The Competitive Edge
Good morning, and welcome!
With the 2020 Olympics postponed and family board games growing steadily more aggressive over the quarantine, we could all do with a little more friendly competition in our lives right now. They say there’s something for everyone: basketball, soccer, chess, American Idol…. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that there’s only one way to prove this theory: by finding some of the wackiest, most unique competitions out there! Who knows? Maybe you’re a born ruler of the Pillow Fight League or a naturally gifted shin-kicker. I was only scratching the surface of the world of quirky competitions when I came across the Extreme Ironing community last May. There is so much more here… maybe there’s even something for you!
That said, here are 6 (or maybe 7 this week… you’ll have to see!) of the most interesting and exciting competitions out there. Some are relatively new to the world, while others are older than most modern sports! Good luck, and may the best man win….
Welcome to the annual Air Guitar World Championships, held in Oulu, Finland, for nearly 25 years now, where air guitarists from across the world come together to celebrate their shared love for rock music, over-the-top costumes, cool nicknames, and above all, guitar. Though air guitar is something anyone can learn, it is considered a highly competitive sport that combines comedy and musicianship in a fun, energetic setting. The key to success is a unique and definite sense of style. Air guitarists have been known to pantomime swallowing their guitars, setting them on fire, and of course, the classic, bashing them on the stage, all to the tune of some truly incredible music. Props and costumes are encouraged and even necessary. Participants have used everything from metal lunch boxes to powder horns, depending on what best complemented their extravagant (and often glittering) outfits. Air guitar is a sport that celebrates the art of showmanship, so it’s best to stand out. Think loud and proud. Some of the big names in the air guitar community, like Nordic Thunder, The Devil’s Niece, and Airistotle, have constructed entire personas that they use to identify themselves in each performance, just like the guitar greats of the past.
After you’ve looked up some videos of these amazing air guitarists in action (please do!), visit the Air Guitar World Championships official website here: https://airguitarworldchampionships.com/en/story/
Who’s up for a swim?! The competitors in the World Bog Snorkeling championship must be really desperate to cool off, because this sport requires participants to swim two lengths up and down… you guessed it… a muddy bog! The bog in question is located just outside of Llanwrtyd Wells, a small town in Wales. According to local legend, the bog snorkeling championship has its roots here, as the result of a drunken bet in a nearby bar in 1976. Since that day, there has been a bog snorkeling championship here every year, available to anyone who wishes to enter right up to the start of the competition. Hundreds of people from across the world line up to participate. In 2019, visitors from at least 12 countries (Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Eire, Italy, the Netherlands, South Africa, Sweden and the United States) tried their luck in the bog. While some engage in this sport purely for fun or humor, it also attracts athletes in search of a physically challenging activity. The rules are simple: make it across the bog without using a particular swim stroke, keep your head under the water, and go as fast as you possibly can! The current record is held by Neil Rutter, who made it across the bog in just under 1 minute and 20 seconds. Oh, and competitors often wear goofy hats as they traverse the bog. You know. Just for fun!
Yes, bog snorkeling has an Atlas Obscura page! Check it out here: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/world-bog-snorkelling-championship
Gurning is a British expression for what is essentially “pulling a face”. It’s the whole shebang, the pinnacle of a grotesque facial expression: protruding jaw, extended lower lip, bugged out eyes, and narrowed brow. And, of course, there’s a competition for it in Cumbria in the United Kingdom. The World Gurning Championship is a staple of the local Egremont Crab Fair, a seasonal crab apple celebration that is said to be over 700 years old. This competition has accompanied their usual fair attractions—the greasy pole climb, wheelbarrow race, and pipe smoking contests—since the creation of the sport. In it, participants are required to sling a heavy leather horse collar, called a braffin, over their necks for presentation purposes, and gurn their very hardest. This is a feat that can only be accomplished through intense concentration, determination, and flexibility. Each face is judged and scored, then a winner is declared from each of the three separate categories: men, women, and juniors. Famous gurners from recent years include Peter Jackman, Anne Woods, Adrian Zivelonghi, and Tommy Mattinson, who has even met Queen Elizabeth for his legendary gurn! Of course, another annual tradition of this competition is the photographs of each goofy face. Definitely worth a Google!
Check out the Egremont Crab Fair homepage for more info: https://www.egremontcrabfair.com/
Finland, famous for its northern lights, saunas, and Air Guitar World Championships, also boasts another interesting and exciting sport: mobile phone throwing. While this contest is one of the more destructive on this list, I’m guessing it also has some mental health benefits for most of its competitors, as chucking your cell phone into the unknown as far and fast as you can, if nothing else, is irrefutably a good frustration outlet. I know I wouldn’t mind taking up this hobby once in a while! In the official mobile phone throwing sport, there are three categories: one that prioritizes distance over the course of three tries, one that values creativity and style, especially in the choreography of the throw, and a third for children under 12. Cell phones are provided (using your own is not only considered irresponsible, but also against the rules) but it is up to competitors to choose which type of mobile phone they use. Some are convinced that the heavier phones are able to fly father after thrown, while others are advocates of lighter phones instead. However, all phones used in the competition have one thing in common: they are donated by many, many sponsors. The true spirit of the competition is to encourage electronic recycling in a fun environment. So whether you can throw a mobile phone thirty feet or three hundred, our planet will be better for it.
Watch participants of the Mobile Phone Throwing Championships in action in this BBC video: https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-europe-19310319/mobile-phone-throwing-in-finland
For fans of creepy-crawlies, there’s the Worm Charming Championship in the English village of Willaston in Cheshire. You can probably guess what the goal of this particular competition is: to coax as many worms as possible to the surface of the ground. However, the act is more complicated than it may seem. A set of 18 rules regulate the sport, including guidelines on everything from equipment management to conduct during the race. At the beginning of the competition, each participant is randomly assigned a 3x3 plot of land to use. They then thrust a sticking rod called a “stob” into the ground, taking care not to damage the grass on their plot. A rod, or “rooping iron”, is used to hit the stob, causing it to vibrate. These vibrations are what attracts the worms to the surface. However, many champions also credit the musical accompaniment they provide to “charm” the worms into submission. At the end of a 30 minute time span, the worms in each plot are counted. If the contestants themselves are a little squeamish, they can bring a second, known as a “Gillie”, to handle the worms in their stead. The participant who has charmed the most worms wins the championship. The record? A whopping 567 worms! Luckily for the worms, however, the rules dictate that they are to be released again at dusk, to prevent their capture by various local birds.
Read the 18 rules of worm charming on the Aspull Worm Charming Championships page: https://aspullwormcharming.weebly.com/the-rules.html
And now it’s time for Nailympia: one of the most prestigious fingernail care competitions around the world! Originally “the Nail Olympics USA”, this competition originated in Las Vegas, Nevada by three leading nail care organizations as a way to judge the art of a good manicure without bias toward leading brands. If you think Nailympia is all about a neat, colorful polish and maybe a nice outfit to match, you’re not wrong—but there’s so much more to it! Some categories of the contest have nail artists creating sculptures that rise up from both sides of shockingly long nails, complete with extravagant costumes and sometimes a backdrop to sit behind the hands on the model’s forearms. For Nailympia, nail care isn’t just a relaxing, healthy way to look nice, but the art form of a number of dedicated professionals. It’s self expression, as each finger contributes to an overarching statement or theme. Nailympia is governed by a point system and a set of impartial judges. The competitors remain anonymous in order to best prevent bias. At the end of the competition, all scores are compared and the winner is announced. However, there’s a catch: in Nailympia, you may only compete once. No repeat competitors are allowed. You have one shot, and the best thing to do is make it count!
Yep, that’s right: there’s a seventh item on this 6 in the Morning list! Since I wasn’t able to reach you with a new article last week due to a fun end-of-summer family trip, I thought I would add an extra competition to today’s collection. (Besides, I really, really wanted to include this one anyway.) So, may I present to you… ostrich racing! This sport is popular in South Africa, and unsurprisingly involved a jockey mounted atop an ostrich in a deadly race to the finish line. It’s definitely riskier and more fast-paced than your average Kentucky Derby. Ostriches can cover up to 16 feet with a single stride, and run at an average speed of 45 miles an hour (though they’ve been known to go up to 60). However, they are also known to be temperamental, wriggling out from underneath their riders and occasionally attacking them. Jockeys must be small, light, and prepared to run for their lives at any given moment. On the other hand, jockeys must also be kind to their mounts and take care to notice the warning signs of overexertion or injury. This is not only to show respect to this beautiful and unique species, but also to succeed in the race. Many animal rights activists protest the sport of ostrich racing, but those involved claim that it is harmless and fun when us humans conduct ourselves appropriately. I personally would love to see an ostrich race in action!
Read more about ostrich racing in this Daily Mail article: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2291370/Inside-crazy-unpredictable-world-Great-American-Ostrich-Races.html
And you’ve crossed the finish line straight into yet another lovely morning. Anybody want to try their luck at some of these amazing competitions with me? If you’ll be my Gillie in the worm charming championship, I’ll be your model for those amazing fingernail sculptures you’re going to make for Nailympia!
As for the “there’s something for everyone” saying… whoever came up with it really wasn’t kidding. All it takes to find your dream hobby is a search engine and a sense of adventure. That’s my dare for you this morning: find me something new to try! There are so many hilarious, interesting, and intense competitions worldwide, and each one deserves to be honored and appreciated for its history and nature. You never know what else is waiting for you out there if you don’t bother to look, so let’s get discovering….
Oh, and definitely share anything you come up with in the comments, I’d love to hear from you!
With the 2020 Olympics postponed and family board games growing steadily more aggressive over the quarantine, we could all do with a little more friendly competition in our lives right now. They say there’s something for everyone: basketball, soccer, chess, American Idol…. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that there’s only one way to prove this theory: by finding some of the wackiest, most unique competitions out there! Who knows? Maybe you’re a born ruler of the Pillow Fight League or a naturally gifted shin-kicker. I was only scratching the surface of the world of quirky competitions when I came across the Extreme Ironing community last May. There is so much more here… maybe there’s even something for you!
That said, here are 6 (or maybe 7 this week… you’ll have to see!) of the most interesting and exciting competitions out there. Some are relatively new to the world, while others are older than most modern sports! Good luck, and may the best man win….
******
Air Guitar World Championships
(Photo "The Axel Vicious" by Stuart R Brown is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
After you’ve looked up some videos of these amazing air guitarists in action (please do!), visit the Air Guitar World Championships official website here: https://airguitarworldchampionships.com/en/story/
World Bog Snorkeling Championship
(Photo "October 11, 2013" by osseous is licensed under CC BY 2.0)
Yes, bog snorkeling has an Atlas Obscura page! Check it out here: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/world-bog-snorkelling-championship
World Gurning Championship
(Photo "Gurning" by entertainersworldwide is licensed under CC PDM 1.0)
Check out the Egremont Crab Fair homepage for more info: https://www.egremontcrabfair.com/
Mobile Phone Throwing Championships
(Photo "A multitude of mobiles!" by Salim Virji is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0)
Watch participants of the Mobile Phone Throwing Championships in action in this BBC video: https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-europe-19310319/mobile-phone-throwing-in-finland
Worm Charming Championship
(Photo "worms" by Wahj is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Read the 18 rules of worm charming on the Aspull Worm Charming Championships page: https://aspullwormcharming.weebly.com/the-rules.html
Nailympia
(Photo "Fingernails in progress" by Zeborah is licensed under CC BY 2.0)
Take a look at this photo gallery from the Orlando competition in 2019, and be amazed: https://www.nailympia.com/galleries/orlando-2019-gallery/
Bonus! Ostrich Racing
(Photo "55th Annual International Camel & Ostrich Races" by TravelNevada is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Read more about ostrich racing in this Daily Mail article: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2291370/Inside-crazy-unpredictable-world-Great-American-Ostrich-Races.html
******
And you’ve crossed the finish line straight into yet another lovely morning. Anybody want to try their luck at some of these amazing competitions with me? If you’ll be my Gillie in the worm charming championship, I’ll be your model for those amazing fingernail sculptures you’re going to make for Nailympia!
As for the “there’s something for everyone” saying… whoever came up with it really wasn’t kidding. All it takes to find your dream hobby is a search engine and a sense of adventure. That’s my dare for you this morning: find me something new to try! There are so many hilarious, interesting, and intense competitions worldwide, and each one deserves to be honored and appreciated for its history and nature. You never know what else is waiting for you out there if you don’t bother to look, so let’s get discovering….
Oh, and definitely share anything you come up with in the comments, I’d love to hear from you!
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