couchtripper

Scores of competitors have enjoyed a dirty weekend in the heart of Wales - by snorkelling their way through a peat bog. Entrants had to complete two lengths of a 60-yard trench in the quickest time possible wearing snorkels and flippers - but without using any conventional swimming strokes. The bizarre international sporting event takes place ever year on August Bank Holiday Monday in the dense Waen Rhydd Peat bog on the southern outskirts of the smallest town in Britain - Llanwrtyd Wells - in Powys, Mid Wales.

One of the competitors, 11-year-old Ellie Jones, dressed up as octopus for the race, and another entrant decided to swim through the peat in a Borat costume. The barmy bog snorkellers first competed in 1985. Phillip John of Bridgend is the current world record holder with the time 1m 35s set in 2003. Proceeds from the championship go to a local charity.

------------------

looks like a laugh - I've always found diving into water that's full of chemical run-off from fields alluring!

Dozens of stupid bastards have taken part in one of the country's most bizarre and dangerous sporting challenges - chasing a giant cheese down a steep slope. They flipped, somersaulted and tumbled their way 200 metres down the sheer face of Cooper's Hill in Brockworth, Gloucestershire, in pursuit of the giant runaway circle of cheese. Despite heavy rain, around 3,000 people gathered on the hillside, which in places has a 1:1 gradient, to watch the five bone-crunching downhill races.

Rain didn't deter the mad competitors throwing themselves off the hill, in fact, it made the ground softer and the conditions more tolerable, and there were only 20 minor injuries reported - almost half that seen at last year's Cotswolds event. There were ghasts of amazement and shock at the speed of the races, the violence of the tumbles, and the amount of mud that flew as entrants chased after the circles of Double Gloucester cheeses. Wearing a straw hat and overall, the master of the "rolls" welcomed nearly 3,000 visitors to the event along with the world's press. Visitors were warned that one of the biggest hazards is the cheeses themselves, which can veer into the crowd at any moment as they hurtle down the imposing hill.

Jason Crowther from Pembrokeshire, west Wales, won the first race to complete a hat-trick of victories over the last three years. Clutching the 7-8lb Double Gloucester, the bruised and battered 25-year-old said: "There's no training you can do for this. You have just got to go for it. It was a bit slippery and I heard something crack, which I think was my knee. But there aren't any tactics involved as you can probably see."

Around 25 volunteers from the St John Ambulance were on hand to treat the inevitable injuries while a team from Search and Rescue Assistance in Disasters were also ready to treat any medical emergencies.

-----------

let's hear it for stupid bastards!

Crowds of spectators at Llanwrtyd Wells in mid Wales saw Huw Lobb pick up the £25,000 prize - until Saturday, one of the biggest unclaimed prizes in British athletics. He completed the 22-mile course in two hours, five minutes, and 19 seconds. Bookies William Hill had to pay out on scores of bets struck at odds of 16/1.

This year's contest had a record 500 runners and more than 40 horses and riders competing for the winning title. The event in the tiny Welsh town attracts competitors from throughout the UK and Europe.

South Londoner Mr Lobb, 27, is an experienced marathon runner but he admitted to being "ecstatic" when he realised he had won. "It is a very unusual event with men running against horses," he said. He managed to break away from the pack at about the 10-mile mark. However, despite crossing the finish line alone, he had to wait 15 minutes before finding out if he had won.

"When I crossed the line it became a bit of a waiting game to see if anyone had got over the line in a quicker time. Then we had a big count-down and then they told me I had won. I was ecstatic, I couldn't believe it. Everybody was cheering and shaking my hand and telling me I'd have to buy them a drink with my prize money," he said.

It was the first time that Mr Lobb, who has taken part in several marathons, had participated in the sporting calendar's most unusual race. "I will definitely do it again, it is a fantastic and very unusual event, not something I have ever done before," he said.

Every year, the prize grows by £1,000 and Mr Lobb scooped £25,000 for running the 22 mile race.

"The first thing that I will do with the money is buy myself some decent training shoes," said Mr Lobb. "Then I may take myself off on some training holidays before taking part in some marathons in the autumn," he added.

Graham Sharpe, spokesman for William Hill, said : "This is a fantastic achievement which I have always believed could be done in the right circumstances."

The first horse home was Kay Bee Jay, ridden by Zoe White, in a time of two hours, seven minutes, and 36 seconds.

Event organiser Gordon Green said it was a "fantastic day". "It has been brilliant because it is our 25th anniversary this year. "I've always thought someone would do it one day and today it happened. Everybody was excited by the win and I'm sure there is going to be a big party tonight," he added.

A memorial was unveiled before the race to Screaming Lord Sutch who had been a strong supporter of the event. The race is run over 22 miles and takes competitors through some of the most picturesque scenery in Wales via farm tracks, footpaths, open moorland and tarmac.

I thought this was brilliant looking - but the thing that impressed me most was his cornering technique... outstanding.

On August 25, 326 people took part in Bubble Baba Challenge 2007 - a race down the Vuoksa River near St. Petersburg on inflatable rubber women. Forty-five women took part in the race, but had trouble finding male sex dolls, so were forced to use the female versions.

The race was held on the Losevo Rapids, about 50 miles northwest of St. Petersburg; the first Bubble Baba Challenge was held in August 2003. According to the organizers’ official site, the idea behind the competition is that: “a rubber woman is nothing more than a means of transport;” the Russian word “baba” is a disrespectful term for woman.

Competitors who reached the finishing line without their inflatable friend were disqualified; some held onto the dolls with their teeth. The winner of this year’s Bubble Baba Challenge was Dmitry Alexandrov, on his doll named “Number One Champion of Europe,” with a time of 2 minutes and 40 seconds. The fastest female contestant was Natalya Vanchkova, who reached the finishing line in 2 minutes and 54 seconds on her doll “Posudina,” which roughly translates as “old vessel”.

Organizer Dmitry Bulanov apparently thought up the idea when drunk at a party at which the female guests hadn’t turned up.

www.bubblebabachallenge.ru

------------------------

Now that's a sport!

Anyone who thinks of paintballing as a rather geeky way of simulating combat, might want to think again. That's because a mini-arms race may be about to break out after the introduction of the first paintball tank.

The Paintball Panzer is armed with a 60cm (24in) gun that can pepper opposition players with 15 paintballs a second. The one-man machine, which costs £9,000, was invented by former RAF engineer Philip Parsons.

--------------

(updated 2014)

ST. PETERSBURG, October 18 (RIA Novosti) - Pig races are set to take place in Lakhta, a municipality northwest of St. Petersburg, from October 27-28, the event's organizers said on Thursday.

Pig races in Russia began in the 16th century during the youth of the future Ivan the Terrible, as a means of entertainment for the young tsar. The winner was honored by being cooked for the royal dinner. In Lakhta, pigs will race on specially-designed racing tracks with obstacles featuring water and sand, and human visitors to the races will be able to try pig ears and trotters at a nearby restaurant. The first to race will be four piglets. The winner will receive a big cup full of carrots and cream, and the chance to continue its career in sport.

Pig races are becoming more and more popular in Russia. In 2005, the Federation of Sport Pig Breeders was established, and racing tracks were built in Moscow. The craze is not limited to Russia - thousands of people visited Shanghai to watch pigs compete at Pig Olympics, held in Shanghai in 2005. The Pig Olympics also took place in Moscow in 2006.

--------------

Relentless rains made the UK's most bizarre and dangerous sporting challenge even more perilous than ever today as fearless thrill-seekers chased a giant cheese down a steep slope. Racegoers were covered in mud before the event had even began as they struggled to climb the slippery slopes at Cooper's Hill in Brockworth, Gloucestershire.

And as the rain continued to pour throughout the event it became impossible for competitors to stay on their feet. Caked in mud they flipped, somersaulted and tumbled 200 metres down the sheer face in pursuit of a giant runaway circle of cheese. Organisers claimed the wet weather had softened the ground, reducing the risk of serious injury, but more than 30 volunteers from St John Ambulance were kept busy dealing with 19 injuries.

Christopher Anderson, 19, who won the first race, was carried away from the hill on a spinal board after hurting his back as he tumbled past the finish line head over heels. Fellow contestant Shane Beard said: "The conditions were horrific, you just have to get your head down and hope for the best. Chris went absolutely flying - he is completely fearless but I hope he hasn't hurt himself."

As has become the norm, the event attracted competitors and spectators from across the world. A film crew arrived from Brazil while contestants heralded from far away as Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

Among the contestants were comedians Rory McGrath and Patrick McGuinness. McGrath, 52, who lives in the Cotswolds, slid down finishing last in the penultimate race. He said: "It seems people taking part just dull their fear by having a few drinks beforehand. I think my low centre of gravity counted against me. I live nearby but have never been before - they go absolutely flying by." More than 3,000 drenched spectators climbed the hillside to watch five bone-crunching downhill races.

Flo Early, a 17-year-old student from Painswick, was triumphant in the women's downhill. She said: "Next year I want to take on the boys."

It is thought the tradition of cheese rolling may date back as far as the ancient Britons or the Romans, but no-one knows for sure how the race started. During rationing between 1941 and 1954, a wooden substitute with a token piece of cheese inside was chased by competitors.

---------------------

Any sport where the winner is carried off on a stretcher is a proper sport!

THIS daredevil proves he is a real WATERFOOL. Crazy kayaker Pat Keller plunged 120ft from La Paz Waterfall in Costa Rica and miraculously the thrill seeker escaped with just a BROKEN HAND.

Snapped by professional photographer Lucas Gilman, who has caught some of the most thrilling kayaking runs in Brazil, Mexico, India and the USA, the picture is a thrilling demo of the power of water. "I want to show the power of water and how inconsequential the kayaker is compared to the power of the water,” said the 31-year-old from Western Colorado, USA. "Every time a kayaker goes over a waterfall of more than 40 feet there is chance for injury and even death."

From Brazil to India, Lucas has followed some of the world’s best kayakers as they have attempted to gain the ultimate thrill. In April 2007 Lucas photographed kayaker Jesse Coombs, 37, hucking down Cardiac Canyon at speeds of 300 feet per minute at Lower Mesa Falls in Idaho, US. In November 2006 Lucas also photographed Ben Stookesberry, 29, a colleague of Jesse's, rappelling around an 180 foot waterfall in the rugged Rio Alceseca in Mexico.

Jesse and Ben became legends in the kayaking world and were named as finalists for National Geographic Adventure magazine’s 2006 Adventurer of the Year award. And Lucas has nothing but respect for the professional daredevils.

"I have to take my hat off these guys for their bravery and taking their sport to the extreme," said Lucas. "Their enthusiasm allows me to take these kind of pictures. Jesse and Ben are legends and tackle extraordinary runs. Even when Pat, who was only 19 at the time, broke his hand in Costa Rica he was laughing and joking afterwards."

In his pursuit of the perfect picture, Lucas often has to perch himself in dangerous terrain. "To get the best shot you have to get to the best location to shoot," he added. And this could mean setting himself up in the base of a gorge battling snakes and bugs. "It’s hot, humid and usually in a country that doesn’t have hospitals readily available, so you are on your own and your team is all you have," he said.

And with just one chance to get his perfect shot, he has to meticulously plan each picture. “I try to pre-visualise the shot and usually shoot with two camera’s one acting as a remote, so I have a horizontal and vertical view of almost every situation,” he said. "There’s no second chance with these - you can’t ask a guy to go run that 100 footer again."

Lucas’ next stop is France, where he will photograph the Tour De France before heading to Brazil later in the year. “But I am still looking for that favourite image," he adds. "I am never satisfied and want to continue to improve my craft."

----------------------

looks a great time!

Thrill seekers would probably agree that this fast-flowing spillway is much more fun - and terrifying - than your average theme park log flume. At 300ft tall and almost 1,150ft long, the Llyn Brianne Dam near Llandovery, Midwales, is the tallest dam in the UK.

These breathtaking shots show a group of brave kayakers taking their lives in their hands as they launch themselves down the spillway, being propelled to speeds of around 40mph. The man-made dam, situated in the headwaters of Wales's River Tywi, was constructed in the late 1960s and early 1970s to regulate the flow into the river. The spillway of the dam is a notable tourist attraction when the reservoir is spilling.

------------------

wahey!

NIZHNY NOVGOROD, April 15 (RIA Novosti) - More than 30 people participated in a rather bizarre computer keyboard throwing competition at a festival in the Volga city of Nizhny Novgorod on Wednesday, the organizers said.

According to competition rules, the participants have to throw the keyboard without making any body turns. Only keyboards with all keys intact are allowed to be used in the competition. "The workability and the brand are unimportant," one of the contest organizers said. The competition winner threw his keyboard more than 15 meters (49 feet).

Participants also displayed their skills in the "kicking a computer mouse" competition. The winner received a new mouse.

-----------------

[align=center]<img src="https://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/arch ... 98242a.jpg" width="600">

'Lava' boarding in Nicaragua[/align]

Boasting England’s deepest lake, smallest church and highest mountain within its reaches, one more notable feat is annually celebrated in Santon Bridge, if you believe what you hear; the World’s Biggest Liar. With a first prize of £100,000 and a lifetime supply of beer, entrants have between two and five minutes to convince a panel of judges that their lie sounds the most credible. The contest bans lawyers and politicians, but only if you own up, and if you think you have what it takes, make sure the chosen topic has local interest.

Swipes at the nearby nuclear power plant prove very poplar as do tales involving flatulent sheep, giant cod and mermaid farms. The contest in superlative fibbing began in honour of former publican, Will Ritson, who revelled in spinning yarns to the tweed-wearing climbers back in the 19th Century. Entry into the contest also includes a serving of the local delicacy, Tatty hot…just don’t ask what’s in it, you won’t receive a straight answer.

Location: Bridge Inn, Santon Village, Cumbria
Date: Thursday evening in late November
Further Information: www.santonbridgeinn.com
The flip side to Miss World, where competitors work their way through a repertoire of extreme face pulling, contorting their everyday look into the grotesque, in the hope of impressing the panel of judges. Those naturally ugly should not bother turning up, it’s about transforming the face from the mundane to the monstrous, but don’t expect to garner cheers with a quick puff of the cheeks and going cross-eyed, a tactic for beginners only.

Grunting and performing ape like postures score extra points, which should hand the advantage over to male competitors. One former champion even removed some of his teeth to guarantee victory, but such radical steps are not encouraged nowadays. Gurning is not exclusively for the adults, with an earlier contest for children to show off their uglier side. To practice for the 2009 contest, take a bite out of a bitter apple, stand in front of a cheap mirror and gurn away!

Location: Market Hall, Egremont, Cumbria
Date: Saturday 19th September 2009
Further information: www.egremontcrabfair.org.uk
With a £1000 first prize, this is one wacky event to take very seriously. Semi-professionals and utter no hopers mingle over a hectic weekend, playing three rounds of both crazy golf and mini golf. The latter offers a teasing array of holes, which on first glance seem harmless enough, but once you peruse the bumps and grooves, soon realize why not even Tiger Woods dares to play here. You will be happy to learn that seven is the maximum number of shots a player can card at any hole. Unfortunately, for the novices, there is no maximum number of holes, at which you can score a maximum of seven!

Expect to lose your patience in the crazy golf with the usual silly hazards to negotiate, and where a lost ball is just as likely as a hole in one, after an ill-advised short cut through the windmill! The top 18 players after the six rounds play a final round of croquet style crazy golf to determine the overall winner but watch out for Tim ‘Aceman’ Davies, who has won the event five times in the last six years.

Location: Hastings, Sussex
Date: 24-25th October 2009
Further information: www.miniaturegolfer.com For many barrel races, brute strength in the arms and legs is a pre-requisite. But for this barrel race, which has taken place for nearly sixty years, the onus is less on power and more on dexterity. Armed with a six-foot oak stick, the idea is to prod the metal beer barrel down the village green and then back up (ladies only have to race downhill), covering a distance of around 50 metres. Ideally, the barrel should maintain a straight trajectory, but competitors will soon realize that this is nigh impossible as even the slightest skewed touch sends the barrel careering towards the spectators.

The opening race is a team race between the two rival pubs. Then locals and outsiders compete in separate individual competitions. Do locals fear beginners luck? Winners of each heat proceed through to the final. There are miniature barrel races for the children and during the day a succession of madcap sack and running races, with much amusement for the crowd when middle-aged men aspire to emulating Usain Bolt.

Location: Westleton, Suffolk
Date: Sunday 16th August 2009
Further Information: www.westletonbarrelfair.com
The game of cricket can never be described as crazy or mad, but owing to a quirk of nature, there is one English cricketing tradition that definitely isn’t dull. Once a year a sandbank appears in the middle of The Solent, and two local yacht clubs take full advantage of this odd venue to play what is probably the world’s quickest cricket match.

Sailing to the venue at sunrise, the players waste no time in setting up the wicket once the water reveals the first grains of sand. Beyond the opening few balls when players maintain a modicum of etiquette, the game inevitably descends into a comic farce with diabolical bowling, rugby tackling and streaking dogs diverting play. Thirty minutes later, the sea rolls back in and the referee announces a waterlogged pitch prompting a hasty retreat back to the boats. Spectators are welcome, provided they have access to a boat, but only members of the two competing yacht clubs can play.

Location: Middle of The Solent. (50° 47′ 41″ N, 1° 17′ 15″ W)
Date: Saturday 22nd August 2009. 6am start (ouch!)
Further information: www.royal-southern.co.uk Equipped with only a mask, snorkel and flippers, competitors must make their way up and down a 60-yard bog in the middle of a remote field in the middle of Wales. There’s just one snag…no recognised swimming stroke is permitted, so expect to see plenty of doggy paddle and belly flop crawl.

The world record is a blistering 1 minute 35 seconds, but the majority of competitors take a lot longer, a few lie stranded halfway back imitating beached whales and the odd one or two entrants fail to even finish. It’s considered de rigueur to wear wetsuits, but a few daring souls enter the bog in nothing more than a pair of Speedo’s…brrr. No matter what the sartorial choice, everybody exits the bog resembling a creature straight out of a horror film, so don’t forget the soap. At the same murky venue in July, the World Mountain Bike Bog Snorkelling Championships take place.

Location: Llanwrtyd Wells, Powys, Wales
Date: August Bank Holiday Monday
Further Information: www.Green-events.co.uk
‘Ugh…don’t nettles sting?’ Yes they do, but that’s the least of your worries once you’ve stubbornly devoured over thirty feet of nettles in one hour of competitive nettle scoffing…the weed is also a very efficient laxative. Around 50 competitors volunteer each year – surprisingly there’s no need to bribe entrants - and many begin with plenty of bravado, but soon learn the harsh reality of nettle eating as onlookers eagerly anticipate the first, of many disgorgements. To counter the bland taste alcohol is a popular antidote, but beware, leaving your seat to relieve your bladder will result in disqualification…thankfully for some!

The record is an impressive 76 feet of nettles. Luckily, it’s not all about eating nettles at the Bottle Inn, which hosts the championships. There is also live music, guest ales and a hog roast to entertain spectators and reward competitors, or at least take their mind off a dodgy stomach and a lingering stinging sensation in their fingers.

Location: Bottle Inn, Marshwood, Dorset
Date: Saturday before Summer Solstice
Further information: www.thebottleinn.co.uk
Every year during the Elizabethan celebrations in Totnes competitors participate in a fast and very furious running race down the town’s steep high street…chasing after an orange. The idea is to be the first person to cross the finishing line at the bottom, still in possession of their own orange, but with one tricky race rule: you can only kick or throw the orange as you run along, absolutely no holding allowed. Not as easy as it sounds.

The excitement of the race is back at the start where carnage ensues when competitors and oranges inevitably collide. Shouts of ‘Oi, that’s my orange,’ go unheard, as the quicker runners inevitably target the furthest travelled oranges. Not many oranges make it over the finishing line in one piece, and competitors are left genuinely baffled how a downhill race can leave them feeling so exhausted.

There are a series of age related races, and even toddlers get a chance, albeit on the flatter part of the street. The final race of the day sees local businesses taking part, usually a battle between the coppers and the butchers.

Location: Totnes, Devon
Date: Tuesday 18th August 2009. From 10am until Midday
Further Information: Totnes Tourist Information Centre - 01803 863168
For 364 days a year it’s an idyllic bliss for the worms that reside under a school field in Cheshire. But on one June afternoon all hell breaks loose as 144 teams of two spend 30 minutes on the charm offensive, attempting to lure as many worms as they can out of the ground. Without digging, or using water, it’s up to the imagination, cunning and fitness of the competitors to tease the worms up. Experienced worm charmers twang - rocking a fork in the ground back and forth - whilst their partner, clutching a worm pot, chases after the wiggling invertebrates.

Novices tend to look more ridiculous, jumping around or bashing the ground with mallets; meditation, bouncing on space hoppers and playing music are just some of the many other outlandish methods witnessed over the years. Officials will frown upon any children, or adults, caught doubling, or even tripling their worm tally with some cruel chopping up. The record is an astonishing 567 worms, with a separate prize for the heaviest worm. This is the perfect day out for families, and who knows, you could go home world champions, but you can’t keep the worms you catch.

Location: Willaston, nr Crewe, Cheshire
Date: Last Saturday in June
Further information: www.wormcharming.com A paddling pool in a pub beer garden, alongside a bowling green, provides the incongruous setting for the prestigious Gravy Wrestling Championships. Forget any expectations of Lucha Libra or WWF style action, with bucketfuls of Bistro added this is less a combat sport and more a very muddy pantomime. The aim is to wrestle your opponent into submission however judges also award points for humour and penalize competitors for force-feeding. In past contests, hula dancers and French maids have come face to face with judo experts and Hulk Hogan look-alikes, setting up truly David and Goliath battles.

It all makes for an amusing spectacle, but the highlight of gravy wrestling is watching the competitors struggle to stay on their feet let alone perform a flat back bump. Whilst the action may not be authentic, the gravy certainly is, especially if you find yourself face down in the brown slop at some point in the day. Just don’t request extra gravy with your roast dinner if you hang around for lunch.

Location: Rose and Crown, Bacup, Lancashire
Date: August Bank Holiday Monday
Further Information: www.rosenbowl.co.uk

ALSO FUN AND WORTH NOTING:

WORLD BLACK PUDDING THROWING CHAMPIONSHIPS

No, this is not another gross eating contest, but a very odd throwing event. Inspired by the War of the Roses battle, or more likely, concocted after too many beers, competitors each hurl three black puddings, swaddled in ladies tights, at a target of twelve Yorkshire puddings. The winner is whoever knocks off the most Yorkshire Puddings, set on a plinth 30 feet high, with their three throws. Unfairly, women must throw at the same target as the men, but junior competitors have a lower height to aim for.

Competitors make their way through 300 black puddings during the day. For anyone with a propensity for eating the odd-looking northern delicacy, there are plenty of palatable puddings on offer where hurling is optional. To give you some inside information on winning the event, aim towards the underneath of the loosely secured plinth, in the hope of knocking all twelve puddings off at once and thus securing cult status in Ramsbottom.

Location: Royal Oak, Ramsbottom, Lancashire
Date: Sunday 13th September
Further Information: https://worldblackpuddingthrowing.googlepages.com/

WORLD STONE SKIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

‘Toss on!’ Everyone knows how to skim a stone, but purists will be disappointed if they expect to turn up and win the world championship based on their skimming prowess. With three attempts, competitors need only manage three skims whilst hoping their stone stays within the confines of a now flooded, disused quarry on Easdale Island. Then, it’s all about how far the stone travels that decides the winner. Intriguingly, the quarry is just 63 metres long, but anyone who manages to achieve the not impossible feat of hitting the back wall will probably become world champion.

The championships are open to everyone, even the smallest toddlers, provided they can stand up without too much assistance. The same applies to the men, who often perform abysmally, skimming with power instead of technique. Younger entrants demonstrate neither power nor technique, probably too weary of falling into the water. There is a pre-skim party on the Saturday night with BBQ and live music and much fervent debate amongst the locals on correct skimming technique.

Location: Easdale Island, near Oban, Argyll and Bute
Date: Sunday 27th September 2009
Further information: www.stoneskimming.com

Wacky Nation by James Bamber and Sally Raynes is published by Icon at £9.99