Finland’s Wife Carrying World Championship

Here’s an event you are definitely going to want to check out: Finland’s Wife Carrying World Championship. What is it?

The wife-carrying championship is a race to see which husband can cart his wife across a 253.5- meter-long sand course with two dry obstacles and a water obstacle. Other than that, it’s pretty straightforward. Pick up your wife, get her across the finish line.

But wait, it turns out it doesn’t have to be your wife that you get across the finish line after all, just as long as you get someone’s wife across. Check out this official ruling: “The wife to be carried may be your own, the neighbour’s or you may have found her farther ahead; she must, however, be over 17 years of age.” The wife must also weigh at least 49 kilos (about 108 pounds) or she will be burdened with a heavy rucksack.

The Wife Carrying World Championship is a two-day event in early July. Besides the actual event (€50 to enter), there is a market area full of show rooms and product presentations, vendors, food stalls and children’s activities. There is a forestry competition. A “borrowed goods” auction. A karaoke competition. Concerts, dances, awards, ceremonies … apparently the Fins know how to have a good time.

If you’re serious about your wife carrying, there is even a short article about how to become a wife-carrying master (required reading for all men?). The article recommends birch switches (possibly for the wife?), a twinkle in the eye and a good mutual rhythm.

There are prizes for most entertaining couple and best costumes along with the first-place awards. The award for first place, by the way, is your wife’s weight in beer.

But wife carrying isn’t a strictly Scandinavian sport. Check out these wife-carrying competitions in North America.

2014 North American Wife Carrying Championship from Sunday River on Vimeo.