A pair of New Hampshire contenders entered the ninth annual North American Wife-Carrying Championship that took place in Newry, Maine this past Saturday.
Friends, not necessarily companions of any sort, Ri Fahnestock and Sarah Silverberg, both from Dover, N.H., were awarded the grand prize of five cases of beer, equaling Silverberg's weight. In addition they were given $610 and also were entered into the World Wife-Carrying Championship which will be held in Finland sometime next year.
The obstacle course for this challenge in full length is 278 yards, complete with a 39-inch wooden hurdle and a pool of waist-deep water to throw off their contestants.
Here's a video showing prior wife-carrying contest that have taken place in Finland and how they train beforehand to beat their competition at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIB9UcA5iQU.
Other bizarre events practiced regularly in Finland:
* Mosquito swatting (Lapland is prime country)
* Milking stool throwing (farms up and down Finland)
* Table drumming (bars and restaurants)
* Sitting on an ant’s nest (in any forest you choose)
* Team berry picking (Suomussalmi, eastern Finland)
* Kick-sledding competition (Ylläs, Lapland)
Personally I think these Finlanders have too much time on their hands. Where did they come up with these ridiculous contests? Plus how do they find the time to prime themselves to prepare for these weird physical activities? I guess these games, as much as they seem silly, also appear intriguing and different from our culture with their exotic and foreign demeanor. Although at the same time, when you think about it, any redneck would be capable of inventing games as complex as these.
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