# World wife-carrying championships - 2015



## NancyNGA (Jul 28, 2016)

Sonkajarvi, Finland - 2015 

The Finns seem to have so much fun! 

_"..Rules state that a participant may carry his own wife, his neighbor's wife or someone he found "further afield." The only stipulation is that the wife must be more than 17 years of age and weigh a minimum of 108 pounds (49 kg). The official length of the track is 831 feet (253.5 meters). The surface of the track includes sections of sand, grass and gravel. There are two obstacles to climb over, as well as a 1-meter- (3.2-feet-) deep water obstacle..."
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## ossian (Jul 28, 2016)

I saw this on TV some time ago. I was amazed at it. They seemed quite serious about it. The carrying technique looks a bit undignified!


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## NancyNGA (Jul 28, 2016)

ossian said:


> .... They seemed quite serious about it. The carrying technique looks a bit undignified!



Ossian, undignified doesn't matter when it comes to winning!  They win their wife's weight in beer, I think. :bigwink:

It's called the Estonian Carry position

_" Estonians revolutionized the sport with their own technique -- the fabled Estonian Carry. What the Fosbury Flop did for the high jump, the slider did for baseball and Brandi Chastain's sports bra did for women's soccer, the Estonian Carry has done for wife carrying....The Estonian technique provides optimum balance and weight distribution.  "
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## ossian (Jul 28, 2016)

I can imagine a few Finnish wives being disappointed when they realised just exactly what their hubbies meant when they were asked to don a pair of tight lycra shorts and wrap their thighs around hubby's head! :holymoly: Nonetheless, free beer is free beer!


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## Capt Lightning (Jul 28, 2016)

The last project I worked on before "retiring" was in Oulu in N. Finland.  A lovely city with a sizeable Scottish community.
It hosted the world "air guitar" championships.  The prize was a real guitar!  This, wife carrying, tar boat racing and midnight golf were among the sports they played.  In spring, I saw some hardy (mad) souls, breaking the ice and swimming in the Baltic.

Naturally, we took a trip on the 'Santa Claus express' to Rovaniemi on the arctic circle to see Santa in his summer residence.  If children send letters to Santa, North pole - this is where the letters go.  Santa's office was air-conditioned.  It was near 80 def F in June!

Yes, the Finns really know how to enjoy themselves.


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