take place every August in Savonlinna.
Mosquito swatting
Finally, a sport I have some experience in. Mosquito-swatting has taken off in a big way, despite protests from animal rights activists. So to appease them, Finland decided to rename the sport ‘Mosquito Catching’. The country is extremely humid during the warmer months, and mosquitoes love it and are far from being declared an endangered species.
But here is where the sport gets tough: The idea is to stand bare-chested in a mosquito-ridden area and slap each mosquito that lands – and inevitably begins sucking one’s blood – against the body. Scoring depends on how many mozzie splats each competitor has on their skin.
Bare naked racing
Running in the buff sounds very ancient olympian, doesn’t it? But it is still alive and well and on the sporting calendar in Finland. The Nakukymppi is an annual 10km race held every June in Padasjoki, where Finnish people have been competing annually with it all hanging out since 2003.
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Publish date : 2024-11-16 23:59:00
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