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July 26th • Bizarre Sports
Wife Carrying World Championship
Originating from Sonkajärvi, Finland, this is one of the world's most ridiculous athletic competitions. Men must carry a female teammate through a grueling obstacle course of sand and water. The prize? The 'wife’s' weight in beer. Today, we debate why humans love ridiculous challenges and the true meaning of teamwork.
Speaking Discussion
- What possesses a person to train for months just to carry another person through a muddy obstacle course?
- Why do you think Finland is famous for inventing so many bizarre and slightly silly sports?
- Does this competition promote teamwork and trust, or is it just an outdated and slightly offensive joke?
- If you were competing, which carrying style would you use? (The piggyback or the estonian style where the woman hangs upside down?)
- Is it better for a sport to be a serious display of peak athleticism, or a fun, community-focused spectacle?
- What is the most ridiculous or unusual sport that exists in your own country?
Activity 1: The New Sport Pitch
The Task: You are a Sporting Entrepreneur. You want to invent a new finnish-style sport that involves carrying a household object.
Pitch your idea to a sports network. What are the rules? What is the prize?
Activity 2: Rapid Fire Teams
Complete the sentence and justify it in 20 seconds.
- "The most important quality in a teammate is..."
- "Winning a competition feels better when..."
- "Ridiculous sports help people because..."