Rich Beattie
From chess boxing to headless goat polo
The players stare intently at their chess board, the white rook stalking the opposing queen as the black bishop tries for a quick strike. Gazes ricochet from board to opponent and back to board as the pressure of the match builds. Though they’re not breaking a sweat, players are decked out in shorts and sneakers, a fashion choice that makes sense when they stand, don gloves, and start throwing powerhouse punches at each other. Welcome to the wacky world of chess boxing.
Strange? Well, yes. But offbeat sports are hardly rare—they just have bad PR reps. After all, the newer or smaller they are, the harder it is to compete with, say, basketball or soccer. But from the sandy beaches Down Under to the frozen tundra of Lapland, people have invented fascinating ways to compete. They may involve teams, animals or expensive equipment, but they all speak to the local culture, and experiencing them can make for an overwhelmingly authentic experience—or at least good cocktail-party fodder...
From chess boxing to headless goat polo
The players stare intently at their chess board, the white rook stalking the opposing queen as the black bishop tries for a quick strike. Gazes ricochet from board to opponent and back to board as the pressure of the match builds. Though they’re not breaking a sweat, players are decked out in shorts and sneakers, a fashion choice that makes sense when they stand, don gloves, and start throwing powerhouse punches at each other. Welcome to the wacky world of chess boxing.
Strange? Well, yes. But offbeat sports are hardly rare—they just have bad PR reps. After all, the newer or smaller they are, the harder it is to compete with, say, basketball or soccer. But from the sandy beaches Down Under to the frozen tundra of Lapland, people have invented fascinating ways to compete. They may involve teams, animals or expensive equipment, but they all speak to the local culture, and experiencing them can make for an overwhelmingly authentic experience—or at least good cocktail-party fodder...
Rich Beattie From chess boxing to headless goat polo The players stare intently at their chess board, the white rook stalking the opposing queen as the... more
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1
Elephant polo
Thailand, Sri Lanka and Nepal
This crossover sport began over a “drunken lunch” at the St. Moritz Tobogganing Club in the early 1980s, according to Jim Edwards, chairman of Tiger Tops Lodge in Nepal. Edwards had the elephants, so once he fashioned some extra-long mallets, the World Elephant Polo Association (WEPA) was born. Mahouts drive the animals and players swing the mallets in this surprisingly fast-paced game played in week-long stretches. Pros and local teams compete in three countries; the sport’s main purpose is to raise money for elephant conservation. For more information: www.elephantpolo.com
2
Chess Boxing
Europe, USA
The fact that movies, cartoonists and musicians can all lay partial claim to this sport’s origins belies the idea that it must be a joke. But with an internationally sanctioned body and a world championship, the World Chess Boxing Organisation is gaining traction despite its not being even 20 years old. Four-minute rounds of chess are mixed with two-minute rounds of boxing, with the contest decided by checkmate or knockout. If the chess game ends in a stalemate, the better boxer wins. Upcoming matches will be held in Los Angeles, Paris, Prague, Berlin, Zurich and Moscow. For more information: www.wcbo.org
3
Cheese Chasing
England
Held near Cheltenham and Gloucester in the Cotswolds every May, the Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling and Wake event is quite a sight. The premise is simple: Race downhill, chasing a rolling wheel of double gloucester cheese. But the cliff is very steep, and the cheese gets a one-second head start (and can reach speeds up to 70 m.p.h.). Grab the cheese and run over the finish line and you win…the cheese. As there are usually broken limbs among the dozens of contestants, it seems there should be an easier way. Oh, right, visit a cheese shop. For more information: www.cheese-rolling.co.uk
4
Kabbadi
Southeast Asia, Bangladesh
Holding one’s breath may seem like a kid’s game, but it’s crucial in this South Asian-created contest. It’s essentially a version of tag: Two teams have seven players and half the field each. One team sends a raider across half-court to tag as many opposing players as possible and return before taking a breath (and proving it by chanting “kabbadi” during the raid). If he makes it, the players he tagged are out. But if the opposing players (who link arms) can prevent him from crossing back before his lungs expire, the raider’s out. Upcoming tournaments span the globe (honestly), from California to Toronto and New Zealand. For more information: www.kabaddi.org
5
Wife-Carrying
Finland and U.S.
“Finland leads the world in weird sports,” declared The Economist earlier this month, so it’s no surprise that one of the weirder sports should come from this land of extremes. Wife-carrying dates to the early 19th century and is run each year in the town of Sonkajarvi. It’s also spread to the U.S.—the North American championships are held annually in Sunday River, Maine. Men must negotiate a 253-meter obstacle course with their wives (or girlfriends, or a random female) draped somewhere on their body. (Note to feminists: the woman can carry the man in the U.S. version.) The prize is a coveted one: their partner’s weight in beer. For more information: www.sonkajarvi.fi/?deptid=15136 and www.sundayriver.com/summer/wifecarry.html
6
Land Diving
South Pacific
Combining risk with religion is all the rage on Pentecost Island in the South Pacific nation of Vanuatu. Land diving is a springtime ritual: males tie their feet up to liana vines (when they’re at their most elastic), then swan-dive 35 meters. The goal: to have their shoulders touch the ground (and not die)—doing so, they say, ensures the earth’s fertility. If it sounds like bungee jumping, it was the inspiration: Land diving footage captured by David Attenborough and the BBC in the 1950s led to the bungee’s popularization.
7
Buzkashi
Central Asia
This is truly a game “Borat” could get behind. A Central Asian sport known mostly in Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan, it features two teams on horseback, moving an object toward a goal. Polo? Not exactly—the object in question is a dead, headless calf. It can be a brutal sport: Games can last for days, and players can use whips to ward off others (a good idea, since anything short of tripping the opponents’ horses is fair game). And it’s not easy: only long-time pros are good enough to even get close to the calf, much less score with it. For more information: www.afghan-web.com/sports/buzkashi.html
8
Beach cricket
Australia
This sport was dreamed up by sports marketers looking to give some exposure to Australia’s Lion Nathan Brewery. Score one for the marketers—it quickly became the hottest ticket Down Under. Borrowing rules from the faster-paced indoor cricket, this game features rubber inserts in the sand (for ball bouncing) and players diving into the water. And you haven’t seen the last of it — the marketing team plans to take the concept to other cricket-loving countries. For more information: www.xxxxgoldbeachcricket.com.au
9
Autorickshaw Challenge
India
Forget the Tour de France. This contest—with drivers racing three-wheeled autorickshaws over 1,000-kilometer courses—is the latest cross-country rage. No, these notoriously unstable vehicles don’t go fast (average speed: 25 mph), so it takes some 13 days for teams of two to cover the course from Chennai to the country’s southernmost tip. It’s so popular that organizers are adding a race this year, from Chennai to Mumbai. It’s also for a good cause—to benefit local charities fighting child abuse. For more information: www.indianarc.com
10
Bog Snorkeling
Wales
What beats submerging yourself in dirty, smelly water, breathing through a snorkel, and making your way through two lengths of a 60-yard trench cut through a peat bog? Uh, we’re not sure. Snorkels and flippers are compulsory in this messy swim; using conventional swimming strokes, however, is not allowed. Run almost every year since 1986 (drought or foot-and-mouth disease can wreak havoc on the sport), the world record was set in 2003 (FYI, it’s 1 minute 35 seconds). The 2007 championships are set for August. For more information: www.worldbogsnork.com
[source: https://www.forbestraveler.com/luxury/worlds-craziest-sports-story.html ]
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