The World’s Most Bizarre Sports

Competitiveness is nothing new to the human spirit. That’s why we created sports. What better way to get our hearts pumping and the blood flowing? Some people seem to live and breathe for it while the rest of us prefer to sit back and watch the chaos unfold. Over the years, there have been some truly weird sports that have popped up all over the world. They even have a loyal fanbase and hold competitions every year! Below are five examples of bizarre sports that will leave you flabbergasted.

‍1. Toe Wrestling Forget thumb wrestling! Toe wrestling is where you’ll find all the action. Instead of locking fingers, competitors will lock their toes and attempt to pin down each other’s feet using only the sheer strength of their big toe. Also, their hands must be flat on the ground while the non-competing foot remains suspended in the air. Unsurprisingly, many competitors often leave the arena sporting a sprained ankle or broken toe. What started out as a way to create more champions in the UK by four drinkers in a bar, has now spread all over the world as a legit sport.

‍2. Cardboard Tube Dueling Those of you wanting to recapture some of your childhood innocence can look forward to the cardboard tube dueling competitions in the US, UK, Australia and Belgium. The rules are simple: competitors must use the same tube for both the first and second rounds. They are instantly disqualified if their tube breaks during that time. And you’re only declared the winner if your tube manages to survive the several rounds of dueling. So, are you in? You can participate in either a one-on-one duel or as part of a team even in an all-out cardboard battle. Don’t forget your cardboard armor and shield!

‍3. Ostrich Racing Ostrich racing sounds like some kind of wacky, modern sport but it’s nothing new. It’s actually a long-established pastime in many African countries that didn’t gain traction in the United States until the 1890s when a theme park in Jacksonville, Florida started offering ostrich rides to visitors. Ostrich races have been going strong in New Virginia, Nevada for over 60 years now. As you can imagine, it’s not easy riding a bird that can move up to 43 mph. Many people have said that they’re so much harder to handle than horses! This leads to lots of spills on the racetrack.

‍4. Bog Snorkeling Most of us can’t stand getting mud on our shoes, but some people will dive head first into a mud-filled peat bog with zero hesitation. Every year in August, hundreds of snorkelers from all over the world embark on the Welsh town of Llanwrtyd Wells with the hope of becoming the next bog snorkeling champion. The goal is to complete two laps of a 55-meter course, using only the power of their flippered legs to propel forward. The winner often comes out of the bog looking happier than a pig in the mud!

‍5. Extreme Ironing Nowadays, there’s truly a sport for everything - even good ‘ole ironing. Many of us find it to be a bore, but not Extreme Ironing competitors! They come from several countries across the globe just to put their ironing skills to the test. The competition involves a number of categories that are set in the craziest locations you can think of - abseiling, scuba diving, water-skiing and even horse riding. Bottom line is, they must all successfully iron their clothing in those areas. No creases or burn marks either!