The annual Cheese-Rolling competition held on Cooper's Hill in Gloucester, England, is both bizarre and incredibly dangerous! Dozens of contestants wait at the top of the hill with an almost vertical drop in front of them. A large wheel of Double Gloucester cheese is sent rolling down the hill and the contestants chase after it at top speed.

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Cheese-Rolling -

Given the steepness of the hill and the uneven ground, it's inevitable that they tumble and roll their way down, risking serious injuries. The winner is the person who makes it to the bottom of the hill first and snags the cheese. The victor in this photo is lucky to be standing tall with no broken bones!

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Worm Charming Championship -

The Worm Charming Championship is held in Texas and tests who is best at attracting worms. Contestants are assigned a section of grass and have 30 minutes to raise as many worms to the surface as they can.

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Worm Charming Championship -

Common methods to attract the worms include poking the ground with a pitchfork and playing the bongos or another instrument to charm the worms with music. The world record was set by a 10-year-old girl in 2009. She managed to raise 567 worms in 30 minutes.

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Wife-carry competition -

In this Finnish sport, husbands must complete a difficult obstacles course while carrying their wives on their shoulders.

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Wife-carry competition -

If competitors manage to complete the course without themselves or their wives falling over, they win the weight of their wife in beer!

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Rubber duck swimming competition -

This contest takes place in several places around the world and the rules are simple: an aquatic race performed by rubber ducklings with the owner's name on them. The "competitors" are dropped into the river and spectators wait to see which ducky floats through past the finish line first.

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Rubber duck swimming competition -

Some of these races have a charitable side. In Bilbao, Spain, for example, the competition finances research on degenerative diseases.

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Bubble Baba Challenge -

This bizarre sporting event was dreamt up by Dmitry Bulawinov while drunk with his friends. It involves scores of men jumping into a river for a swimming contest, using blow-up dolls as a flotation device.

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Bubble Baba Challenge -

It started in 2003, and soon there were more than a thousand contestants taking part each year in Russia's Vuoksi River. It was temporarily banned due to the safety risks, but they managed to make a comeback! The competition is more popular than ever.

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High heels running race -

Running a race while wearing high-heeled shoes holds obvious challenges and risks. These competitions are popular at Pride festivals around the world, and are sometimes held to celebrate International Women's Day.

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High heels running race - In Taiwan, male competitors run a distance of 50 m (165 ft) in high heels on International Women's Day. The first to cross the finish line is naturally declared the winner.

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World Nettle Eaters Competition -

Participants in this contest compete to eat the largest number of nettles. These wild plants have a bitter taste and tend to sting or cause allergic skin reactions for a lot of people when touched.

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World Nettle Eaters Competition - Anyone who wants to take part in this traditional British event should keep in mind that there are only 65 spots available for willing competitors every year in Marshwood, in Dorset, England.

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Chess boxing -

Chess boxing is a hybrid sport that challenges both the mind and the body. Competitors switch between bouts of boxing and playing rounds of chess.

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Chess boxing -

The idea originally came from a Dutch man who intended it to be used as a form of performance art, but it was picked up and became a real televised sport with commentators and ring girls. It's sometimes aired on ESPN!

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Gurning World Championships -

"Gurn" is an English word that means to make an ugly face. Gurning competitions date back centuries in English culture. Contestants traditionally frame their faces with a horse collar and make the ugliest face they can muster!

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Gurning World Championships -

The most notable competition is the World Gurning Championship held each year at the Egremont Crab Fair in Cumbria, England. The championship dates back to 1267, when King Henry III granted the fair a Royal Charter.

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Extreme Ironing -

Competitors in Extreme Ironing send in their submissions for the most extreme places they've ironed their clothes. The organizers describe it as "the latest danger sport that combines the thrills of an extreme outdoor activity with the satisfaction of a well-pressed shirt."

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Extreme Ironing -

Strangely enough, the contest has been held since 1997, and receives submissions from around the world. Some contestants have even ironed while skydiving!

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Baby-crying sumo festival -

This contest is really bizarre. Two sumo wrestlers are handed a baby each and have to try to make their baby cry. The winner is declared depending on which baby sheds a tear first.

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Baby-crying sumo festival -

If the two babies start crying at the same time, the judge will decide the winner based on which baby is crying harder. According to Japanese tradition, the competition serves to ward off evil spirits.

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World Beard and Moustache Championships -

The participants of this competition are divided into 18 categories, ranging from the traditional moustache to the more bizarre styles.

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World Beard and Moustache Championships - The contest is held in a different city each year and attracts thousands of curious participants with all sorts of creative facial hair.

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Air Guitar World Championships -

We've all done a bit of air guitar when a banging tune comes on, but did you know it was a competitive sport? The winner of the contest is whoever delivers the most impressive guitar solo, without a guitar.

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Air Guitar World Championships -

The competition was first held in Finland in 1996, and now occurs all over the world. The organizers say the purpose of the sport is to promote world peace. After all, "You can’t hold a gun while you play the air guitar."

Sources: (Goliath) (Stacker) (Air Guitar World Championships)

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The world's weirdest competitions

Take a look at some of the most unusual contests from around the globe

14/01/22 | StarsInsider

LIFESTYLE Curiosities

People love a good competition, no matter what it is. Whether you're the most convincing air guitarist, you can run incredibly fast in high heels, or happen to be a sumo wrestler with a penchant for making babies cry, there's something out there for you! It's just a matter of finding the right contest to show off your skills.

Trying to understand how these competitions came about will have you feeling very confused, indeed. Click through this gallery to discover some of the most unusual contests from around the world.