The Finns have taken their love of sports and translated that into annual and attention-grabbing competitions that take place across the country. These eccentric events can provide loads of fun for not only the participants, but spectators, as well.
Finland’s Wife-Carrying Championships
The Finland festival involving men carrying their wives through an obstacle course in the shortest time possible has been taking place in Sonkajärvi, in eastern Finland, since 1992. The next one takes place July 3-4, 2009. Husbands can tote their partners in a variety of ways, via piggyback, for example, with the prize reportedly dependent on the wife’s weight in beer.
Legend has it that wife carrying began in the 19th century, courtesy of the villain Herkko Ronkainen, who used to swing his favourite girl on his shoulders. Another story has it that the competition dates back to the days when men would court women by running into their village, picking them up and running off with them.
Finland’s Mobile Phone-Throwing World Championships
Finland’s mobile phone-throwing contest involves standing in a marked area and hurling a phone as far as possible within another marked area, either via the traditional over-the-shoulder throw, or freestyle, where the participant can earn points for aesthetics and choreography. In both cases, the contestant with the highest score wins.
The next mobile phone-throwing competition will be held Aug. 22, 2009, in Punkaharju, in eastern Finland. The event has its roots in frustrations associated with owning a mobile phone, such as the battery running out when you really need to use the phone, or waiting for phone calls that never come. Hence taking out frustration by throwing the phone. Previous prizes have included a gold medal.
Finland’s Sauna World Championships
Things have been heating up in this Finnish contest since 1999: Contestants must maintain an erect posture while sitting with their elbows on their knees in a sauna for as long as possible, to win a trophy. They must also be able to leave the sauna without any help, or else they will be disqualified from the competition.
The 11th Sauna World Championships will be held on Aug. 2-8, 2009, in Heinola, in southern Finland. The competition reportedly stems from sauna-sitting contests that resulted in a ban from the Heinola swimhall. Today’s endurance tests requires that participants sign a form that states they will not take legal action against the contest’s organizers.
Finland’s Air Guitar World Championships
Since 1996, air guitar players worldwide have been heading to Finland for the honour of being top air guitar player. On Aug. 19-12, 2009, Oulu, in northern Finland, will be the site of the annual Air Guitar World Championships. Contestants are judged on technical merit, stage presence and “airness” (how much of the performance was artistic).
At this festival, air guitar players may attend lectures, demonstrations and training camps, as well as trading tips and tricks with their peers. Previous prizes have included a real guitar and amplifier. The idea behind the event is “all the bad things would go away if everyone just played air guitar.”
Travellers looking for eccentric events and funky festivals need look no further than Finland. The country’s social calendar is packed with contests, from wife carrying, mobile phone throwing, sauna sitting and air guitar playing, to mosquito swatting, milking stool throwing, table drumming and sitting on an ant’s nest. Competitions take place throughout the year, so there’s bound to be something hip happening no matter when visitors arrive.
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