Wife carrying

The "Estonian Carry".

Wife carrying (Finnish: eukonkanto or akankanto, Swedish: kärringkånk, Estonian: naisekandmine) is a sport in which male competitors race while each carrying a female teammate. The objective is for the male to carry the female through a special obstacle track in the fastest time. The sport was first introduced at Sonkajärvi, Finland.

Several types of carry may be practised: piggyback, 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).

Major wife-carrying competitions are held in Sonkajärvi, Finland (where the prize depends on the wife's weight in beer); Monona, Wisconsin; Minocqua, Wisconsin; and Marquette, Michigan.

The North American Wife Carrying Championships take place every year on Columbus Day Weekend in October at Sunday River Ski Resort in Newry, Maine.

History

There are many thoughts to how this sport first originated in Finland. Tales have been passed down from one person to another about a man named Herkko Rosvo-Ronkainen. This man was considered a robber in the late 1800s, lived in a forest, and ran around with his gang of thieves causing harm to the villages. From what has been found, there are three ideas to why/how this sport was invented. First, Rosvo-Ronkainen and his thieves were accused of stealing food and women from villages in the area he lived in; then carried these women on their backs as they ran away, (hence the “wife” or women carrying). For the second idea, it has been said that young men would go to villages near their own, steal other men’s wives, and then have the woman become their own wife. These wives were also carried on the backs of the young men; this was referred to as “the practice of wife stealing." Lastly, there was the idea that Rosvo-Ronkainen trained his thieves to be “faster and stronger” by carrying big, heavy sacks on their backs, which could have eventually evolved to a sport because of the hard labor (endurance), and muscle strengthening; which most sports ensure. Even though this sport has been considered by some as a joke, competitors take it very seriously, just like any other sport. Wife carrying is now practiced in the United States of America, Hong Kong, and other parts of the world besides Finland, and has a category in the Guinness Book of Records.

Now in Asia

Ecorun India, a society for creating environmental awareness organized Wife Carrying Race in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India, Asia on January 1, 2011. The event is called "BHAARYAASAMETHAM" roughly translated as 'with your wife', in local language 'Malayalam'. The society plans on conducting more such events every year in India. Wife carrying in Asia is also called matukinina.

Rules

The original course is a rough, rocky terrain with fences, and brooks, but has been altered to suit modern conditions. There is now sand instead of full rocks, fences are still on the course, and some kind of area filled with water,(a pool). These are the following rules set by the International Wife Carrying Competition Rules Committee:

• The length of the official track is 253.5 meters
• The track has two dry obstacles and a water obstacle, about one meter deep
• The wife to be carried may be your own, the neighbor's, or you may have found her further afield; she must, however, be over 17 years of age
• The minimum weight of the wife to be carried is 49 kilograms. If she is less than 49 kg, the wife will be burdened with a rucksack containing additional weight such that the total load to be carried is no less than 49 kg.
• All participants must enjoy themselves
• The only equipment allowed is a belt worn by the carrier, the carried must wear a helmet.
• The contestants run the race two at a time, so each heat is a contest in itself
• Each contestant takes care of his/her safety and, if deemed necessary, insurance
• The contestants have to pay attention to the instructions given by the organizers of the competition
• There is only one category in the World Championships and the winner is the couple who completes the course in the shortest time
• Also the most entertaining couple, the best costume and the strongest carrier will be awarded a special prize
• Participation fee is 50 euro

Champions

• 2011 – Taisto Miettinen (Finland) and Kristiina Haapanen (Finland).
• 2010 – Taisto Miettinen (Finland) and Kristiina Haapanen (Finland).
• 2009 – Taisto Miettinen (Finland) and Kristiina Haapanen (Finland).
• 2008 – Alar Voogla (Estonia) and Kirsti Viltrop (Estonia).
• 2007 – Madis Uusorg (Estonia) and Inga Klauso (Estonia), time 61.7 seconds.
• 2006 – Margo Uusorg (Estonia) and Sandra Kullas (Estonia), time 56.9 seconds.
• 2005 – Margo Uusorg (Estonia) and Egle Soll (Estonia), time 59 seconds.
• 2004 – Madis Uusorg (Estonia) and Inga Klauso (Estonia) time 65.3 seconds.
• 2003 – Margo Uusorg (Estonia) and Egle Soll (Estonia) time 60.7 seconds.
• 2002 – Meelis Tammre (Estonia) and Anne Zillberberg (Estonia) time 63.8 seconds.
• 2001 – Margo Uusorg (Estonia) and Birgit Ullrich (Estonia) time 55.6 seconds.
• 2000 – Margo Uusorg (Estonia) and Birgit Ullrich (Estonia), time 55.5 seconds. (World record)
• 1999 – Imre Ambos (Estonia) and Annela Ojaste (Estonia) time 64.5 seconds.
• 1998 – Imre Ambos (Estonia) and Annela Ojaste (Estonia) time 69.2 seconds.
• 1997 – Jouni Jussila (Finland) and Tiina Jussila (Finland) time 65 seconds.

Trivia

• Former NBA-superstar Dennis Rodman was present at the Wife-carrying World Championships in Sonkajärvi in 2005 but did not compete due to health problems.
• North American champions Ehrin and April Armstrong were featured as guests on a first season episode of GSN's revival of I've Got a Secret.

See also

• Cheese rolling
• Idiotarod
• Kinetic sculpture race
• Portland Urban Iditarod
• Shopping cart race
• Wok racing
• Zoobomb
• Bog snorkelling
• Sepak takraw

External links

• Sonkajärvi - Wife Carrying World Championships
• Dennis Rodman participates in the 2005 Wife Carrying World Championships
• An article about The North American Wife Carrying Championships
• Lonely Planet —Wife-Carrying
• The Globe and Mail — Toronto couple win wife-carrying competition
• Wife-carrying competition in the UK