ARE UNUSUAL

SPORTS REALLY
SPORTS?
What are your initial thoughts and reactions to this question?
 OSTRICH RACING
Jockeys climb onto
the backs of ostriches;
grab them by their
wings and feathers;
and force them to run
around a track in front
of cheering spectators.
Country: South
Africa
WIFE CARRYING 3

Wife-carrying is a sport
in which male
competitors race while
each carrying a female
teammate. It is held
annually in Finland in
early July and requires
a man to negotiate a
253.5 m course while
carrying their wife on
their back
CHEESE ROLLING
Cheese rolling race takes place in
Gloucester, England. This is a game
that is often hilarious for spectators
and painful for participants.
Participants race down a very steep
and uneven hill, chasing after a round
of Double Gloucester cheese that can
weigh up to nine pounds and can travel
some 70 miles per hour. Whoever gets
to the bottom first wins the cheese. The
race results in a significant amount of
injuries.
 CANAL JUMPING 5

This game originated and is popular in the

Netherlands. Players try to jump as far as
possible from one side of the canal to the
other without getting wet and muddy. In the
canal, there is a pole with a flat round bottom
that can swing when weight is applied. The
pole is typically 12.5 meters long. Contestants
get a running start before jumping onto the
pole. As the pole is swinging toward the other
side of the canal contestants try to climb as
high as they can on the pole before
dismounting safely to the other side.
Contestants who fail will get wet and muddy.
 DONKEY RACING 6

This is a common sport in the

Lamu islands of Kenya.
Everyone can take part in this
race. The donkeys race around
the town with their riders
trying to navigate the different
terrains. Most riders ride their
donkeys bareback while some
make use of padding to control
the shocks during the race. To
control the donkeys, the riders
make use of sticks and reins.
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 WHAT DO YOU THINK? 8

Would you do any of these unusual sports?

And Why?