Trugo

The sport of trugo is one that has roots in the working class history of Australia. All members of the family can participate in the game. The rules are simple to understand, and the game itself is relatively easy and much fun. Some think that the game resembles both lawn bowls and croquet, being a cross of both.

 

A typical day of trugo is truly a family event. It involves all members of the family. Some trugo day celebrations give prizes for the winners of the game, as well as winners of the “most ridiculously dressed” participants.  Trugo lessons can be had for a fee, and BBQ luncheons of veggie burgers, sausages, salads, breads, cakes, and beverages (soft drinks) are everywhere. Some allow you to bring your own beers and wines.

 

In the 1920’s, railway workers in Melbourne, Australia began to play a rather different game. Perhaps they were bored and simply entertaining themselves on dinner break. The original railway workers used buffers, made of rubber found on train carriages, and mallets. The mallets were those used by workers to drive in the spikes along the railway tracks. The game is only played in Victoria, and few outside that geographic area have even heard about it.

 

Trugo is played on a green, similar to that used in croquet or lawn bowls. The field itself is 27 metres for the men and 21 metres for the women. To score points, one must strike a ring of rubber through goal posts with a mallet. The play begins with a contestant standing upon a mat of rubber with back to the goal. The player’s feet are placed in a wide stance, so the mallet can be swung without hitting the legs. Women players have a different technique, a bit more ladylike, if you will. They use a GoTru style strike in which they hit the wheel from the side, instead of between their legs. The mallet is quite short and is used to strike the “wheel” and send it toward the goal line. When the wheel passes the intended goal line, an opposing player collects it into a bag of canvas on a pole to be sure it is out of play.

 

The initial competitor strikes four wheels, then they exchange places. The opposing player now takes four strikes attempting to send the wheels over the goal line, whilst the opponent collects his/her wheels in a canvas bag.  Each athlete gets 12 chances at each end of the field to send wheels across the opposite goal line for a total of 24 chances in each match for each player. The team or the individual with the most points at the end of the game wins.

 

Trugo is an exclusively Australian sport, combining the sports of lawn bowls, croquet, and the chore of woodcutting. It is played primarily in Melbourne on Thursdays and Saturdays. The official trugo season occurs between the months of August and April. Though this game will see the one full century mark, there doesn’t seem to be a surge of trugo play catching on throughout other areas, not even in other regions of Australia. It’s an easy game. Seems relaxing. Give it a try.

Senegalese Wrestling

One unusual form of wrestling match is that which is played by West Africans. The more traditional version is known as Lutte Traditionnalle. The unusual twist on the traditional is known as Lutte Traditionnalle avec frappe, or Senegalese Wrestling.  The biggest difference between the two is that in the Senegalese version, the wrestlers are allowed to use their hands to hit the opponent.

 

In historical times, young men in the villages of Senegal would wrestle and fight in order to attract females for wives, show their manliness, or to settle disputes and bring the honour of the win to the village in which they resided. It has evolved over the years to hold business status among fight promoters. The athletes are given prizes and the matches are arranged by the promoters. It is still considered a measure of strength and athleticism among the men.

 

The training of the wrestlers is difficult. It involves both physical and mental strength training. The physical training requires them to perform a great many exercises each day. Press-ups are an essential routine for developing arm and upper body strength. The other more mental aspect of their training is a bit unusual. The Senegalese believe that they must perform rituals of black magic to give them the edge of better luck than their opponent. One ritual is the foot of the competitor being rubbed along a stone or rock. Most wrestlers also rub oils or lotions on their bodies before a match to create better good luck. 

 

The wrestlers enter the ring in historic loincloths and their arms and waists are adorned with charms, known as “gris-gris”.  Even though the sport has become increasingly commercial in nature, the ancient mystical traditions still prevail right at ringside. Magic is performed and praise singers (griots), support staff to the wrestlers, and bodyguards create a great deal of “hoopla” prior to each match. The pre-match rituals can be quite involved and dramatic and last as long as two full hours. A  common course of ritual preparation might include the digging up of a piece of ground, pouring ritual concoctions of liquids over the contestant, musicians playing tom-toms (drums), and the wrestlers leading their entourages to the ringside by dancing to the rhythms of the drums.

 

The modern version of the sport has seen a great deal of change and professionalism, a far cry from the early days of wrestling with no referee. Today there are several umpires wearing professional uniforms and judges that sit ringside in a panel. Body punching is now allowed, making this the unusual form of wrestling that it is.

 

This year in April, 2008, a documentary was created by the BBC profiling this sport played with British, American, and Senegalese young men in boot camp. The sport, also known as Laamb, appeared in the English film “Wrestling Grounds”. The Wolof’s word meaning “fight” is laamb.

 

As a spectator sport, Senegalese Wrestling has become increasingly popular since 1950 in Africa. Celebrity status has been given to the champions of these events. The famous American Heavyweight Champion Boxer, Mike Tyson, is now a celebrity champion of this Senegalese sport.

Redneck Games

There’s a new Olympic-style competition going on in the USA. It’s called the Redneck Games. This set of competitions is good-natured fun and includes such games as cigarette flipping, dumpster diving, hub-cap hurling, mud pit belly flop, and toilet seat throwing.  The Games were begun in the town of Dublin, Georgia, USA when the real International Olympic Games were to be held in Atlanta in 1996.  Local radio station manager Mac Davis started the Redneck Games in order to create a response to media comments about “rednecks” holding the 1996 Olympic Games. Apparently he wanted to spoof the comments and create a real set of games with a redneck theme.  Instead of gold medals, the winners receive the coveted half-crushed mounted beer can award.

 

The games are now held every July in Dublin, Georgia, a town of

approximately 2500 people, and they receive over 10,000 visitors to their town just to attend the annual games. In the first few years, the little town expected approximately 500 attendees. The real visitor count was overwhelming. Visitors come from literally all over the world. The Redneck Games have had major television coverage as well from Maury Povich, Fox TV, Good Morning America, and Real World.

 

The official mascot of the Games is a man that goes by the name of “L-Bow”. He personifies the look of what the games are about. Wearing dirty overalls, a stinky shirt, and shoes that have seen better days, L-Bow is the toothless wonder that carries the biggest responsibility and the greatest honour. He is the Redneck Games torch bearer. Before the games can begin, L-Bow carries the beer can aluminium propane torch onto the game field, followed by the participating athletes, and the official BBQ is lit. 

 

The games played are not your typical Olympic type sports. They are all a combination of local gifts and talents exhibited by the local rednecks and other participants from miles around. The games are absolutely a “hoot” to watch. The mud pit belly flop is a dive, well, truly a belly flop, from a bar surrounding a shallow pond filled with mud. Best belly flop wins. Maybe the bobbing for pig’s trotters (bobbing for pig’s feet) would be more to your liking. The contestants are, with no hands allowed, to reach into a bucket and retrieve the pig’s feet. Sounds yummy! Or perhaps your favourite event would be the proverbial wet t-shirt contest. For those of you who aren’t familiar with that event, popular in many festival atmospheres, that’s where the girls parade in front of the crowd, their t-shirts are soaking wet and, well, use your imagination here… perkiest participant wins.

 

These are just down home folks having a good old time with lots of camaraderie, good BBQ food, and of course, beer. There’s a great deal of smiles and laughter going on, too. Some politically correct groups are intent on spoiling their fun, however. They don’t really have much of a sense of humour and believe that the fun is degrading and derogatory. Everybody’s entitled to their opinion. Ask the 10,000 that come for the fun and to leave their daily grind behind for a few days.

Rattlesnake Sacking

And you thought lion tamers were crazy! The American sport of Rattlesnake Sacking is real. We’re not kidding here. These guys are serious about their competitions. There are local competitions to determine who will go on to the regionals, then the state finals, and finally the biggest competition of all, the National Rattlesnake Sacking Championships.

 

Here’s the object of this seemingly silly and dangerous sport. The competitors must “sack” 10 live rattlesnakes in the least amount of time. The snakes are large and live. They still have all their poison and they still have their fangs for injecting the poison into their victims.

 

The sport requires two team-mates. One team-mate is called the Catcher.  His only tool is a pinner – a long rod, preferably 24 inches long or longer with a hook at the snake end and a good handle at the Catcher end. The other team-mate is called the Sacker. He holds open a large canvas bag into which the snakes are deposited by the Catcher. The Sacker has a very tricky job of holding the bag open in a good position for the Catcher to drop the snakes into, but at the same time he must avoid, at all costs, being bitten by one of the angry and uncooperative snakes. The other very important job belonging to the Sacker is to keep the snakes already caught in the sack from escaping or biting him when he opens the bag.

 

A rattlesnake bite contains a great deal of poisonous venom and can make one seriously ill or, at worst, cause a very painful death. The Sacker must avoid being bitten by these venomous creatures, not only because it could kill him, but because there is also a 5-second penalty issued by the judges if one is bitten. If one is bitten it seems the 5-second penalty would be the least of his worries!

 

The arena resembles a boxing or wrestling ring, but the four sides are enclosed in glass or Plexiglas. This arrangement allows the audience to clearly see the action without fear of harm from a snake seeking revenge on the surrounding humans.

 

When each team begins a round, they enter the arena with their tools, the pinner and the canvas sack. Ten live, large and venomous snakes, fangs still intact, are set into the ring on the floor. Their natural position when frightened or threatened is wrapped into a coil like a spring, ready to bounce up and strike at the impending threat.  The judges take their places at various vantage points to observe that the rules are followed and to keep official time.

 

The moves that are not allowed are definitely an advantage to the snakes. The judges watch for the contestants to scoop the snakes into the sack instead of pinning the snake and then placing it into the sack. Scooping is not allowed. The snake must be firmly pinned with the pinner before being sacked, and it doesn’t count as a sack if the snake isn’t pinned prior to sack placement. Any harm to the snake disqualifies the team immediately from that round.

Paragliding

Some would say that as long as one’s feet are on perfectly good ground, there would be no valid reason to leave it. And then there are some that say that’s just not exciting enough an existence! Para gliders would fit the latter category – and set about removing their feet from terra firma at every possible opportunity.

 

Paragliding is a practice that requires a great deal of courage and the desire to feel as though one is flying like a bird. No motors involved, the participants are simply floating through the air unassisted by any mechanical device. The sail keeps them aloft and allows them to gently float back to earth. The athlete is known as a pilot. The pilot, once airborne, sits in a sling-type harness suspended below the sail and, quite literally, flies as far and as long as he or she can.

 

In the 1950’s Walter Neumark wrote an article in the then popular magazine “Flight” that with the new developments in parachute design, someday a man would be able to self-launch and propel himself into the air by running off of a cliff. A few years later his prediction became a reality. The parachutes the pioneering para gliders used were constructed of a double-layered fabric with vented sides and rear, so that the air could be caught between the layers and adjusted in a manner that allowed them to catch air pockets for lift, as well as control their descents.

 

There are a number of ways to launch a paraglider. One of these ways is called a reverse launch. In this action, the pilot is facing the wing and holding the cords with both hands. Then, much like launching a kite, he can pull the wing to achieve motion, and as the wing ascends, he follows. This method reminds me of attempting to fly a kite, but with myself at the end of the cord, and the kite would be large enough to take me off the ground. I am not certain that it is something I am going to be trying out any time soon!

 

Some pilots use a method in which they are towed by a vehicle. Once the pilot is at the desired height, he releases the tow cord and frees himself and his wing from the towing vehicle. This can be very dangerous, and is actually illegal in some places. It takes a great deal of special training.

 

The landing is achieved by decreasing altitude at the same time you are finding a mild headwind to go into. Your legs need to be in motion, as you may have to run a bit before coming to a stop.

 

Competitive paragliding is done in leagues or teams of pilots. Some enter into stunt competitions and compete for points based on the stunts performed.  The wings used in competitions are a bit different from recreational gliders. The competition wings are designed with high-performance in mind. The competitive side of paragliding is practiced by a select few.

Ostrich Racing

The unusual and unlikely sport of ostrich racing began in 1989 in Northern Africa and Arabia. The very large and very awkward flightless birds are saddled and ridden in a race similar to what we would commonly know as horse racing. It is not a popular sport, as ostriches can be quite mean and uncooperative. This is especially true when one attempts to put a saddle on them, mount them, and then attempt to actually ride them like a horse. Most horses don’t mind being ridden, as that is their job in life. They seem to enjoy the attention. The ostrich, however, baulks loudly at the very idea, making it extraordinarily difficult to gain their cooperation. Ostrich racing jockeys certainly have their hands full.

 

The saddles used are specially designed for the shape of the bird, and fit them as snugly as a horse saddle fits a horse. The rider, or jockey, uses reins connected to a bit placed in the mouth of the ostrich to “steer” the bird and to control its actions while it is running along the track.

 

I would suppose that the initial reason for humans attempting to harness these beasts and race them is their sheer speed factor. A fully grown ostrich can run in excess of 74 kilometres per hour with ease and can keep running at that speed for as long as thirty minutes. Running is their defence mechanism. They naturally run when frightened. Each of these birds can weigh anywhere from one hundred and fifty to well over three hundred pounds. The ostrich leg muscles are huge and the legs are much larger in proportion than other parts of their bodies. On each foot, there are two large toes. They are between six and eight feet tall. It is the fastest running bird on land in the world. 

 

At the present time, Czech Republic and Slovakia raise ostriches specifically for the purpose of racing them. Horse racing has been popular in those countries, but for unknown reasons, ostrich racing is far surpassing horse racing as one of their most popular spectator sports. Perhaps the contrast of the bird’s awkwardness in comparison to the speed when they run is the point of fascination. Like racehorses, racing ostriches are specially bred and then raised in the racetrack environment so that it becomes as natural as is possible for the birds to adapt to their racing lives.

 

South Africa, Australia, and some countries in North and South America enjoy these races either as an attraction at a festival just for fun, or as an actual regular event. In America, for example, ostrich racing can be found at a number of county fairs or festivals as a crowd-pleasing form of fun entertainment. In Columbia, South America, one can pay a fee to ride an ostrich in a race at an extreme sports resort.  It’s not likely that this sport will gain popularity any time soon. Foe one thing, the ostriches just don’t seem to want to cooperate!

Lumberjack Competitions

Professional and amateur lumberjacks alike participate in some of the oldest competitions known in North America. They chainsaw, chop, climb, and saw their way to prizes and new equipment. The competitors travel about on a circuit of different towns where the contests are held. Points can be won at any town on the circuit throughout the season and the finals are held for the winners of the smaller contests.

 

There’s axe throwing, overhand chopping, chainsaw events, greased pole climb, and more. The best way to get a start if you are interested is to be located near a logging area, or an area where there are already people who compete in these events. Most folks that compete would be happy to help you get started. You could start with the more simple events like overhand chop, or axe throwing. Then you might progress to the more complex chainsaw wielding events.

 

The hot saw competition is probably the most popular event at the games. The contestants saw three sections of log, also known as biscuits, off the end of a preset log. The cuts must be in order as follows: downward cut, upward cut, then downward cut. The fastest time gets the big prize. The chainsaws used have no limit to the modifications that can be made to hop up their performance, making this competition most exciting. The lumberjacks competing make a good game of keeping their modifications secret before the actual competition, much like a race car driver would keep his modifications to himself. The competition is fierce, but still good natured fun.

 

Axe throwing is the contest that requires great accuracy and consistent throwing ability. A long handled double-sided axe in thrown, usually from overhead, to a target resembling an archery target. The bull’s-eye gets the most points. The log sawing contests are competed in by teams of two – two men, Jack and Jack, a man and woman, Jack and Jill, or two women, Jill and Jill. A preset log must be sawn in the quickest amount of time with no hanging bark or wood in order to win. The log is sawn with the team-mates pushing and pulling in perfect time with each other in order for the most efficient time.

 

The equipment is minimal for the axe events. A practice axe and a special axe saved for competition would be all you’d need. A good set of shin guards and toe guards would be something you’ll want as well. For the chainsaw competitions, the price will not be so simple. You’ll need a saw for practice, and another prime saw for the competition. Competition saws cost around 500 pounds.

 

It would seem that lumberjacks are a tough lot and that you would need to possess the same raw qualities. Not necessarily true! Technique can be learned and perfected that will get you a win at a competition. Practice, practice, practice makes perfect. Lumberjack contests are held primarily in the United States and some in Canada. You need the desire, some equipment, and the gumption to compete. That’s it. You don’t need to be an actual lumberjack.

Kabaddi

Although different forms of this game have different names, the most common name for the original form is kabaddi. It is a popular game played primarily in India, but is now also played in Japan, South-east Asia, and Iran to name a few. It is considered the state game of Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh of India and is the national game of Bangladesh. It has an unusual purpose for the British Army. The servicemen play the game for entertainment, but they also use it as an attempt to recruit new members from the Asian British territories.

 

The game is played in a number of variations, but the original game is played by teams of seven, one team on each side of the playing arena. Each team also has an additional five players to use if necessary. The field is approximately ten by twelve metres in size, and resembles a very large and colourful wrestling mat.  The play goes on for twenty minutes, then a half-time break of five minutes, then the final half of twenty minutes is played.

 

The defending team forms a chain, which should not be broken by the “raider” from the opposing team. The defenders can link their hands together firmly in order that their chain not be broken. Each team takes a turn sending a “raider” to the other side in an attempt to wrestle a member or members of the opposing team until they are tagged, and return to his own side, all this taking place before he takes a breath! If the raider breathes before returning to his own side, he is out and must leave the playing field. He can also be considered out if he goes outside the boundary or he touches the ground with his body parts, unless he is engaged in a wrestle. The defending team earns one point when the opposing player is called out. The team scoring the most points throughout the game is the winner.

 

The teams are chosen for matches according to size and also age. The officials present at official matches number six in total. Two umpires, one referee, one scorekeeper, and two assistant scorekeepers.

 

This game has a rather long history. It is known to have been played in the pre-historic eras, but may have been more of a defence or offence strategy than an actual game. Stories of old tell of situations that occurred when, for example, the heir to the Pandava throne was surrounded by enemies. Other stories are told by Buddhists of Gautama Buddha in a match of kabaddi. 

 

The 1936 Olympic Games held in Berlin, Germany held a demonstration game of kabaddi for future Olympic Committee consideration as an addition to the Olympic Games schedule. The Amateur Foundation for Kabaddi in India was formed in the year 1973. Both men and women play this game to date, and it appears that it is and has been quite popular since possibly the beginning of time as we know it.

Ice Boating

Ice boats are basically built upon the same concept as their original cousin, the sail boat. Ice boats are especially designed to travel on frozen lakes, instead of water. The boat is similar in design, but has runners, or skis, attached to the bottom. The racing version ice boat is designed for one person, but boats are also made for two if desired. The boats are approximately 15 metres in length.

 

Also known as ice yachting, this sport is commonly practised in North American lake areas where temperatures which are well below freezing for long periods of time are the norm. Therefore, the participants can be almost certain that the likelihood of participating in their hobby each winter is good.

 

Ice boats have been used for nearly 100 years. In the 1800’s the boats were more “chunky” in design and carried several people. They could be used on both the frozen water and on the lake when it was completely liquid. At that time, the boats were used for fishing, ice fishing, and transportation. The 1930’s saw a different breed of ice boat. This newer type boat was redesigned to be faster, smaller, and more efficient. In the 1970’s, another development improved the speed and efficiency when boat builders began to make them from fibreglass. The newer design allows for speeds up to 72 kilometres per hour and the highest speed recorded thus far is 100 kilometres per hour. There is a local folklore story of an unconfirmed speed record achieved in 1930’s that supposedly clocked an older style boat at 230 kilometres per hour. That boat is currently being restored.

 

Ice boats are not readily available for sale by manufacturers. Most of them are hand built by the sailors who wish to participate in the sport and want to build their own boat to their own design specifications. The boats are built individually, but they must meet certain classification specifics when they participate in regattas.

 

The fastest ice boats today are the class known as “E Skeeters”. Some of the Skeeters have mast heights of as much as 9 metres and their cockpits are enclosed. The sails on the “E” boats are approximately 6.7 square metres. Parts of the sails and the wing-mast are not measured in this class.

 

There is a possibility that ice boating will be a Winter Olympic sport. There is a rumour that in the year 2014 it will be demonstrated as a potential addition to the future Olympic programme. The regattas held currently are only held in the “ice belt” region of 40 -50 degrees latitude where the ice becomes safe enough year after year to conduct the races. These areas include around the American Great Lakes, the upstate lakes in New York, and several lakes in the Western USA to name a few. The cold temperatures are consistent enough to create a thick layer of ice before the annual snowfalls begin. When snow falls, the racers will usually find a different area to sail, as once it snows, they must wait. After the full melting of the snow the ice freezing process must begin anew. The favourite of ice boaters is called “black ice”. This occurs on occasion when there is no wind to white cap the water as it freezes, and the ice freezes into a perfect smooth state.

Frozen Waterfall Climbing

Most people today are at least familiar with the concept of climbing – rock climbing that is. But not many are familiar with the unusual and unusually demanding sport of ice climbing on frozen waterfalls. This is actually a team sport. One should not or cannot do it alone.

 

The team consists of two climbers. One goes ahead, leading the climb by pulling up with two ice axes, one in each hand. The axes are not built like a common broad bladed axe, but with sharp points that dig into the ice and hold on. Thus the climber can us the axe as if it were a handhold as in rock climbing. The feet are held into the ice by the use of sharp crampons, a type of spiky metal piece that is strapped firmly onto the front of the climber’s boots. Once the climber digs in, those spikes tend to hold their position until the foot is removed to be placed in another position. The lead inserts rope anchors along the way, and is climbing along with the rope, which he/she places into the anchors as he goes along, climbing higher and higher until reaching the desired position.

 

The lead job is risky, as the fall that could be taken is double the distance from placed anchor to placed anchor. In other words, if the lead is placing anchors 8 feet apart, and falls as he or she is placing the next anchor, the fall will be a full 16 feet, at which point a “shock load” will occur on the rope, the anchors, and worst of all, the harness of the falling climber. Many people who participate in climbing activities say that the climbing of a frozen waterfall is the most dangerous climbing of all. As if climbing anything isn’t dangerous to begin with!

 

Ice is less predictable than rock is for climbing. A sharp piece of falling ice can slice through you. The whole waterfall, or the part of it that you happen to be on, can suddenly let go and break off from the main piece and down goes your climbing party, crashing to the bottom. The typical ice climber carries ice axe, ice screws, and has usually twenty-five to thirty very sharp pointed spikes attached at all times. It then becomes essential to keep track of your pointy bits at all times, therefore avoiding a spike through your climbing partner’s arm or worse. Any climber interested in learning this challenging sport should be certain to learn first from a certified professional guide in order to learn proper techniques and skills.

 

Waterfall ice climbing has become popular in areas of the American Pacific Northwest throughout the Cascade Mountains. Very large waterfalls freeze with regularity each winter. It has since gained popularity in other areas such as the mountains of Montana and Canada’s Rockies in Alberta.

 

Ice climbing is no sport for the timid. It’s cold, scary, physically next to impossible, and the rewards are out of this world. There’s nothing like it.