Where does the annual wife-carrying competition take place?
The North American Wife Carrying Championships takes place every year since 1999 on Columbus Day Weekend in October at Sunday River Ski Resort in Newry, Maine.
What is the prize for wife-carrying in Finland?
The prize for being the winner of the Wife-Carrying World Championships in Finland is the wife’s weight in beer. To determine the amount of the prize, the team mate who was carried sits on a teeter-totter while beer is placed on the opposite end of the teeter-totter until the same weight is established.
What is the purpose of wife-carrying?
(from Wikipedia.com) Wife carrying (Finnish eukonkanto or sometimes akankanto, Estonian naisekandmine, Swedish kärringkånk), is a sport in which male competitors race while each carrying a female teammate. The objective is for the male to carry the female through a special obstacle track in the fastest time.
What happens if a man drops his partner in wife-carrying?
There are two obstacles to climb over, as well as a 1-meter- (3.2-feet-) deep water obstacle to wade through. If a contestant drops his wife, he incurs a 15-second penalty.
Who started wife-carrying?
Herkko Rosvo-Ronkainen
Wife Carrying originated in Finland, and its history is based around the 19th century legend of Herkko Rosvo-Ronkainen, or “Ronkainen the Robber.” There are three stories as to how the sport was created.
Is wife-carrying an extreme sport?
Men, carrying wives, race through an obstacle course that includes sand, water and fences. The prize for winning the race is the wife’s weight in beer. It’s really all very civilized. The sport — yes, it’s a sport — originated in Finland, and was most likely inspired by a duo of historical tales.
Where is the world Wife Carrying Championship held?
This event is now held annually in Sonkajärvi, Finland as the World Championship. A North American Championship was started in 1999. Founded in 1999 at Sunday River Resort in Maine, the North American Wife Carrying Championship has been held annually in mid-October at this location ever since.
Where does the wife carrying contest take place?
Wife carrying contests have taken place in Australia, the United States, Hong Kong, India, Germany, the UK and other parts of the world besides Finland and nearby Sweden, Estonia and Latvia. And the sport has a category in the Guinness Book of Records.
How does the North American Wife Carrying Championship work?
Winners have the option of competing in the World Championships and have placed as high as fifth. The North American Championship holds registration spots open for winners of any sanctioned state, provincial or regional wife carrying events and provides entry to these competitors at no cost, then opens any remaining spots for public registration.
Where do the annual wife-carrying world take place?
The first modern day wife carrying event was held in Finland in 1992 and foreign contestants were admitted in 1995. This event is now held annually in Sonkajärvi, Finland as the World Championship.