Curious contests: 10 of the oddest competitions in the world
Dec. 27 (UPI) -- Unusual talents and skills will be put to the test in 2024 in categories including wife-carrying, underwater chess, dog ugliness and mullet-sporting.
The coming year will see famous contests including Super Bowl LVIII, the Paris Summer Olympics and even a U.S. presidential election, but what of lesser-known -- but no less important -- events such as the Heavy Metal Knitting World Championships, the World Gravy Wrestling Championships and the Snail Racing World Championships?
In honor of these niche challenges and the competitors who proudly represent their home countries, UPI Odd News is proud to present 10 of the oddest competitions in the world.
World's Ugliest Dog Contest -- Petaluma, Calif.
The world's most aesthetically challenged canines gather each year at the Sonoma-Marin Fair to see which of them can capture the hearts of judges and the public.
The ugliest dog in each contest wins prizes including $1,500 and an appearance on NBC's Today show.
The annual contest aims to celebrate imperfect canines and encourage adoption of pets in need of good homes.
The Homer Brewing Company Bird Calling Competition -- Homer, Alaska
The headline event of the Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival features avian imitators of all ages facing off to see who can best emulate the sounds of several locally well-known birds.
Bird sounds commonly heard coming from the mouths of competitors include eagles, seagulls, cranes and sparrows.
The contest's prizes include specialty chocolate, bird T-shirts and gift certificates.
USA Mullet Championships -- online
Diehard fans of iconic 80s fashion statements compete to find the best business-in-the-front, party-in-the-back hairstyles in the annual USA Mullet Championships.
The online contest features divisions including the Men's Contest, a Femullet Contest for women competitors, a 55+ division for older competitors and Kids and Teens Contests to find the next generation of magnificent mullets.
The winners in each category earn the title of America's best mullet, as well as a $2,500 prize.
Heavy Metal Knitting World Championships -- Joensuu, Finland
This unusual contest calls on competitors from countries including Finland, the United States, Japan, Denmark, Latvia, Russia and Sweden to combine their knitting and heavy metal dancing skills.
The inaugural event in 2022 saw each competitor join heavy metal band Maniac Abductor on stage to dance and knit in time with the music.
The 2023 event was canceled, but organizers pledged the Heavy Metal Knitting World Championships will return in 2024.
World Wife Carrying Championships -- Sonkajarvi, Finland
Husbands carry their wives through 830 feet of obstacles and mud to compete in the annual wife-carrying world championships.
Qualifying events are held in countries the world over to decide who will represent their nation at the championships in Finland, where the sport of wife-carrying originated.
The winning couple earn the wife's weight in beer.
World Gravy Wrestling Championships -- Stacksteads, England
Gooey grapplers show off their wresting prowess each year at the Rose 'N' Bowl, where a pool is filled with Lancashire gravy.
In addition to wrestling skills, competitors are judged on the basis of costumes, comedic presence and entertainment value.
The savory melee raises funds for the East Lancashire Hospice.
Diving Chess World Championship -- London
Chess skills and lung capacity alike are tested at this annual contest, where players take turns diving underwater to make their moves on a chess board submerged in a pool.
Players are required to make a move before coming up for air, or else they forfeit the match.
American chess master Etan Ilfeld said a longtime debate about whether chess is an art, science or sport led him to create diving chess as a variant on the game that is "definitely a sport."
World Dog Surfing Championships -- Pacifica, Calif.
Dogs with the gift of balance gather each year at Linda Mar Beach to hang four and raise money for charity while riding the waves.
Less aquatically-oriented dogs can also earn prizes in competitions including Frisbee catching, ball fetching and dog fashion.
A portion of the proceeds each year are donated to various dog, surfing and environmental nonprofits.
Air Guitar World Championships -- Oulu, Finland
The best strumming simulators from countries around the world gather in Finland each year to pretend to play an invisible guitar while dancing along to the song of their choice.
The contestants are judged on technical merit, stage presence and the difficult-to-define concept of "airness."
The Air Guitar World Championships were founded in 1996 to promote the concept of world peace.
Snail Racing World Championships -- Congham, England
The world's most exciting slow-speed race made its return in 2023 after being suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The snail race, which dates back to the 1960s, features snails attempting to cover a distance of 13 inches to win the grand prize: a tankard of lettuce.
The world record in the race was set in 1995, when a slimy sprinter named Archie managed to traverse the required distance in 22 seconds.
