Have you recently taken up golf and faced a few frowns from your friends and family? Do they think golf is just not a game they would associate with you or it’s weird just because they haven’t tried it? You’re not alone! And why stop there?
Your friends might find it surprising to learn that heading off to the Mandurah golf club once a week isn’t the strangest pastime you could have chosen. There are actually a whole host of weird sports that people around the world keep themselves busy with!
The World’s Weirdest Ways to Have Fun!
There’s no denying that the world is full of strange people! It’s also no secret that strange people prefer to keep themselves busy with sports and games that complement their different levels of uniqueness.
Keep reading as we dive head-on into the world of strange sports and games from around the world as we see how people outside of Australia enjoy sport!
Kabaddi – South Asia
Kabaddi is a combination of tag, holding your breath and wrestling. This unusual “sport” originated in South Asia, and this is how it works (We’ll list it step by step in case you feel the need to try it!):
- You’ll need two teams of seven players.
- These teams line up on opposite sides of the field and take turns sending a “raider” into the opponents’ part of the field.
- The opponents (or defenders) will link arms to form an unbreakable chain.
- The raider then attempts to tag one of the defenders while they make all efforts to stop him or her from returning to their team.
- By the way, this person-chain should be holding their breaths all this time!
- The raider should also be continuously chanting the word “Kabaddi” all the time, as a type of war cry.
This “sport” is a weird combination of some rugby and wrestling elements while they keep each other from getting tagged and having to return to the opposite side. Confused yet?
Outhouse Racing – Michigan, America
Some of the weirder pastimes in the world are just that: a group of people fooling around to keep themselves entertained while time passes. Leave it to the Americans to turn their weird “sport” into an annual event with trophies and crowds!
Outhouse racing is an annual event that takes place in Michigan with as much fanfare as you can imagine. A short explanation:
- Each team comprises of three members – a rider and two pushers.
- The team needs to guide a “mini-restroom” across a designated finish line.
- The mini-restroom, or outhouse as it’s called, is set up on skis and must include a toilet paper dispenser and you guessed it – a toilet seat!
- Competitors need to reach the finish line first without the whole contraption falling apart.
- To add to the fun, competing teams (yes, enough people are doing this to have “teams”) need to be creative and decorate their mobile outhouses. Their sleds even have names!
Zorbing
We’re not sure where this particular “sport” started, but it seems to “happen” in various places. Zorbing involves strapping yourself into an oversized hamster-type exercise ball. You then roll down a hill and the game aim is to get to the bottom of the hill first. (We imagine reaching the bottom “alive” is also a criteria)
The hamster ball is called a “zorb” and can typically hold one to three people. To add a fun twist to zorbing, some “players” add water inside the ball so that they’re continuously splashed with water!
Bossaball – Belgium
If you have an idea of how to play volleyball, then you’ll be able to understand this interesting “sport” from Belgium. While being similar to volleyball, Bossaball differs in that the ball can be kept in the air with any part of the player’s body. The ball can also be hit up to eight times by each team before it must be sent over the net.
While this doesn’t sound too weird up to this point, that’s all about to change. This sport is played between two teams consisting of three to five players on an inflatable and giant trampoline. The “attacker” stands on the trampoline and uses it to propel into the air to deliver brutal shots.
A point is awarded if the ball hits the ground anywhere other than the trampoline. Should the ball hit the trampoline, three points are awarded to the opposing team!
Octopush
Octopush is commonly known as underwater hockey and is played on the floor of a pool. The aim of this “sport” is to guide a lead puck toward the opponent’s end of the pool, using hockey-type sticks. Players also wear snorkels and must often swim back up to the surface to draw in fresh air.
Unlike regular hockey, octopush is a non-contact sport, but allegedly, just as much fun. We’ll have to take the players’ word for it!
Final Thought
Once you share this article with your friends, they possibly won’t think you’re weird for taking up golf! The good news is, golf isn’t as strange as some of these sports, but it is just as much fun!
Angela Spearman is a journalist at EzineMark who enjoys writing about the latest trending technology and business news.