In our previous article, we have tackled some of the most bizarre sports.
These are as follows:
- Wife carrying contest
- Egg throwing contest
- Toe wrestling
Aside from the sports mentioned earlier, there are still sports included in this list, and you might be surprised on why you haven’t heard about it before.
Despite all sports that are emerging nowadays, we can always see something that can give us a chuckle.
Let us take a look at some of these sports.
Bizarre Sport: Chess-boxing
Are you looking for a sport that requires both brain and brawn? Say no more with chess-boxing.
Chess-boxing is a hybrid fighting sport and a hybrid board game at the same time. It combines two traditional pastimes: chess, a cerebral board game, and boxing, which is a physical sport.
The competitors fight in alternating rounds of chess and boxing. Chessboxing was brought to life by Dutch-born Iepe Rubingh in 2003. He was inspired by Froid Équateur, a graphic novel written by comic artist and film director Enki Bilal in 1992. The graphic novel portrays a chess boxing world championship.
In the version of the novel, however, the opponents fight an entire boxing match before they face each other in a game of chess. Rubingh found it to be impractical thus creating a new idea of alternating rounds of chess and boxing with a detailed set of rules and regulations.
How do you play chess-boxing?
The battle of chess boxing consists of eleven alternating round of chess and boxing. Each round lasts for three minutes.
The six chess rounds comprise a total of 18 minutes, giving a total of nine minutes on the clock for each player. Fighters win by knockout, by checkmate, by the judge’s decision, or if the opponent exceeds the time limit.
Weight Categories
There are also weights categories involved in this sport. Heavyweight opponents must be more than 90 kilograms while light heavyweight is needed to be around 80 to 90 kilograms. Also, middleweight should be 70 to 80 kilograms and lightweight around less than 70 kilograms.
Bizarre Sport: Extreme ironing
Want to showcase your ironing skills? Try extreme ironing.
Extreme ironing is an extreme sport in which people take ironing boards to remote locations and iron items of clothing.
According to the Extreme Ironing Bureau, extreme ironing is “the latest danger sport that combines the thrills of extreme outdoor activity with the satisfaction of a well-pressed shirt.”
Extreme ironing was an idea that started in Leicester (UK) in 1997 that combines an exciting and dangerous experience with the dull and boring, and it indeed does that.
Some locations where such performances have taken place include
- a mountainside of a challenging climb
- a forest
- in a canoe
- while skiing or snowboarding
- in the middle of a street
- underwater
- in the middle of the M1 motorway
- in a race; while parachuting
- and under the ice sheet of a frozen lake
How do you play extreme ironing?
Well, all you need is an ironing board, a hot iron, and a few pieces of clothing.
In the beginning, extreme ironists used very long extension cords but soon realized that taking a generator would be more comfortable.
Budding extreme ironists are advised to start ironing in the safety of their back garden before progressing to mountainsides, woods, or public places. However, if one wishes to do extreme ironing on remote locations, they are advised to take full safety equipment such as harnesses, ropes, and helmets when appropriate.
Bizarre Sport: Underwater hockey (Octopush)
Are you bored with the usual and regular hockey?
Yes, there is another option like ice hockey but have you heard of underwater hockey?
Underwater hockey also known as Octopush is a globally played limited-contact sport in which two teams compete to maneuver a puck across the bottom of a swimming pool into the opposing team’s goal by propelling it with a hockey stick.
It was started in the United Kingdom by Alan Blake in 1954.
How do you play underwater hockey?
Rules may vary regionally, but games that they are playing during International tournaments consist of two teams of six, with four additional players.
The additional players are continually substituted into play from a substitution area, which may be on deck or in the water outside the playing field, depending on tournament rules.
Each game lasts 33 minutes, with two 15 minutes haves (depending on tournament rules; 20 minutes at World Championship tournaments) and a three-minute break.
Each game begins with the puck in the center of the pool. At the start-of-play signal, which is usually a buzzer or a gong, in-play members of both teams are free to swim anywhere in the play area and try to score by maneuvering the puck into the opponents’ goal.
Equipment needed
Types of equipment required for this game include:
- a diving mask for improved underwater vision
- a snorkel,
- fins for speed
- water polo cap for ear protection
- stick (sometimes called pusher or bat) of about a foot long
- gloves for protection,
- and puck
As bizarre as these sports may be, certain organizations help to promote these sports to help it gain recognition around the world.
Whenever you have the chance, it doesn’t hurt to watch these sports or play it. However, following the rules and regulations for each game can play a significant role in ensuring your safety.
Safety is of prime importance. We have to keep that in mind. Happy playing!
