Current:Home > NewsWife-carrying championship victory brings beer and cash-InfoLens
Wife-carrying championship victory brings beer and cash
View Date:2024-12-23 14:48:17
NEWRY, Maine (AP) — Some partners are carried over the threshold. Others are carried over a muddy obstacle course.
Contestants are hoisting their partners and embarking on a muddy 278-yard (254-meter) race on Saturday, splashing through water, jumping over logs and trudging through muck during the North American Wife Carrying Championship.
There is nothing dainty or graceful about the raucous event at Sunday River ski resort.
And the spoils are modest — cash and beer.
Most of the participants use a technique where there the “wife” is carried like a backpack — but upside down — to ensure the runners’ arms are free for the greatest agility. Wearing smiles and grimaces, competitors end up wet and muddy after splashing through water and climbing over logs and sometimes falling down.
The sport’s origin story isn’t exactly politically correct. It is based on Finland’s “Ronkainen the Robber,” whose gang was known to pillage villages and carry away the women.
Traditionally, the Finnish event featured male competitors carrying a woman. On Saturday, competing couples didn’t have to be married, nor did they have to be a man and a woman.
There is no gold medal or trophy for the winner. Instead, the champion leaves with the weight of the “wife” in beer and five times the wife’s weight in cash.
veryGood! (972)
Related
- Georgia public universities and colleges see enrollment rise by 6%
- Angel Dreamer Wealth Society: Your Pathway to Financial Freedom through Expert Investment Education and AI Technology
- Taylor Swift Reunites With Pregnant Brittany Mahomes in Sweet Moment at Chiefs Game
- While Alabama fans grieve on Paul Finebaum Show, Kalen DeBoer enjoys path to recovery
- Duke basketball vs Kentucky live updates: Highlights, scores, updates from Champions Classic
- 2 ex-officers convicted in fatal beating of Tyre Nichols get home detention while 1 stays in jail
- Opinion: Messi doesn't deserve MVP of MLS? Why arguments against him are weak
- Bigger or stronger? How winds will shape Hurricane Milton on Tuesday.
- Gerry Faust, the former head football coach at Notre Dame, has died at 89
- Harris calls Trump ‘incredibly irresponsible’ for spreading misinformation about Helene response
Ranking
- Amazon Black Friday 2024 sales event will start Nov. 21: See some of the deals
- En Honduras, los Libertarios y las Demandas Judiciales Podrían Quebrar el País
- Harris calls Trump ‘incredibly irresponsible’ for spreading misinformation about Helene response
- Hoda Kotb Reveals the Weird Moment She Decided to Leave Today After 16 Years
- Stock market today: Asian stocks decline as China stimulus plan disappoints markets
- California home made from wine barrels, 'rustic charm' hits market: See inside
- Padres and Dodgers continue to exchange barbs and accusations ahead of NLDS Game 3
- Kyle Richards Influenced Me To Add These 29 Prime Day Deals to My Amazon Cart
Recommendation
-
Pedro Pascal's Sister Lux Pascal Debuts Daring Slit on Red Carpet at Gladiator II Premiere
-
Jeep, Ram, Nissan, Tesla, Volkswagen among 359k vehicles recalled: Check car recalls here
-
Takeaways from AP investigation on the struggle to change a police department
-
Florida Panthers Stanley Cup championship rings feature diamonds, rubies and a rat
-
Five best fits for Alex Bregman: Will Astros homegrown star leave as free agent?
-
Taylor Swift Reunites With Pregnant Brittany Mahomes in Sweet Moment at Chiefs Game
-
WNBA playoff game today: What to know about Tuesday's Sun vs Lynx semifinal
-
Padres and Dodgers continue to exchange barbs and accusations ahead of NLDS Game 3