The Wife carrying World Championship
Wife carrying is a sport in which male competitors race while each carrying female partners. The Wife Carrying World Championship takes place every year in the Finnish province of Sonkajarvi, but similar events have now sprung up around the world. And the prize is … the winning wife’s weight in beer. Prizes are also rewarded for the most entertaining couple, the strongest carrier, and the best costume. The date of this year’s event is July 4, 2009.
The objective is for the male to carry the female teammates through a special obstacle track in as short amount of time as possible. Several carrying strategies can be used, including piggyback and fireman’s carry (over the shoulder) or Estonian-style (the wife hangs upside-down with her legs around the husband’s shoulders, holding onto his waist). If the female partner is dropped, a 15 second penalty is assessed.
