Strange Sports

Strange
Sports

Zorbing is considered a recreational sport that involves rolling down a hill in a transparent plastic orb – essentially a “hamster ball”. It is generally used on hills, but can also be used on water, as well as flat surfaces.

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Zorbing

Multiple Choice

What is the primary purpose of zorbing?

• Transportation

• Recreation and fun

• Military training

• Artistic expression

Multiple Choice

What is the main characteristic of the plastic orb used in zorbing?

• It is made of metal

• It is very small

• It is transparent

• It is square-shaped

Originating in Spain, Bossaball comprises elements of volleyball, football (soccer), gymnastics, and capoeira. The game is played on an inflatable course with inbuilt trampolines on each side. The teams consist of 4-5 players with the aim of getting the ball over the net without the other team being able to return it.

Bossaball

Multiple Choice

Which sport is NOT a component of Bossaball?

• Volleyball

• Capoeira

• Football

• Basketball

Multiple Choice

What is the maximum number of players allowed per team in Bossaball?

• 4

• 7
• 5
• 3

The Cooper’s Hill Cheese-Rolling & Wake is an annual event that takes place each spring near Gloucester, England and involves a 9lb round of cheese, which is rolled from the top of a hill. Competitors race after the cheese and the first person to reach the finish line at the bottom wins the cheese.

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Cheese Rolling

Multiple Choice

How do competitors win the race?

• By being the first to catch the cheese.

• By completing an obstacle course.

• By rolling the cheese the furthest distance.

• By being the first to reach the bottom of the hill.

Multiple Choice

What is the approximate weight of the cheese rolled down the hill?

• 5lb

• 9lb

• 15lb

• 25lb

Extreme Ironing is considered a ‘danger sport’ in which people take ironing boards to various, often remote, locations to iron clothes and take a picture. Some of the locations have included cliff tops, underwater, in the middle of a motorway, and also whilst skiing and parachuting.

Extreme Ironing

Multiple Choice

Why is Extreme Ironing considered a 'danger sport'?

• The locations are often hazardous

• It involves intense physical competition

• The irons are unusually hot

• The ironing boards are made of fragile materials

Multiple Choice

Besides the inherent dangers of the locations, what other risk might be involved in Extreme Ironing?

• Spilling water on the electronics

• Getting lost in the wilderness

• Burning oneself with the iron

• Running out of electricity

Chess Boxing involves both the classic game of chess and the popular sport of boxing. The competitors alternate between 5 rounds of boxing and 6 rounds of chess for a total of 11 rounds, each lasting 3-minutes. The game was inspired by a French comic and invented by Dutch artist lepe Rubingh.

Chess boxing

Multiple Choice

What type of media inspired the creation of Chess Boxing?

• An Italian opera

• A British novel

• An American film

• A French comic

Multiple Choice

What is the name of the Dutch artist who invented Chess Boxing?

• Rembrandt van Rijn
• Piet Mondrian
• Vincent van Gogh
• Iepe Rubingh

Originally invented in Finland, Wife Carrying is a sport that involves a male competitor racing through 2 dry obstacles and 1 water obstacle approximately 1m deep all whilst carrying a female teammate. The female must weigh at least 108 lb (49 kg) or additional weight will be added to her. Teams who complete the course in the shortest time win with additional prizes for best costume, etc.

Wife Carrying

Multiple Choice

If the female competitor weighs less than 49 kg, what happens?

• Additional weight is added to her

• The team is disqualified

• The male competitor must carry extra weight

• The race is shortened

Multiple Choice

Besides the finishing time, what other criteria can earn teams additional prizes?

• Height of the competitors

• Age of the competitors

• Best costume

• Weight difference between competitors

The sport of Bed Racing has been embraced by the people of the North Yorkshire Town of Knaresborough, who hold the annual Knaresborough Bed Race. The first race in 1965 was only open to Army, Navy and American Marines, but now the competition is open to anyone.

The competitors race in teams of six, plus one on the bed. Each team must provide their own bed, decorated in the theme for the year. The bed runs on four wheels, but also need to be able to float.
The 3km run race begins and ends at Conyngham Hall. About halfway through the run, the teams face the one-in-five gradient climb to Castle Top before it’s back down the hill and toward the final challenge – crossing a river.

Bed Racing

Multiple Choice

In what year did the first Knaresborough Bed Race take place?

• 1990
• 1982
• 1966
• 1975

Multiple Choice

Initially, who were the only participants allowed in the Knaresborough Bed Race?

• University students

• Army, Navy and American Marines

• Local residents only

• Children under 16

Dog surfing is a sport where dogs are trained to surf on surfboards, skimboards, bodyboards, windsurf boards or to bodysurf.
Such competitions have been around since the 1920s in California and Hawaii, USA. Judges of dog surfing competitions judge the dog’s overall certainty on the board, size of the wave and the time duration of them up on their boards.

Dog Surfing

Multiple Choice

What is one factor judges consider in dog surfing competitions?

• The dog's age.

• The dog's weight.

• The dog's tricks.

• The time duration the dog stays on its board.

Multiple Choice

Approximately when did dog surfing competitions begin?

• 1800s

• 1920s

• 1950s

• 1990s

Fireball Soccer is game of football (soccer) except the ball is on fire! Known locally as Sepak Bola Api, it is a unique game played by Indonesian students to welcome the month of Ramadan.

The ball is made from a coconut from a palm tree soaked in kerosene. The pre-rituals before the game are vital things to do by the players. They light the coconut on fire, soak all the players in salt and non-flammable spices, say a little player and start kicking the ball with their bare feet. 

Fireball Soccer

Multiple Choice

Sepak Bola Api is primarily played by which group of people?

• Indonesian students

• Indonesian soldiers

• Indonesian villagers

• Indonesian elders

Multiple Choice

What is one pre-ritual performed by players before the game?

• Singing a traditional song

• Offering prayers to the opposing team

• Fasting for a day

• Soaking themselves in salt and non-flammable spices

The sport is also known as kick volleyball, as it can simply be described as volleyball using the feet. There are actually many differences from volleyball. Sepak takraw uses a rattan ball, and the players only use their feet, knee, chest, and head to touch the ball. Sepak takraw may be played indoors or outdoors like at the beach.
Two teams play with three members each. Sepak takraw usually consists of three sets, 21 points per set; the team who wins two sets wins the game.

Sepak Takraw

Multiple Choice

How many points are needed to win a set in Sepak Takraw?

• 15

• 21

• 25

• 30

Multiple Choice

Which body parts are NOT allowed to touch the ball in Sepak Takraw?

• Feet

• Hands

• Chest

• Head

​Like arm wrestling or thumb wrestling, toe wrestling involves two competitors who lock bare feet in attempt to pin the other person’s foot to the ground for at least 3 seconds. There tends to be 3 rounds played with the winner having the best 2 out of 3.

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Toe Wrestling

Multiple Choice

What is the objective of toe wrestling?

• To pin the opponent's foot to the ground for at least 3 seconds

• To jump over the opponent

• To kick the opponent

• To escape the opponent's grip

Multiple Choice

If a match ends in a 1-1 tie in toe wrestling, what typically happens?

• The match is replayed

• The match is declared a draw

• A coin toss decides the winner

• A sudden-death round is played