We all enjoy festivals and outdoor events, especially during the summer, so I did a little digging and found some strange sporting games and unique festivals held in Europe that just might interest you. Most are held during the summer but some are held at other times during the year.
Mobile Phone Throwing began as an international “sport” in 2000 with the World Championships being held each year in Savonlinna, Finland. During the event, contestants can participate in up to 4 categories: distance throwing, freestyle choreography, team and a junior event for those under 12. Guess we know what happens to all our old cell phones!
Clik here to view.
Mobile Phone Throwing World Championships by husin.sani, on Flickr
Imagine if you will, an Irishman goes with a few mates to a pub during lunch to discuss a new motor sport idea. A few pints and hours later Lawn Mower Racing is born! Beginning in England during 1973 the sport is now world wide with many events held during summer months including a World Championship. That’s why men need to stay away from the pubs!
Clik here to view.
Lawnmower Races by Fir0002
The Flour Festival in Viana do Bolo, a town in the Ourense region of Galicia in Spain, takes place each February during the Lent/Carnival season. Yes, they actually throw flour, in fact, no clean face is safe including those of tourists! Don’t wear your best clothes.
If you want to go to Hell then you might just want to go between September 1 and 4 when the Hell Blues Festival takes place in Hell, Norway. Ok so this isn’t a strange festival but I thought some of you might want to go to Hell Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
They also accept volunteers to help with the festival, which allows one free entrance for every 8 hours of work!
Irish Road Bowling has been around since the 17th century and is now governed by the Irish Road Bowling Association. Literally played on a road, 2 players throw an iron ball down the road with the one going the furthest crowned winner! With terms like Bullet, Road Shower, Bowl of Odds, Butt, Faugh a Ballach and Kitter-Paw, how could it not be an exciting sporting event?
Clik here to view.
Road Bowling by fergie_lancealot, on Flickr
Dragon Boat Racing has been taking place for at least 2000 years. There are many festivals throughout the world but in Europe you can enjoy races in Lubeck (Germany), Budapest or, the largest, in Malmo Sweden. The human powered boats are long and usually decorated with a dragon head and tail. The crew is about 22 people including a drummer who controls the beat of the rowing. The brightly colored boats are quite a sight as they glide over the water!
Clik here to view.
Dragon Boat Racing Budapest Hungary
Splashdiving events are held throughout Europe and, from what I’ve seen, would be a fun event to attend! Splashdiving or “Freestyle Bombing” was developed in Germany and the goal is to make as big a splash and as much noise when hitting the water as you possibly can. This means you want a lot of skin smacking the water, ouch! There are 12 sanctioned jumps each with a different degree of difficulty. To see Splashdiving in action, watch this short UTube video:
Wife Carrying World Championships are held in Sonkajarvi Finland where the event was introduced in 1992. As the name indicates, this “sport” is made up of the male competitor carrying his female teammate through an obstacle course. The winner is the fastest and the prize is their “wife’s” weight in beer! While there are other Wife Carrying Contests only in Finland do you win the beer. After the events are completed stick around for awards, karaoke, dances and other festivities.
Clik here to view.
World “Wife Carry” Championships by jurvetson, on Flickr"
There you have it, some weird and strange games and festivals.
Which one would you most like to attend?
Strange Games and Unique Festivals in Europe is a post from: European Travelista
Related posts: