World's Most Unusual Sports
Fed up with football, tired of tennis, bored of basketball? Well there are some crazy sports out there, unknown to all except the few dedicated fans.
These freaky games range from the ridiculous to the stomach churning (carcass polo, anyone?) but make for a truly unique travel experience.
They're all held in interesting places worth checking out afterwards, so here's a guide to watching the world's weirdest sports.
World Sauna Championships
More an endurance test than an extreme sport, you can warm up in Heinola, Finland at the World Sauna Championships. Competitors from over 20 countries have to try and stay in a steaming hot room longer than anyone else before passing out, and the winner is the last person to walk out without any outside help.
With temperatures reaching a scorching 110 degrees in the men's competition, each participant has to sign a release form and take part 'at their own risk'! As the inventors of the sauna, it's no surprise the hosts have won almost every year! Choose a Helsinki hostel and enjoy this cosmpolitan city before you visit Heinola.
Wife Carrying
The name explains it all - this race in Sonkajärvi, Finland involves grabbing your (willing!) significant other, and carrying her on your back through an obstacle course faster than anyone else. There are several types of 'methods' of carrying your spouse - pity the poor Estonian wife who gets carried upside down!
The World Championships take place in Sonkajärvi on the first weekend in July - book a hostel in Joensuu and the beautiful north of Finland is your oyster.
Elephant Polo
Why ride on horseback when you can go higher - and mount an elephant instead? This extreme version of the sport - sort of like hockey but on the back of an elephant - is played in India, Sri Lanka and Thailand, with teams from all over the world playing against each other in a field.
The Kings Cup Elephant Polo takes places on the 15th March 2010 in Thailand, at the Anantara Golden Triangle, Chiang Rai. Book a Chiang Rai hostel now!
Tuna Throwing
Port Lincoln is Australia's tuna fishing capital, and this south Australian city sits in one of the world's largest natural deepwater harbours. On Australia day weekend (January 26th), Port Lincoln holds the Tunarama Festival, and the main attraction is the Tuna Tossing Championships. Competitiors simply hurl the tuna fish as far as they can, but it's no mean feat - previous winners inlcude Olympic gold medalist weight lifter, and with some tuna fish weighing in excess of 50kg, you'll need some arm on you!
If that all sounds a little too fishy, stay in a hostel in Adelaide, Port Kenny or Wilmington and you can also sample the best of South Australia. Discover the award-winning Boston Bay Wines from the region's vineyards, or swim with sea-lions, dophins and fish off the coast of the Eyre Peninsula.
Cheese Rolling
One of the smelliest 'extreme sports' around, the annual Cheese Rolling Championships in Gloucestershire are surprisingly dangerous. Crowds of locals watch participants chase a 3.5 kg wheel of Gloucester cheese down Coopers Hill, a steep and rocky slope, and most struggle to stay on their feet and end up tumbling to the bottom!
The next championships are on the 31st May 2010, and Gloucester is easy to reach by train (although you'll need to drive to Coopers Hill). Stay in an Oxford or Bristol hostel, or try Stow on the Wold, for a more laid back rural getaway in the Cotswolds.
Chess Boxing
This bizarre sport is a real mix of brains and braun - a chess boxing match involves alternating between games of chess and mini boxing fights. With 11 rounds - 5 of chess and 6 of boxing, it makes for one eclectic game, and the sport that once started off as a joke (it was invented by a cartoonist!) is now a cult phenemonon, with a World Championship every year.
Check out the chessboxing website for the latest news, and then book a hostel in Europe or Russia - the setting for next year's tournament.