BETTER THAN THE OLYMPICS.

With only 2 days left to the start of the London Olympics I thought I'd post about some of the other championships, all of which sound so much more fun, that have been happening worldwide.


Snuff World Championships.

The preserve of foppish dandies in the 18th century, snuff, the name given to scented, finely ground tobacco leaves, is sniffed directly off the fingers or through special devices.


Imported from the Caribbean at the end of the 16th century, snuff is still provided for Members of Parliament by the entrance to the House of Commons chambers.


Taking place in Germany over the first week-end in July was the 18th annual Snuff World Championships in which 90 competitors competed to see just who could sniff the most snuff (try saying that quickly) into his/her nose within 60 seconds. More

Swap Soccer World Championships.

Believed to have originated here in the north east of England as a fitness exercise for soldiers, mud lovers in the 2nd Swamp Soccer world Championships competed in 30 minute games consisting of two 12 minute halves sandwiched between a six minute half-time break, all of which took place in a swamp measuring some 25 by 15 centimetres. More


Tough Mudder Extreme Endurance Challenge.

Designed by the British Special Forces to one of the most extreme tests of all-round strength, stamina, mental grit, and camaraderie thousands of competitors have just completed the most gruelling obstacle course in the world.


With the estimated 9,000 contestants paying up to £90 to take part,  obstacles in the challenge, which took on average 4 hours to complete, included electric wires designed to shock participants and a mile long muddy ditch. More

World Wife Carrying Championships.



Reputedly based on the early tribal practice of wife-stealing OR rooted in the legend of Ronkainen, a 19th century robber, who it is said tested aspiring members of his gang by making them carry sacks of grain or even a live swine?


This year's contest was won by a Finnish lawyer, Taisto Miettinen, who completed the 250m course, tackling a pool and several hurdles with his wife, 

Kristiina Haapanen, on his back in just over a minute.

The prize?

The weight of his wife .... in beer. More

Pea Shooting World Championships.


Held in a small Camebridgeshire village, the pea shooting championships began as a fun way of raising funds for the village hall but proved so popular that it soon became an annual event.


The shooters stand 12ft from a target which is smeared with wet putty. Only peas hitting the target are counted and depending on where the pea hits the putty, awards can be five, three or one point.


Some experts favour putting all five peas in their mouth at the same time and then, by deft use of the tongue, firing them off in machine-gun fashion. However, in the knockout section, competitors fire alternately and so are forced to reload. More

Zombie Walk. 


Thousands of blood-soaked, corpse like 'zombies' took over the streets of Birmingham for an eerie charity event which raised huge sums for good causes. More


Or, yet to occur, how about .......


The Great Gorilla Run 2012?

Since the first London Great Gorilla Run in 2003, thousands of people have donned their gorilla suits and run, jogged or walked the 7km City and Bankside fun run route that takes in sights such as Tower Bridge and The Tate Modern so how about donning yours and going ape on the 22nd of September? More