1. Wife Carrying
A lot of men complain about getting their wives off their backs -- this sport is not one of them. Originated in Sonkajarvi, Finland, this is a sport where the wife is carried by male competitors who race to carry their wives through an obstacle course.
During the North American Wife Carrying Championship, which is an annual event, the prize for the winners is the wife's weight in beer, five times her weight in cash and an entry into the World Championship in Finland.
2. Chess Boxing
Chess boxing as the name suggests is exactly what it sounds like -- a mix of knocking out and checkmating your opponent. The sport consists of 11 rounds in which competitors alternate between playing traditional chess and boxing.
3. Cheese Rolling
Competitors in this event take part in the annual Cheese-Rolling event which is held at Cooper’s Hill in Gloucestershire, U.K. This is how it works: a large cheese wheel is rolled down a steep hill, and competitors race after it. The first person to reach the bottom of the hill wins the cheese. This might not sound dangerous, but the steepness of the hill has resulted in many injuries.
4. Extreme Ironing
Is this an extreme sport or performance art? Could be both. These competitor pride themselves in being called "ironists" and go to a remote location and iron their clothes. This domestic chore has been performed in various locations including underwater, hanging from cliffs, while skiing or snowboarding and even on top of vehicles.
5. Egg Throwing
According to the World Egg Throwing Federation, egg throwing "has been a sport enjoyed by millions of people since early humans discovered the delight of watching a failure of another to catch a tossed egg." Eggheads have the opportunity to participate in the annual World Egg Throwing Championship.
6. Underwater Hockey
Field hockey, ice hockey and now... underwater hockey? Yep. This is also known as Octopush. The sport is played worldwide and involves two teams trying to push a puck using a stick across the floor of a swimming pool into the opposing team’s goal. The sport also has its own World Championship, which first took place in 1980.
7. Shin Kicking
Kicking shins takes manliness to a whole new level. This sport originated in England in the early seventeenth century. This combat sport involves 2 contestants attempting to kick each other on the shin until one hits the ground. The Shin-Kicking World Championship is part of the Cotswold Olimpick Games, an annual event held on Dover's Hill, north of the English town Chippen Campden.
8. Toe Wrestling
This sport lives up to its name. Toe wrestling is where competitors gp toe-to-toe. The unusual sport started in 1976, when the British were looking to gain a world sports title. The Rules: Barefooted, two competitors interlock their toes and try to "pin" down their opponent's foot.
9. Sepak Takraw
This is a sport that is native to Southeast Asia, sepak takraw is similar to what we know as volleyball, but there is a catch. The players can pass around the ball using anything but their arms, and the game is played with a ball of dried palm leaves.
10. Canine Freestyle
Once again, dogs prove they are a man’s best friend. Combining tricks, dance and obedience training, musical canine freestyle is a sport where dogs and humans perform together in perfect teamwork. This sport is relatively new but is on the rise, and absolutely a delight to watch, with events taking place worldwide.
If you know of any other sports that are not common, please let us know in the comments section.
