The Superbowl, the World Cup, and the Olympic Games have their fans. Deservedly so! But the fact is, there are a lot of sports out there that haven't been getting their just due. What are the lesser-known events secretly entertaining millions, bored around the world?
Extreme Ironing
It exists, and it's organized. According to the Extreme Ironing Bureau, this activity is "the latest danger sport that combines the thrills of an extreme outdoor activity with the satisfaction of a well-pressed shirt." In the spirit of adventure, ironing boards have been spotted anywhere and everywhere — from caves to forests, and even mid-air!
As far as rules and regulations go, the sport is mostly judged by the daring location. Some observers may wonder if the handiwork is really top-notch. But truthfully, nobody cares!
Next: See the latest athletic innovations for giggles and goofs!
Pillow Fight League
Every gal tried it at one point. And every guy fantasized about it, on the other end. Now, pillow fighting is a competitive, athletic activity! The Pillow Fight League is no dream, and the event is nothing like a slumber party. It gets super intense, actually!
Launched in Canada, the sport has grown in popularity each year. According to the league's official site: "We fight with pillows because it lets us be creative, do something different and go a little crazy." How crazy? Records show some gals have lost teeth!
Zorbing
It's not a verb in the American dictionary — yet. But there are those that know exactly what it entails. The Concise Oxford English Dictionary decided to add it in 2001, explaining Zorbing involves ''a participant is secured inside an inner capsule in a large, transparent ball which is then rolled along the ground or downhill''. Indeed it does!
The zorb is well constructed to cushion the impact as a double ball, for maximum zorbing around. Where does this all take place? The scenic hills of New Zealand are the top choice, so far!
Pok ta’Pok
Way out in Merida, Mexico is a unique sort few have heard of outside the region. In Pok ta’Pok, athletes try to throw a heavy rubber ball through a hoop made of stone. Thius target may be as high as 20 feet attached to a wall, and the there are a few rules to get it up there. Only the hips, elbows, and knees are allowed!
Like most sports known to mankind, whoever scores the most goals wins the game. Not so fun fact: In the old days, it ended bloody. The winner of the activity was sacrificed to the gods. It was an honor, believe it not!
Giant Pumpkin Regatta
Just outside of Portland, a boating competition like no other has been taking place for years. Officially called the West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta, the October event is a sight to be seen. Quirky folks wear Halloween costumes while racing across a lake in floating pumpkin vessels. Super, giant pumpkins!
Most people have never seen veggies weighing 1,000 pounds, but they do exist! At some point, someone decided to hollow out a big gourd. Thousands come to witness the resulting event. Then, they stay for the pie-eating contest, pumpkin golf, and pumpkin bowling!
Shin Kicking
It might be something people already do, just for fun. But in some circles, it's full-blown combat: Shin kicking started in 17th century England, and it was a seriously popular game. Formal rules have evolved over the centuries. Now, there's the World Shin-kicking Championship. Millions watch the event!
The uniform is a white coat, nothing too fancy. During a round, opponents grab each other's collars and kick away. As far as regulations go, there aren't so many in this game: The first one to shout they've had enough loses, simple as that!
Rock Paper Scissors
Rock kills scissors, but scissors cuts paper. Paper suffocates rock! Everyone knows how that goes. Rock Paper Scissors may have been a playground game or a way to settle disagreements in the past. But for the few, the proud, the concept has been elevated to an outright sport. It's absolutely intense, and it's televised!
It's shocking, but this exists: The United States of America Rock Paper Scissors League is a real league. It has small events and they build up to a final. The national champion wins cold, hard cash! But more importantly, they win bragging rights in a unique niche. Who wouldn't want this wacky, rare title?
Ostrich Racing
It may sound like a pastime straight out of Alice in Wonderland, but in this case, the truth is stranger than fiction. Ostrich Racing involves a jockey riding the fastest bird of them all. These large, flightless animals can sprint up to 70 km per hour!
What's more, their long legs reach up to 16 feet with each leap forward. Where can fans come to a live show? At present, the sport is common in South Africa. But copycat races have popped up in Arizona, Florida, Nevada, and more. Wild stuff, indeed!
Chess Boxing
Cerebral and buff? There's a sport for that. Combining brains and brawn, champions of this game have a lot of bragging rights. Chess boxing hails from Berlin, popularized in the early 2000s. Since then, it has spread far and wide! How is the live show organized?
The World Chess Boxing Organization explains: “fighting is done in the ring and wars are waged on the board”. Matches switch between sitting and fighting, for a maximum of 11 rounds. Then, a checkmate or a knockout is declared. It's a TKO, like no other!
Fingerhakln
On to the silly sports of wider Europe: Germany is home to Fingerhakln, otherwise known as finger pulling. In this competition, two traditionally dressed fellows hook one finer into a leather loop. While sitting across from one another, they both pull in opposite directions. In a test of wills and fingers, the loser is pulled over the table!
Some may ponder: What kind of training goes into an obscure discipline like this? Apparently, the most hardcore in the biz dangle weights from their fingers to prepare. But injuries are common: Joint dislocation and friction burns are all part of the fun!
Bathtubbing
It's unusual, to be sure. But the game of racing in floating bathtubs is catching on, in some circles. Bathtubbing has been a concept for long enough to have spawned championships around the world, and several variations of the race. How does it work, in practice?
The Loyal Nanaimo Bathtub Society has been holding events since 1967, believe it or not. In some races, the bathtub is driven by a motor, but other events demand paddling by hand. The course is timed to determine the fastest tubber of them all. A rare honor, to be sure!
Disc Golf
It might not be the most intense, but it still counts as sport to those who know and love it. In Disc Golf, players spend all day going around a golf course of sorts. But instead of a club and ball, a frisbee is thrown as a target with a basket. Similar golf rules apply!
Flinging discs towards targets is a low impact activity players of all ages enjoy. The game is popular to some extent in more than 40 countries. There is an international league to organize the fun, with more than 53,000 members worldwide. Starting around 1900 in Canada, it has only grown and grown!
Unicycle Hockey
Unicycles may have once been restricted to clowns, but the world of sports loves it. Unicycle Hockey is exactly like it sounds: Mounted on a wheel, each player on a team of five must chase a ball with a stick. Points are awarded for each goal, just like the other versions on court and ice.
Officially, rules come from the International Unicycling Federation. They get pretty specific: The court should be no longer than 45 meters, with barriers on the sides. The goals should not touch the walls, and the unicycles can have wheels no larger than 24 inches in diameter. Along with any hockey stick, a tennis ball is used. Cycle, shoot, score!
Ultimate Tazer Ball
Adrenaline junkies are always on the hunt for the newest thrill. But they're not easy to impress. With Ultimate Tazer Ball, extreme action is possible! Players run around with a real taser gun, a surefire way to get the ball from an opponent. Zap, zap!
The sport takes place on a large field with a giant, inflatable ball. The simple idea is to carry it to a goalpost to score. But along the way, the stun gun is always a threat. Don't worry: The tazers are way below the 1amp lethal dose!
Castellers
If human tower building sounds ambitious, this contest will exceed expectations. Way over in Spain, participants called castellers climb and stack in a formation. It has quite a history: Hundreds of years ago, Catalonian folk dancers ended their dances with a human tower. These got bigger and bigger over time!
Using each other for balance, they form impressive towers. Every two years, the best of the best compete! At competitions today, judges give out points based on height, difficulty, and form. To date, the top team achieved ten human levels in the sky!
Elephant Soccer
There's the circus and all the traditional tricks. Online videos have brought elephant painters to public attention. They are quite clever creatures! Now, their athletic side is getting some press. In Thailand, India, and Nepal, men mount them and play soccer with a big, safari-sized ball.
Riders direct them to kick the ball around a small field. In some cases, the elephant may be the goalkeeper, too. Despite the talent they have with their trunks, the rules prohibit using this appendage. Just like traditional soccer, this is all about that fancy footwork!
Quidditch
Every Harry Potter fan loved reading about the flying broomstick sport, Quidditch. But who ever thought it could jump off the page, and happen in real life? In a way, some cheeky youngsters have managed to do just that. But this version fits reality, and gravity!
The truth is just as strange as fiction, in this case. Adapted from the book, the league began at Middlebury College. Now, nearly 400 colleges have the game! Rules have been decided by the International Quidditch Association. And the very teams head to the International Quidditch World Cup!
Running of the Wieners
No visit to Cincinnati, Ohio would be coeplte without a check-in at the Running of the Wieners. Every year, 100 dachshunds show up dressed as hot dogs. The double weiners race a short track, and the competiotn is fierce. Right before Oktoberfest weekend, it's a must-see!
Sorry everyone: No ketchup or mustard are involved, in this sport. There are ten tracks in all, and each is just 75 feet long. For a human, that may not sound like much of a challenge. But with the tiny little legs of this breed, it's plenty!
Camel Jumping
Camel riding is basic transportation in the desert. But for fun, there is a secret, dual role for these creatures. In the nation of Yemen, athletic young men found a way to show off their jumping skills in the village. First step: Line up all the humps!
The Zaraniq tribe invented it, and they love to see how far they can fly through the air. It's an exotic version of the Olympic long jump, and the winner must leap forward to clear all the animals. Then, he gets a cash prize — and bragging rights!
Beer Mile
Running a mile on the track is easy stuff, for experienced joggers. But is it really so simple, stumbling drunk? An annual event called the Beer Mile aims to answer this query. It all started in Canada in 1989: Combining alcohol and athletics, what could go wrong?
The races are usually on a 400-meter running track. Participants must complete 4 laps, and the minimum 5% alcohol beer starts right a the beginning. Each time they make it around the circle, they must drink another. Anyone who vomits must add a penalty lap!
Baby Olympics
Who said that athletics have an age minimum? At the Baby Olympics in far away Bahrain, a growing number of moms are cheering on their little ones in action. Around 1,200 babies and toddlers participate each year! What are the challenges?
It might seem like the options are limited. But no! Children between two and five are eligible to compete in gymnastics, football, athletics, and basketball. The littlest competitors are involved in crawling and walking contests. So far, the popularity has resulted in a spinoff: The winter games, for year-round fun!
Greasy Pole Competition
Every August in Malta, a slippery game ensues. Locals in the town of St. Julien just can't get enough of a long, greasy pole. Their ambitions are witnessed by the town, and brave residents have been trying to get across for around 200 years. What makes it so slippery, exactly?
Brave young athletes find out the hard way: The answer is four gallons of pig lard, slathered on thick and good. No, this tradition hasn't changed much. The greasiest substance available back in the day works just fine now, too!
Underwater Hockey
Hockey is the most popular sport in Canada, whether it's on ice, grass, or cement. But recently, there has been a new innovation: Underwater hockey, played at the bottom of a pool! Using snorkel gear and a tiny little stick, a puck is pushed around on the floor. Calling all pool pros!
It's a bit slower, underwater. And any streaks players have are interrupted by the need to go up for air, over and over. Unlike the NHL, this version of hockey is non-contact, and injury-free. It might even be relaxing, in a way!
Lawn Mower Racing
It's usually a chore, but that doesn't mean it can't be fun. Lawn Mower Racing may sound silly, but it's a real hobby for machine owners in the U.S., Australia, and the UK where it originated. Fun fact: The first race in America was an April Fools' Day promotion for a lawnmower company.
Now, the sport is open to pretty much everyone who wants to participate. It tends to be more recreational than competitive, but some do take it seriously: There is enough interest now to merit lawnmower racing championships, globally!
Cycleball
Cycleball looks a bit like soccer combined with basketball and hockey. But to make things more daring, there are bikes involved. The two-on-two game features riders using modified bicycles without brakes. The ball is moved along by the wheels. As tricky as it sounds, there is a following out there!
According to Union Cycliste Internationale: ''They strike the ball with the front or rear wheel or their body. As in football, they must place the ball in the goal of the opposing team. Fouls are penalised by awarding free kicks and penalties.'' Pop a wheelie action is key, too!
Armored Combat League
Times sure have changed since the 1100s. But not for everyone, it seems: Cosplay is taken to a whole new level with the Armored Combat League. Besides enjoying the medieval experience, some athleticism is involved in the activity. Nostalgia meets competition here. Believe it or not, there there are all kinds of modern knights ready for nonlethal combat!
Renaissance fairs might be a pleasant day out for normal folks. But this sport is a normal night in for fighting fanatics. Competitions are often five-on-five knights battling in authentic metal suits. Following Game of Thrones is simply not enough, for some!
Man Versus Horse Marathon
It's pretty intense: The Man Versus Horse Marathon pits athlete against animal. It takes place in Wales to address the age-old question with clear metrics: ''Can a man outrun a horse?'' A 22-mile long course is there to test the theory!
Sure, a horse can outrun a person quite easily. But according to the New York Times, ''when it comes to long distances, humans can outrun almost any animal. Because we cool by sweating rather than panting, we can stay cool at speeds and distances that would overheat other animals. On a hot day, a human could even outrun a horse in a 26.2-mile marathon.” Fascinating test, for a summer event!
Dog Surfing
Dogs are man's best friend — and maybe woman's, too! They love to go out jogging and stay in snuggling with the family. Now, in the spirit of camaraderie, canines have decided to join the surfing trend. Dog Surfing might be the next big thing, this summer at the beach!
Events are common in California, like the World Dog Surfing Championship founded in 2016. The contest has growing interest, especially because it raises money for surfing, environmental, and animal causes. The perfect three-for-one, and tons of fun for pet and human alike!
Bed Racing
Stay in bed, or face the world? The problem is solved with Bed Racing: So much is possible without getting up at all! In North Yorkshire in the UK, folks love watching the annual Knaresborough Bed Race. Over the river and through woods, on bed frames they go and go!
The logistics: Teams of six carry one lucky guy through all sorts of conditions. The bed must be able to float for the water round, and wheels are necessary for the dry parts of the race. All in all, it's wet and wild!
Ferret Legging
England has its quirks, no matter where a Brit turns. In this old nation, there are all kinds of traditional activities that are not well known outside the borders. In the 1970s, Ferret Legging became a way to entertain the community. In this crazy endeavor, wriggling ferrets are pushed down the pants of participants. They must race while tolerating the sharp claws!
It seems insane, but people voluntarily line up for this challenge, year after year. The ferrets are not exactly consenting, though. When they nip and tug down there, it's only fair!
Bo-Taoshi
Japan is known for Samurai training and sumo wrestling, sure. But there is another sport that is worth a look: Bo-Taoshi, which translates to “pole toppling” in Japanese. In this sport, that is exactly what occurs. But it's not a solo activity: In fact, each team has 75 people!
Offense vs. defense might look like a war game or a zombie attack. But there is a method to the madness, and players have specialized roles in the siege. The most important position is the one manning the top: The Ninja. He leans his weight strategically to make sure the pole stays upright, to keep the party going!
Outhouse Racing
Most people have a toilet or two at home. But back in the day, the outhouse was key. Since they seem to be mostly out of commission now, there is a new way to enjoy them. In Michigan, an annual event for Outhouse Racing draws determined participants — even in the midwest winter!
Three teammates are part of the action. But admittedly, one is a little less active: The fellow who sits on the john. His role is mainly providing extra weight for his buddies to push to the finish line. And hopefully, moral support along the way!
Car Curling
In mother Russia, there is an exciting, automotive trend in winter sports. Curling already exists: The original concept is an Olympic event. But now, Car curling is challenging the game! The people of the city of Ekaterinburg near the Ural mountains are having plenty of fun with it, in between blizzards.
In this game, cars are altered for safety. The glass and motor are removed, and strong men push giant hunks of metal across an ice rink. The crowd knows the rules: Just like classic curling, the winner is the closest to the target!
Kaninhoppning
Kaninhoppning is the latest craze in Sweden. It was originally invented in the 1970s, and the concept is simple. Fuzzy, floppy-eared rabbits take on a tiny equestrian style course, and the results are nothing but adorable. Trainers guide them by a leash, just to keep them on track!
The obstacles provide a little challenge on the way to achieving the objective. Whichever bunny foo foo completes the course in the shortest amount of time with the fewest errors is the winner. There is a Swedish Federation of Rabbit Jumping, believe it or not!
Kissing Competitions
Mouth-to-mouth contact is not normally considered a sport, even if it leads to a lot of athletic activity in the bedroom. But now, things have changed. The World Kissing Competition is getting some press, and it's no normal smooch fest. It's held yearly at the Acquafan Park of Riccione — romantic, northeastern Italy. Is anyone surprised?
There are many types of kissing, competitively. Underwater kissing is a notable category within the event. Hundreds of contestants try to last as long as possible under H2O while locking lips. The human body has its limits, but synchronized swimmers should try it out!
Cheese Rolling
Most people like to melt cheese. Or bake it. Or nibble it. But in England, people also occasionally race it. The sport of Cheese Rolling is exactly as it sounds: It involves rolling a big block of tasty curd down a hill. The cheese of choice is Gloucester, at this community event. It's a very intense activity outdoors!
The circle of yum is 9 pounds, and it whizzes downhill far faster than many might expect. As locals chase close behind, it can reach speeds of 112 km per hour. In the past, it actually injured a player — serious stuff, as silly as it seems!
Hobbyhorsing
It might seem like a joke, but this wood horse-based activity is a real craze in Finland and Russia. Mimicking real equestrian events, youngsters ride their faux ponies and jump over obstacles. Photos on Instagram promote the subculture. And real competitions have popped up, recently!
An estimated 10,000 youths are involved with the activity in Finland alone. At the championship, the best 200 showed up to ride toy horses, jumping and prancing to the win. For those concerned about the involvement of real animals in athletics, this is a great equine alternative!
Wife Carrying
Hard as it may be to believe, competitive Wife Carrying is all the rage. The activity became popular in Finland after locals decided an obstacle course was just more fun with a loved one. Or at least more challenging, with an extra minimum 49 kilograms!
Regulations for the sport include a few rules about the duration and style of a recognized event. One, the course must have one dry and two water challenges. And two, it should all be at least 253.5 meters long. What does the winner receive, after it all? Obviously, his woman's weight in beer!
Toe Wrestling
Apparently, thumb wrestling was just too easy for the UK. In the 1970s, friends in the town of Staffordshire brainstormed a way to increase their nation's presence on the global sporting scene. To really make a splash, they would need a unique idea. Enter, toe wrestling!
According to the rules, barefoot competitors sit on a mat and link toes. Then, the struggle begins! The first person to successfully pin the enemy foot down wins the round. Although the Olympics rejected this event, the World Toe Wrestling Championship is available for fans. Hop on over to Derbyshire for all the action!
Two-Handed Tennis
Two-handed tennis sounds better than one handed tennis. With two hand, two chances, and one ball, the results are wild! Invented by a physics instructor, it has taken the traditional world of tennis by storm. It has now taken on a life its own, beyond the classroom! and taken How exactly does it work?
It has proliferated around the globe, with leagues like the Two-Racket Tennis Federation in Moscow. Just like a traditional game of tennis, players follow the rules of scoring. But they can use two hands to catch every curveball, experimenting with both left and right forehand and backhand swings. It's double trouble and double fun!