Wife Carrying and Husband Dragging are sports? Seriously?

HUSBAND DRAGGING AS A SPORT? DON'T WE GET ABUSED ENOUGH?

Apparently, in Australia, it is an annual event. Hey, it's better than the Fourth of July - Coney Island Hot Dog eating contest.

http://www.guy-sports.com/months/jokes_wife_carrying.htm#Husband-Dragging_Contest

We are delighted to inform you that as well as the traditional Wife Carrying Championships in Singleton, NSW, Australia now the Countryfest includes the first joint Wife Carrying and Husband Dragging Contest.

We have been told by our Aussie mate, Shane, that the men must act as a dead weight and be pulled by their partner from a makeshift bar "depicting a traditional Aussie weekend where the female drags her man out of the pub."

Seriously mate, how much effort is required for these husbands to "act as a dead weight"? Am I right ladies? C'mon Aussie man, we need a tougher competition than that one.....

So from Finland, we find the Wife Carrying competition.

There seems to be no good end that can come from this. Even the prize choices -- the woman's weight in beer or in money -- seems to be some sort of bizarre Faustian choice for the men involved.

Wife Carrying Championships

The 2006 North American Wife Carrying Championships at Sunday River Ski Resort, Maine. Winners received the wife's weight in beer, weight in money, and qualification for the world championships in Finland. More info at www.sundayriver.com

The World Championships are held in Finland where, of course, the Finns dominate. The rules are that if the woman touches the ground at any point during the obstacle course, the team is disqualified, which would seem to be the least of the man's worries.

Oh yeah, at certain checkpoints, the man is required to consume beer. Not sure if this is meant to help the man to better navigate the obstacle course or some insidious Finnish plot to break-up marriages acrosss the world.

It sure looks like a lot of fun.

The Wife Carrying Championships - Finland

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIB9UcA5iQU&feature=fvw

Love the musical accompaniment.