The most absurd and nuttiest contests all over the world [videos]

We all want to be good at something. Whether it’s scoring a goal in a football game, or making the best apple pie, humans have an innate desire to excel at something–anything–and if possible, show off their skill so the world will know who’s who and what’s what.

Sometimes, it doesn’t really take much to be able to separate yourself from the rest of the pack. Take the Rock Paper Scissors Championships, for example, where contestants shake their fists and battle it out for a generous reward of over US9,000 dollars. Former contestant Bryan Bennett says in the world of Rock Paper Scissors, he enjoys some kind of popularity. In 2006, he won the silver medal for the contest and went home with US1,400 dollars. These days, some people who recognize him occasionally challenge him to a battle of the fists and he’s more than willing to accept them to keep himself sharp, as he sets his eyes on the 9,000 dollar prize.

Eating contests, odd and sometimes gross as they may be, will always have a place in our hearts. Man has set a new record in hotdog eating contests recently, clocking in 68 hotdogs in just 10 minutes.

Other wilder competitions that make eating contests sound tame and organized, is the International Birdman Championship. Here, contestants’ skills are tested to see who can defy gravity the longest as they hurl themselves off a pier in their home-made flying machines.

Not all contests are about the prize money, though, just like the Papa Look Alike contest, where the winner who resembles Ernest Hemingway the best is crowned the winner. There is no cash reward being offered, just prestige. Tom Grizzard’s determination and meticulous attention to detail finally paid off after trying out for the title eight times before; he won the contest back in 2008.

In Finland, the Sauna World Championships tests a person’s endurance, as contestants literally heat up, trying to best each other by lasting the longest in a hellish 230 degree heat.

Some winners in the Rubik’s Cube Championships have garnered worldwide fame, so if you think you have what it takes to solve the cube in the shortest amount of time, then have a go at it.

No skill is too small, no attempt is futile when it comes to crazy contests as what we’re about to enumerate below. It’s all about clean, good fun and of course, being able to say, “Hey, I won!”

SAUNA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Where: Heinola, Finland

The Challenge: Make sure you keep your bottom planted on your seat as contest organizers raise the temperature to 230 degrees. The contest is held annually, usually around August.

The Scene: Finland is home to about five million residents who quite like to steam up. Around 1.7 million misty saunas are being shared by the Finns all over the country. The contest is divided into two categories: men and women.

For the gents, there will be five rounds that are spread out for a period of two days. For the ladies, one whole day is devoted to three rounds. Contestants should be ready to sweat it out and concentrate on keeping their tushies in their seats. If you think that five-minute stint in your nearby spa is enough for you, then maybe you’d be better off as a spectator in this contest. As the minutes tick by, no pore will be left unopened, no sweat gland will be left idle as opponents sit in their seats like steamy dumplings (but we’re guessing they won’t smell as good).

Of course, there are rules here much like in any contest. Challengers are required to follow the proper dress code during the contest, so if you’re entering, please be ready to put on a proper bathing suit. During the competition, each person also has to maintain a good posture, so it may be wise to practice some yoga for your preparation. Relax those muscles, and discipline your body so you won’t have a hard time. At the end, each contestant must be able to properly walk out of the gaming area; and no, it does not count when you’re carried out. Needless to say, you have to be healthy to be able to enter the contest; another requirement is a note from your doctor attesting that you are fit enough to participate.

PAPA LOOK ALIKE CONTEST

Where: Key West, Florida, USA

The Challenge: Grow your beard and trim your moustache to be crowned “Papa” in this Ernest Hemingway look-alike contest. This is an annual contest, usually set in July, around Hemingway’s birthday which is on the 21st.

The Scene: The contest is open to anyone who fancies himself a Hemingway doppelganger. However, you’re more likely to win if you’re a bearded, middle-aged man sporting a healthy paunch. It is held at Sloppy Joe’s, a famous watering hole in Key West. Here, contestants parade around in full costume and facial hair. The winner may not receive a cash reward at the end, but it’s enough for them to get recognition from the judges and their fellow contestants.

According to Tom Grizzard, who took the “Papa” title two years ago in 2008, he often keeps in touch with other Papa Wannabees. The competition or pageant of sorts has made previous contestants familiar and quite close to each other that over the years, had led to some sort of brotherhood among them. Gizzard wowed the judges when he patterned his outfit after Hemingway’s picture on the cover of Life magazine. The wool turtleneck was his key to snatching the title. Eventually, he also went on to win the First Annual International Hemingway Look Alike Contest that was held in Pamplona, Spain.

HANGING HIGH WIRE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Where: Seoul, Korea

The Challenge: Be the fastest to walk the wire at a staggering 80 feet above the ground and take home a whopping US10,000 dollar prize.

The Scene: In Seoul, Korea, the grand prize will go home to the most daring, fastest walker of the pack. This year, a wire with a width of only 1.5 inches and a length of approximately half a mile, is set 80 feet above the Han River. Contestants must brave the heights and keep their bodies steady to be able to make it across. With that, contestants also have to bear in mind that their travel time is also being recorded, so jack had better be nimble and quick. There is also a time limit set by the organizers; contestants must make it to the end of the line by 20 minutes, or their daring feat would be all for naught. After all, you’re going to be up there to win a contest, not to savor the view.

So far, the world record is under eleven minutes. Obviously, people hoping to enter the contest had better not have any fear of heights or suffer from vertigo. You should also submit the appropriate papers to serve as evidence of previous experience in high-wire walking, which the organizers will review, for you to be able to qualify for the contest. For those who are a bit anxious about the contestant’s safety, a medical team is always on stand by in case someone falls off.

ROCK PAPER SCISSORS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Where: Toronto, Canada

The Challenge: Best your opponent in this classic game and be the one to bring home the US10,000 prize.

The Scene: Who says that playing rock paper scissors in the schoolyard for hours and hours each day won’t eventually pay off? In this contest, luck doesn’t play a major role. Instead, you might be surprised at the strategies that contestants apply in order to keep themselves on the top their game. With lots of hours clocked in for practice time, contestants harness the skills that they come to learn and use during the competition. While it’s always good to have lady luck on your side during a competition, practice is still the key to be able to throw out the correct symbol that will either crush, cut, or wrap your opponent.

In Toronto, the championships are held at the Steam Whistle Brewery. Enter this place and you’ll discover that you’ve left the schoolyard and have made it to the big leagues. At the end of the day, it’s all clean, good fun. You don’t need to give someone your lunch money if you happen to be an unfortunate winner; and hey, you can always try out for the next one. There are a number of smaller tournaments being held in different areas, but winning in those tournaments isn’t a requirement to enter the championships. Organizers believe that any person should be given the chance to compete in this sport. Yes, you read it right; in rock paper scissors is indeed a sport. Hmmm, wonder if they’ve heard of Rock Paper Scissors Lizard Spock.

INTERNATIONAL BIRDMAN COMPETITION

Where: International

The Challenge: Be the most magnificent man in a home-made flying machine hurling himself off a pier. The big winner will take home a hefty sum of US50,000 dollars. In the south eastern coast of England, August is usually the time where man and sea meet in a flurry of flapping wings and a spectacular splash.

The Scene: The stage is set–a platform measuring 15 feet long and set 35 feet high above the sea is the place where contestants must run and take flight hopefully longer than 325 feet. Now, this competition needs contestants who have it all; somewhat of a Renaissance man, you might say. First off, you have to possess the guts to fly, regardless of the notion of gravity, or the prospect of a very chilly salty end to your flight. Next, it is imperative for contestants to have a creative mind because this is the key to making and designing an air-worthy flying machine. Of course, a little knowledge on aerodynamics wouldn’t be so bad. It’s not enough to make a “proper” flying machine, oh no. They have to have style, flair, and originality to ensure the audience that you did your part to overcome the laws of physics and common sense; remember, even if you don’t set the record for the longest time in the air, you might end up winning for Best Entertainment.

The competition has two categories: one is open for the experts and is called the da Vinci class, where contenders will be using their very own home-made and independently designed flying machines; the other category is called the Kingfisher class, for contestants who would rather use hang gliders. Although they use hang gliders, the Kingfisher class is never boring because contestants are still encouraged to inject some of their personal style to the gliders, so don’t be surprised to see people donning chicken suits and bright, yellow feathers. Various prizes are given to contestants who spend the longest time in the air, best entertainment, and who measures the furthest distance in their very short flights. So what are you waiting for? Take to the skies and reach for the stars!

TUG FEST

Where: Le Claire, Iowa and Port Byron, Illinois, USA

The Challenge: Be the first to get your opponent’s team submerged in a river in this old fashioned game of tug-of-war. The contest is held every year, during the month of August.

The Scene: Two teams will exercise strength and endurance in this contest, as they pull with all their might on a rope measuring 2,400 feet and weighing a heavy 680 pounds, across the Mississippi River. The game is declared over when one team gets all of its members wet. Each year, the Le Claire team is determined to haul the Port Byron team into the river; the Port Byron team, on the other hand is also equally determined to sink the Le Claire team into the depths of the Mississippi.

You’ll be surprised at the amount of work that goes into the preparation for the big day. Both teams keep their members healthy, strong and working as a unit by holding scheduled practices. But they don’t practice on the game-day rope, which is reserved only for that special occasion once a year. On D-day, contestants are ready and set on winning the eagle sculpture made of alabaster so they can be its proud owners and have it on display the whole year round, until the next competition takes place.

WORLD RUBIK’S CUBE CHAMPIONSHIP

Where: Düsseldorf, Germany

The Challenge: Be the fastest contestant to solve the Rubik’s cube using just one hand, or your feet, or even blindfolded. Hah!

The Scene: Solving a Rubik’s cube in an hour won’t merit you a reward in this serious competition. Players from all around the world gather here to show off their skills in solving the cube. Watch the colors come together on each side as players use only one hand to solve the jumble. Other players who claim they work better with their feet can enter still enter the contest and let their toes do the magic. It doesn’t matter whether you’re wearing socks or not, so long as the cube is solved. No doubt, practice makes perfect in this wonderful, geeky competition. Still, masters of the cube can try out-solve each other by being the fastest in the blindfolded category. The first prize? Over US7,000.

Participants in the championships are based on their performance from previous competitions. Organizers are accepting people trying out for the first time on first-come basis.

ONE FOOT HIGH KICK CONTEST

Where: Fairbanks, Arkansas, USA

The Challenge: Contestants are asked to display their balancing skills by kicking an object with one foot and landing on the floor on the same foot. The catch is that the object is actually suspended in the air. This is part of the Eskimo-Indian Olympics held here in July.

The Scene: The high kick comes from ancient traditions that take their roots in surviving in extreme environments. It was used by hunters to send a message to people in the village that wildlife was near the area, or that an animal has already been caught. Another even that is featured in the Eskimo-Indian Olympics is the Eskimo Stick Pull. This event represents the act of pulling out a seal from very hard and tough, not to mention cold ice. The olympics, which started out in 1961, is always held in Fairbanks, except for one year, when it was held in Anchorage, Alaska.

WIENERSCHNITZEL WIENER NATIONAL RACE

Where: San Diego, California, USA

The Challenge: Cheer on the canine contestants to see who can cross the finish line first.

The Scene: Dachshund racing is fun, exciting, and if you happen to be the dog, quite tiring. However, the winner gets a special place in one of the floats in the Holiday Bowl Parade, so pet owners and dogs alike should get their game face on and win the race. The track has a distance of 50 feet, which can be a bit daunting for someone whose legs measure only two inches. Perhaps that’s why some of them have been reported to practice a lot on a special doggie treadmill.

There are many races held all over the western part of the United States to see which dog has the ability to outrun its competition. If you want to enter your beloved pet in a race, the organizers accept any dachshund. Of course, owners are responsible for their pets, so please keep them healthy and as much as possible, employ good sportsmanship. During the day that the Holiday Bowl is held, the Qualcomm Stadium is opened for the race’s final leg, and audiences will see which cuddly brown contestant will be the fasted on the track.