The World's Most Bizarre and Unique Sports and Physical Activities

From cheese rolling to wife carrying, the world is full of strange and wonderful sports and physical activities you may have never heard of before. Let's take a tour of some of the most unusual ways people compete and stay active around the globe.

Irish Road Bowling

Road bowling is an Irish sport in which competitors attempt to take the fewest throws to propel a metal ball along a predetermined course of country roads. The "bowl" is a 28-ounce iron and steel cannonball hurled down the road, with the next throw taken from where the bowl stops. Spectators bet on the proceedings and debate the finer points of each throw.1

Cheese Rolling

Every spring in Gloucester, England, brave competitors gather to chase an 8-pound wheel of Double Gloucester cheese down the steep Cooper's Hill. The first to grab the cheese wins, although with the cheese reaching speeds of 70 mph, this is easier said than done. Injuries are common in this centuries-old tradition.5

Extreme Ironing

For those who like their household chores on the adventurous side, there is extreme ironing. Participants take ironing boards to remote locations and iron items of clothing. The sport has seen people ironing while skiing, skydiving, and even underwater.2

Wife Carrying

Wife carrying originated in Finland and has spread to other parts of the world. The sport involves a male competitor completing an obstacle course while carrying a female teammate. The objective is to finish in the fastest time, with the prize traditionally being the wife's weight in beer.3

Toe Wrestling

Toe wrestling is like arm wrestling, but with feet. Competitors lock toes and attempt to pin their opponent's foot to the ground. The unusual sport even has its own world championship held annually in Derbyshire, England.2

Chess Boxing

Chess boxing combines the mental challenge of chess with the physical demands of boxing into one bizarre hybrid sport. Competitors alternate between rounds of speed chess and boxing until a winner is determined by checkmate or knockout.3

Underwater Hockey

Also known as Octopush, underwater hockey is a limited-contact sport in which two teams of six maneuver a puck across the bottom of a swimming pool into the opponent's goal using a short stick. Players wear a diving mask, snorkel, and fins.3

Quidditch

Quidditch began as a fictional sport played by wizards in the Harry Potter book series, but is now played in real life. Two teams of seven ride broomsticks and score points by throwing balls through hoops, dodging "bludgers," and catching the elusive "Golden Snitch."3

Worm Charming

In worm charming, competitors attempt to coax as many worms as possible out of a patch of ground within a set time limit. Tactics include vibrating the soil with a garden fork or by pouring a liquid solution. The current world record is 567 worms charmed by a 10-year-old girl in England.3

Bog Snorkeling

Bog snorkeling involves competitors swimming two lengths of a 60-yard water-filled trench cut through a peat bog, wearing snorkels and flippers. Conventional swimming strokes are not allowed, and participants must rely on flipper power alone to get through the murky water.2

Zorbing

Zorbing involves rolling downhill inside a large transparent plastic orb, either strapped inside or with the ball filled with water. This adventure sport originated in New Zealand and is now enjoyed at locations around the world.17

Kabaddi

Kabaddi is a contact team sport popular in South Asia. Two teams occupy opposite halves of a field and take turns sending a "raider" to the other team's half to tag as many opponents as possible without being tackled. Tagged members are out of the game, and the team with the most players left at the end wins.17

Sepak Takraw

This Southeast Asian sport resembles volleyball, but players use their feet, knees, chest and head to hit a rattan ball over a net. Sepak Takraw requires tremendous agility, acrobatic skill and coordination.3

Bo-Taoshi

Bo-Taoshi is a capture-the-flag-like game played by cadets at Japan's National Defense Academy. Two teams of 150 compete to pull down the other team's pole while defending their own. The game is known for its fierce action and the sheer number of participants.14

Yukigassen

Yukigassen is a snowball fighting competition that originated in Japan. Teams of seven battle to eliminate their opponents by hitting them with snowballs. Yukigassen has spread to other snowy countries and even has its own world championship.17

Bossaball

Bossaball combines elements of soccer, gymnastics and capoeira on an inflatable court with a trampoline on each side of the net. Teams of 3-5 players bounce high into the air to spike the ball down on the opponent's court.3

Cycle Ball

Cycle ball is like soccer on wheels, with two players per team riding bicycles and attempting to hit a ball into the opponent's goal using their wheels and heads. This unique sport has been played since the 1890s and even has its own World Championships.2

Chessboxing

Chessboxing alternates rounds of chess and boxing for a true test of brains and brawn. Competitors can win by checkmate, knockout, referee decision or if their opponent exceeds the time limit on chess moves. Chessboxing clubs can now be found around the world.2

Shin Kicking

The Cotswold Olimpicks in England features an annual World Shin Kicking Championship. Competitors face off in rounds and attempt to kick each other in the shins until one goes down. The sport has been practiced since the 17th century.2

Buzkashi

Buzkashi is the national sport of Afghanistan, in which horse-mounted players attempt to place a goat or calf carcass in a goal. It is a sport that dates back centuries and is known for its fierce competitiveness and the great skill required to master it.17

From the traditional to the modern, the physically demanding to the downright quirky, these sports and activities illustrate the many creative and unusual ways humans challenge themselves and each other. Whether chasing cheese wheels, carrying wives, or playing polo with a dead goat, they all capture the competitive spirit and fun of sport in their own unique ways.

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