Sport is one of the most widespread pastimes among people - this goes both for watching it and engaging in activities. However, when people talk about sports, they usually mention just the most popular ones. There is soccer/football, basketball, tennis, athletics, rugby, and a few more. Yet, many eccentic sports are equally entertaining and engaging as their famous counterparts. This top ten list will present the most unusual among them.
10. Sepak Takraw
Volleyball with a twist
Sepak Takraw is a popular sport in Southeastern Asia and is similar to volleyball. Yet, here you can't use your hands to shoot the ball over the net. Instead, players utilize the football-allowed limbs. Those are the feet, knees, chest, and head.
The ball is made from softwood, so it's not very bouncy, allowing better control. Sepak Takraw matches are very attractive, and they look like a Kung Fu movie. There is even an International Sepak Takraw Federation, holding tournaments with participants from all over the world.
9. Quidditch
Broom rugby with no magic
Quidditch is a sport invented by the Harry Potter writer Joanne K. Rowling. Basically, it's a combination of handball, rugby, and air combat. The participants fly on brooms and try to score the points by passing the ball into opponents' hoops. There is also the golden snitch, deciding the winner automatically when caught.
Obviously, this literal version of Quidditch is impossible to play in real life. Therefore, the US College kids invented the land version, playing on the rugby field. Since then, Quidditch has spread all over the States. The supporters call it "Muggle Quidditch," as no magic is involved.
8. Tuna Tossing
Straight Outta Harbor
At first glance, this sport looks like something from Monty Python's Flying Circus. Imagine the Olympic hammer throw, but replace the hammer with a 20-pound tuna. Yes, it looks bizarre as much as it sounds. This unusual sport was founded in Port Lincoln, a small fishing community in South Australia.
Inspiration for this unusual competition were local fishermen, who would throw fish onto their trucks. Later, these throws measured strength and skill during local festivals. Today, the competition remains the same with a tiny difference. This time, the fish is made of rubber.
7. Toe Wrestling
People fighting toe to toe in toe wrestling
Toe wrestling sounds like something from a Tarantino movie. However, it is very real and has been ongoing since the 1970s. The rules are pretty simple; the participants attempt to pin down their opponent's toes for 3 seconds.
Players play bare feet, alternating between their left and right legs. The winner is the best of the three rounds. The World Toe Wrestling Championship was founded in the 1970s, and the number of participants keeps growing.
6. Chess Boxing
Brains and brawn working together
Sport tends to have an undeserved reputation of "stupid" activity - especially combat sports. Still, one discipline nurtures the mental and physical abilities of participants alike. Chess boxing consists of 11 rounds alternating between chess and boxing. The winner is the first who scores a knockout or checkmate.
This unusual sport originated in the comic books of Enki Bilal. Early in the 21st century, we saw the first chess boxing matches in Germany and the Netherlands. While Germany is still the world center of chess boxing, this sport has fans in Russia, India, and the United Kingdom.
5. Man vs. Horse Marathon
Man vs. nature in the purest form
The origin of a sport doesn't necessarily need to be grounded in a noble competition between gentlemen. Sometimes, it can develop from a mere pub argument. That's the case with the Man versus Horse Marathon. In 1979, two Welsh locals argued about who would win in a long-distance race, a man or a horse.
Since then, a man vs. horse marathon has taken place each year in a Welsh town. Therefore, both men and horses are taking on a 20+ mile-long track. Usually, the horses are victorious, and if a human wins, they receive around $40,000 in cash. So far, only two men have done it.
4. Redneck Games
Have fun at Redneck Olympics
Judging by the name, one would guess Redneck Games take place in the Southern States. And that would be right, since Redneck Games originated in East Dublin, Georgia. The foundation of the Redneck Games happened after one insensitive comment about the 1996 Atlanta Olympic organization, where the word "rednecks" was mentioned.
Redneck Games, similar to the Olympics, have multiple disciplines to enjoy. Those are, of course, adapted to redneck caricatural image in media. Thus, you could watch many wacky activities, such as cigarette flipping, seed spitting, toilet seat throwing, dumpster diving, mud belly flops, etc. Although the original Redneck Games were canceled after 16 years, they are still active in Canada and other countries.
3. Wife Carrying
From crime to competition - Wife carrying
The origin of this sport is in Finland, where local ladies were abducted regularly. The people would carry poor women over the hills, meadows, brooks, and other topography. Even though no one abducts women anymore, the act became the basis for this tradition-based sport.
Nowadays, The Wife Carrying World Championship takes place every year. The participating teams come from various countries, primarily European, but also from the States. This sport might be the best thing that ever came from kidnapping.
2. Unicycle Hockey
Hockey was tricky enough already, but unicycle hockey takes it to another level
Seems that the best way to improve a sport is to add a unicycle to it. Previously, we've mentioned mountain unicycling as one of the most dangerous and eccentic sports. Yet, a similar thing goes with unicycle hockey. This sport is in equal measure dangerous and obscure.
Just try to imagine how a combination of hockey's contact play and the unicycle's delicate balance would look. The rules are similar to hockey, but the players have to hold both of their feet on a unicycle. Teams consist of five players, and injuries are frequent.
1. Caber Tossing
Logging, the old way in caber tossing competition
There's a good chance you've probably seen this one somewhere. Caber tossing is a part of the Highland Games in Scotland, where people test their strength in several disciplines. These usually include launching heavy objects in length or height.
By the way, caber is the word for a long log, usually made of pine. The competitors are trying to throw the caber so that it flips over and sticks to the ground before falling over. The best result is when the caber forms a 12 o'clock line against the ground. Allegedly, this was the way Scottish lumberjacks threw the logs over the rivers.
If your usual fascination with popular sport isn't enough to entertain you, there are always the disciplines from the flipside. These obscure sports are equally fun to watch and participate in as their more familiar counterparts. Therefore, you'll have fun watching people in extravagant endeavors, competing against each other or nature. No matter how obscure your affinities may be, you'll find something for yourself.
Have you heard about any of these top ten sports? Would you try competing in some of them?