Wife-carrying

The "Estonian Carry".

Wife carrying (Finnish: eukonkanto or akankanto, Estonian: naisekandmine, Swedish: kärringkånk) is a contest in which male competitors race while each carrying a female teammate. The objective is for the male to carry the female through a special obstacle track in the fastest time. The sport was first introduced at Sonkajärvi, Finland.

Several types of carry may be practised: piggyback, fireman's carry (over the shoulder), or Estonian-style (the wife hangs upside-down with her legs around the husband's shoulders, holding onto his waist).

Wife Carrying World Championships are held annually in Sonkajärvi, Finland since 1992 (where the prize depends on the wife's weight in beer).

History

Eukonkanto first originated in Finland. Tales have been passed down from one person to another about a man named Herkko Rosvo-Ronkainen. This man was considered a robber in the late 1800s, lived in a forest, and ran around with his gang of thieves causing harm to the villages. From what has been found, there are three ideas to why/how this sport was invented. First, Rosvo-Ronkainen and his thieves were accused of stealing food and women from villages in the area he lived in; then carried these women on their backs as they ran away, (hence the “wife” or women carrying). For the second idea, it has been said that young men would go to villages near their own, steal other men’s wives, and then have the woman become their own wife. These wives were also carried on the backs of the young men; this was referred to as “the practice of wife stealing." Lastly, there was the idea that Rosvo-Ronkainen trained his thieves to be “faster and stronger” by carrying big, heavy sacks on their backs, which could have eventually evolved to a sport because of the hard labor (endurance), and muscle strengthening; which most sports ensure. Even though this sport has been considered by some as a joke, competitors take it very seriously, just like any other sport.

Wife carrying is now practiced in Australia, the United States of America, Hong Kong, Estonia, UK and other parts of the world besides Finland, and has a category in the Guinness Book of Records.^{[1] [2][3]}

Rules

The original course was a rough, rocky terrain with fences, and brooks, but it has been altered to suit modern conditions. There is now sand instead of full rocks, fences, and some kind of area filled with water (a pool). These are the following rules set by the International Wife Carrying Competition Rules Committee:

• The length of the official track is 253.5 meters.
• The track has two dry obstacles and a water obstacle about one meter deep.
• The wife to be carried may be your own, or the neighbor's, or you may have found her further afield; she must, however, be over 17 years of age.
• The minimum weight of the wife to be carried is 49 kilograms. If she weighs less than 49 kg, she will be burdened with a rucksack containing additional weight to bring the total load to be carried up to 49 kg.
• All participants must enjoy themselves.
• The only equipment allowed is a belt worn by the carrier and a helmet worn by the carried.
• The contestants run the race two at a time, so each heat is a contest in itself.
• Each contestant takes care of his/her safety and, if deemed necessary, insurance.
• The contestants have to pay attention to the instructions given by the organizers of the competition.
• There is only one category in the World Championships and the winner is the couple who completes the course in the shortest time.
• Also the most entertaining couple, the best costume, and the strongest carrier will be awarded a special prize.

While the International rules are the basis for all competitions, rules and prizes do vary for each competition.

World Champions

• 2016 – Dimitriy Sagal (Russia) and Anastasia Loginova (Russia).
• 2015 – Ville Parviainen (Finland) and Sari Viljanen (Finland).
• 2014 – Ville Parviainen (Finland) and Janette Oksman (Finland).
• 2013 – Taisto Miettinen (Finland) and Kristiina Haapanen (Finland).^[4]
• 2012 – Taisto Miettinen (Finland) and Kristiina Haapanen (Finland).
• 2011 – Taisto Miettinen (Finland) and Kristiina Haapanen (Finland).^[5]
• 2010 – Taisto Miettinen (Finland) and Kristiina Haapanen (Finland).^[6]
• 2009 – Taisto Miettinen (Finland) and Kristiina Haapanen (Finland).^[6]
• 2008 – Alar Voogla (Estonia) and Kirsti Viltrop (Estonia).^[7]
• 2007 – Madis Uusorg (Estonia) and Inga Klauso (Estonia), time 61.7 seconds.^[8]
• 2006 – Margo Uusorg (Estonia) and Sandra Kullas (Estonia), time 56.9 seconds.^[9]
• 2005 – Margo Uusorg (Estonia) and Egle Soll (Estonia), time 59 seconds.^[10]
• 2004 – Madis Uusorg (Estonia) and Inga Klauso (Estonia) time 65.3 seconds.^[11]
• 2003 – Margo Uusorg (Estonia) and Egle Soll (Estonia) time 60.7 seconds.^[12]
• 2002 – Meelis Tammre (Estonia) and Anne Zillberberg (Estonia) time 63.8 seconds.
• 2001 – Margo Uusorg (Estonia) and Birgit Ullrich (Estonia) time 55.6 seconds.^[13]
• 2000 – Margo Uusorg (Estonia) and Birgit Ullrich (Estonia),^[14] time 55.5 seconds. (World record)
• 1999 – Imre Ambos (Estonia) and Annela Ojaste (Estonia) time 64.5 seconds.
• 1998 – Imre Ambos (Estonia) and Annela Ojaste (Estonia) time 69.2 seconds.^[15]
• 1997 – Mikkel Christensen (Finland) and Tiina Jussila (Finland) time 65 seconds.^[16]

Australia

Australian Wife Carrying Championships are held annually since 2005.

• 2013 - South Bank, Brisbane^[17]
• 2008 - in Singleton, NSW^[18]
• 2007 - Australian Champions: Anthony Partridge and Angela Moore^[18]

North American

The North American Wife Carrying Championships take place every year on Columbus Day Weekend in October at Sunday River Ski Resort in Newry, Maine.

United States

The US final takes place the second weekend of July in Menahga Minnesota (MN-St. Urho Wife Carry for Charity Challenge). Major wife-carrying competitions are also held in Monona, Wisconsin, Minocqua, Wisconsin and Marquette, Michigan.

Asia

Ecorun India, a society for creating environmental awareness organized Wife Carrying Race in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India, Asia on January 1, 2011. The event is called "BHAARYAASAMETHAM" roughly translated as 'with your wife' in Malayalam, the local language. The society plans on conducting more such events every year in India. Wife carrying in Asia is also called matukinina.

Trivia

• North American champions Ehrin and April Armstrong were featured as guests on a first season episode of GSN's revival of I've Got a Secret.
• BBC Presenters Mike Bushell and Steph McGovern reversed the roles when they took part in the UK annual wife carrying competition in 2013, she carried him. The male presenter claimed this was a first.^[19]
• Margo Uusorg and Sandra Kullas hold the world record time for this competition finishing the 253.5 meter course in 56.9 seconds in 2006.^[20]

See also

• Cheese rolling
• Idiotarod
• Kinetic sculpture race
• Portland Urban Iditarod
• Shopping cart race
• Wok racing
• Zoobomb
• Bog snorkelling
• Sepak takraw

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wife carrying.

• Sonkajärvi - Wife Carrying World Championships
• Dennis Rodman participates in the 2005 Wife Carrying World Championships
• An article about The North American Wife Carrying Championships
• Lonely Planet —Wife-Carrying
• The Globe and Mail — Toronto couple win wife-carrying competition
• Wife-carrying competition in the UK
• US wife-carrying final