Man’s fascination with sports and games dates back to ancient times, with sports historians stating that there is evidence of sports between 3000 – 1500 B.C. The love for games can also be proved by the very existence of The Olympic Games.

For centuries people found it fun and exciting not only to participate in these events but also to try and predict the game outcomes. This is also how gambling has become so popular and why many people find it enticing to try their luck and bet on their favorite sport. From traditional casino games, made only with this idea in mind, to conventional sports bets, everything has some ancient roots that can be traced down.

But not all sports are ancient, some of them only counting a few centuries of existence. Forget football, baseball, and basketball; the world is full of other crazy sports you didn’t know existed.

Some of these sports include:

Lawn Mower Racing

You know the work of the lawn mower. But can you imagine racing on one? This race is a motorsport one, where racers modify their land mowers by taking out the dangerous blades and then proceed to race their machines using only the remaining engine.

The first race took place in 1963, and since then, Twelve Mile Indiana made a tradition out of this event, hosting it every 4th of July. Thirty-three drivers organized in teams of 3 people, a pit crew, a driver, and a lap judge, compete on the 15-mile track covering 60 miles. To qualify, you must complete one requirement: make sure your lawn mower can hit at least 30 miles per hour. New Mexico, Missouri, and North Carolina also hold the Lawn Mower race. This unusual race is currently held in Australia and UK under the usual regulations of a regular race.

Toe Wrestling

Everybody participated in or watched at least one match of arm wrestling. But did you know that other body parts can also wrestle? Here comes the toe wrestling competition. In this sport, the goal is to pin your opponent down by only using your feet, more precisely, by locking them. The game was started in the U.K. in 1974 by a group of drinking buddies.

They later introduced the game to the world, where Mick Dawson, one of the founders, won the first world-toe wrestling championship. Since then, the World Toe Wrestling Championship has become an annual event.

Chess Boxing

The name sounds confusing, but it perfectly describes this game's essence. Here we combine two unrelated games, chess, and boxing. The two competitors in one round square it out against each other in eleven rounds that alternate between chess and boxing. A win is by checkmate or knockout.

Cheese Rolling

This is a crazy and dangerous sport but still famous in England. During the spring, people assemble in Gloucestershire for a race down a hill for the sole purpose of chasing after a wheel of cheese previously thrown from the top of the hill. The unique competition first occurred in 1826, and since then, it has amused the people from Gloucestershire (and not only) each year.

Participants race for 200-yards chasing a wheel of cheese down a hill. The cheese wheel must not weigh more than eight pounds so it can roll down the hill without trouble. The competition starts one second later after the cheese is thrown. The first person to reach the bottom of the hill wins the cheese wheel.

Unfortunately, official sponsors stopped funding the event due to safety concerns, but participants and spectators still joined the competition from all over the world at their own risk each year.

Wife Carrying

Yes, you read it right. In Sonkajarvi, Finland, men run on an obstacle-filled track with their wives on their backs. Some opt for fireman’s carry, others go for piggyback, and others use the Estonia style, where the lady wraps around the man’s waist from the back while straddling the man.

Finland was the first to make a tradition out of this competition since its debut in 1992, each year offering to the lucky winner a prize consisting of beer equal to his wife’s weight. Today, the contest has become a worldwide loved sport held in the US, Sweden, Hong Kong, India, Latvia, Estonia, the United Kingdom, and Germany.

Competitive Eating

We all eat to satisfy our hunger. What about eating to win a prize? This is a sport for the select few who can eat so much of a particular food within a few minutes. At Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest held every July in Coney Islands, New York, Joey Chestnut once devoured 69 hot dogs in a record 10 minutes.

Other world-eating champions include Miki Sudo, Matt Stonie, Eric “Badlands” Booker, and Geoffrey Esper. The competitive eating regulatory body, Major League Eating, organizes about 70 eating events annually where big food brands sponsor the events.

To become an eating champion, you must train, practice, and watch what you eat.

Freediving

Some sports are risky, but others, like freediving, are riskier. The key to success in this game is the ability to hold your breath for a crazy period of time. Some freediving stars have held their breath for more than 10 minutes.

A buddy monitors all approved competitors, but this does not guarantee their safety. One tragic instance was when Nicholas Mevoli from New York died during the tournament in 2013.

Can you stake money and bet on these odd sports?

The latest data provided by casinobonusca.com shows us that bets are possible and are growing by the year. The total sums staked on such events has doubled in the last couple of years. It is projected to grow as these sports gain popularity and become more mainstream.

Photo source: freepik.com