You've all seen, at least via archive footage, a child straddling a stick and pretending it’s a horse. What we are talking about here is on a completely different level. Hobby horsing is the extension of this, the modern and sportive version. It appeared in Finland about ten years ago and was popularized thanks to the internet. Hobby horsing was at the beginning a self-organization of young girls, most of them with riding experience. These Finnish teenagers got together and gradually structured this practice into a real discipline.

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Why race a boat when you can race a giant pumpkin ! As odd as it may sound, there is indeed a giant pumpkin boat race held every fall on Lake Pesaquid in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Founded in 1999, the race has become a popular event in the region; since 2010 it has welcomed more than ten thousand spectators, both Canadian and American. Indeed, the United States are always fond of things gigantic.

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The height of elitism and absurdity, the Eton Wall Game is a pure product of the English establishment. Played at Eton College, not far from the royal town of Windsor, it is probably the most aristocratic sport in the world. First played in the early 18th century, a match has been held every year since 1766, underlining the weight of tradition. Founded in 1440 by King Henry VI, Eton College is considered the cradle of English royalty, and the world's aristocracy is keen to send their children to this prestigious school.

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Dromedary races are a well-known custom of various countries in the Middle East, especially Saudi Arabia (the single-humped dromedary is also called Arabian camel). But did you know that there were camel jumping competitions? This sport doesn’t involve riding camels and jumping over obstacles, as one would do on horseback: no, it's about jumping over the animals! This discipline is practiced in Yemen, more precisely among the Zaranique tribe at the edge of the Red Sea. The competition starts with a traditional ceremony, where the athletes perform a dance with knives. Then, as in the track & field discipline of the high jump, it is an individual event where the obstacle grows higher and higher until there is only one athlete left.

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Also known as "head tennis", headis is a sport that appeared at German universities in the 2000s. It is simply playing table tennis, but instead of a racket and a ping-pong ball, players use their head and a football ! Indeed, students at the University of Kaiserslauten in particular often played on the available ping-pong tables when the football pitches were occupied. Little by little, emulation created a real competitive spirit in this new discipline...

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After ice hockey and field hockey, here comes underwater hockey ! Although unusual, underwater hockey is not such a recent invention. Also called octopush, the sport was created by the British navy in 1954 ; a winter aquatic activity, made possible by heated swimming pools. The sport was officially recognized in 1978 by the World Confederation of Underwater Activities. Underwater hockey is still played in the pool, just like water polo. It is, to this day, the only team sport played underwater !

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Everyone knows about arm wrestling. Most of you have probably tried it with your friends. But did you know that it has been an official sport for almost 50 years ? The first competitions took place in the United States, but the sport is especially successful in Eastern Europe. Thus, history’s best armwrestlers - the name given to the atheletes of armwrestling - are mainly American, Canadian, Russian and Ukrainian. Today, the World Armwrestling Federation has more than 80 member countries...

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Caber Toss is the discipline of log throwing, popularized in Scotland. Historically speaking, it was originally a technique used to move tree trunks felled by the woodcutters, especially across waterways. Around the 12th century, the caber became a traditional game under the Scottish king Malcolm III. This practice was also used as a training exercise for soldiers or as a recruitment test in several Scottish clans. Nevertheless, from the beginning of the 19th century, the folkloric character took over, and the caber toss found itself at the center of popular festivities...

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