Wife-Carrying (Finland)

World's Strange Games...

If you thought the Finns were progressive and all about gender equality, think again. This is a country that invented the sport of “wife-carrying,” sometimes known as “wife running.” The sport is basically an annual competition where husbands run an obstacle course while carrying their wives on their backs. The winner supposedly received his wife’s weight in beer. The most famous competition is held in Sonkjärvi, Finland, where the sport was invented. There are different carrying styles, including piggybacking, fireman’s carry and the Estonian-style, where the woman hangs upside-down with her legs around the man’s shoulders. The sport has spread to other parts of the world, including the US and Australia. Sounds like a great way to spend some quality time!