The writing prompts invite postcrossers to write about a different topic on their postcards’ messages every month. These are just suggestions though — if you already know what you want to write about, or the recipient gives you some pointers, that’s great too!
It’s currently the season for international rugby in this hemisphere, and my preferred team (if you’ve been reading my writing prompts each month, you can probably guess which team) have so far lost every match of the Six Nations tournament. Unsurprisingly, then, my thoughts are drifting to other sports… preferably ones with lower stakes. Yep! This month’s writing prompt is about sport—about the kind of sport that might be unfamiliar to people from outside your own country, to be specific!
I grew up in Yorkshire, specifically in Wakefield, and quite near to the specific area called Gawthorpe. So quite regularly—every day once I was catching the school bus—I’d go past a local sign about the… World Coal Carrying Championships?! I just took this for granted as a kid: I knew the area had a history of coal mines, with the National Coal Mining Museum close by, so that all seemed pretty unsurprising, somehow.
Going past the sign again recently, though, I had to stop to wonder. Just how big could such a championship really be?! Looking at the previous winners now, most are from the local area, though I do spot a winner from Scotland in 2015. Looks like calling it a “World” championship might be a bit of an exaggeration, but hey, if you’re interested in a coal-carrying race, then I think sign-ups for 2024's event are still open—maybe you could make it one?!
For my part, I think I’ll pass… Carrying ten or so postcards to the postbox at once is enough exercise for me.
Do you know of any weird and wonderful sports in your own area? If you’re stuck for something to write about on your postcards this month, you can tell your recipients all about it—or you can comment here if you’d like to share!
26 comments so far
A Postcrosser from Wales told me about Bog Snorkeling and its associated stamp. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bog_snorkelling
It's always unusual when it's a "World Championship" with 4 or 6 nations out of the 200+ nations, participating.
Roller Derby is popular in texas - basically women on roller skates race around a track scoring points by passing the opposing team - its a full contact sport so loud and raucous - its quite entertaining.
In Montana, there is an unusual sport of skijoring behind a horse with jumps etc. Here is a link to a video.
https://youtu.be/TpkDf_Ck6Yo
Log rolling is a tradition found both here in Canada and the northern United States. I think log rolling with crows may be unique to Canada, though ;)
https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.6075717
In Québec City we like to do ice canoe, an old sport which was born hundred years ago when there was no bridge between the north and the south shore of the St-Laurent. There are several competitions during winter time and the most famous is during the Carnaval.
Now everyone can experiment it with this company ! https://canotaglaceexperience.ca/en/
I've heard of a "Wife carrying contest" and in Norway we have a national contest of spitting cherrystones (morellsteinspytting, for those interested) 🤣🤣
Quadball! It used to be called "quidditch" but as a real sport it's evolved past its literary roots. Check it out.... it's a fast paced sport and all genders participate! https://www.usquadball.org
Definitely wife carrying contest in Sonkajärvi Eastern Finland! But the carried participant doesn't need to be your wife. ;) Although we Finns don't excel at football, we have annual swamp football World Championships. Finland is also known for a mobile phone throwing contest (unfortunately on hold).
I grew up in the southern U.S., where there is a competition called "noodling" - that is, catching large (25kg+) catfish without bait or the use of fishing equipment, but rather by putting your arm into a likely crevice under the water and hoping they'll bite on to you so you can pull them out of the water. There is a global competition for catching the largest fish. I know this isn't exactly a "sport," but you do have to be very strong to do it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noodling
Born in The Netherlands, moving to Canada and learning about the National Sport of Canada "Lacrosse" was new for me.
For me, it was unusual!
The Chinese folk game "shuttlecock" is to kick a weighted object, usually adorned with feathers, with the goal of keeping it off the ground. It can be played alone or with others, similar to badminton, but without the use of rackets, instead using feet and other parts of the body. During my noon break, I see groups of people playing this game together. I'm not good at it. I jog before lunch, or go to the gym to train my muscles 4 times a week.
Hobby Horsing. Originally from Finland, it has also become very popular in Germany in recent years. It's equestrian sport, but with hobby horses. There are clubs and tournaments in dressage and show jumping.
I don’t know much about sports unusual or otherwise, but I want to take this opportunity to report that tomorrow (2/29) I will be mailing my 29th person a 2024 calendar full of comments on special days we’ve shared throughout previous years after having mailed 28 postcards to someone every day. Two of them were through postcrossing. I’m mighty proud of all of you who have done the same and for those who didn’t there’s always next year or even next month. I love my POSTCROSSING!😘
You could go to Manchester and enter the World Black Pudding Throwing Championships. I am not sure any explanations will help this one make any sense
When I was a teenager, I remember going to a fund raising event featuring something called Donkey Basketball. The game is played just like regular basketball, but all of the participants ride donkeys. Because donkeys are notorious for being stubborn and not wanting to cooperate with people, this was a funny game. I don't remember who won, but it was lots of fun and raised some money for charity.
There's underwater hockey played in small leagues in some region of Germany. I saw about it on TV, in the framework of a quiz show where professionals in this variation told about it. And IDK the regular match schedules or exact rules, but they said a diving experience must be available. 🌊🏑🏊♀️
St Augustine, FL just had it's first annual Florida Man Games this past Saturday (2/24/2024). Contests in evading the police and a beauty competition of best mullet. May 'Florida Man' never die!
Do you know the sport called Jugger? It's really cool and funny. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jugger
I loved reading the comments - amazing how people will compete in the most peculiar events .... but why not? we all need more fun in our lives. I can only imagine the non-event that donkey basketball would be; I have memories of trying to ride farm donkeys, as a kid. The most unco-operative beasts ever!
Puerto Rico's pigeon park is a childhood right of passage on a family trip to the island's capital: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/parque-de-las-palomas-pigeon-park-puerto-rico Pigeons have made a home in the centuries-old holes left behind in the fort.
We have World Tin Bath racing in the Isle of Man https://www.facebook.com/WorldTinBathsChampionships
Finished the race one year, the next I went for a swim :D
In California, a new game that is gathering lots of participants is, Pickleball. It reminds me of tennis but with a shorter court & a paddle-type racket. People here love it. I want to try it soon. Fun! Why not?
In Finland we have some nice ”local World Championships” in addition to the wife carrying and bog-basketball mentioned above. One heavy weight sport event in Karkkila in Southern Finland is a tennis tournament which is played with iron skillets.
Hello from Münster in Germany, we have local sports here, it's called " Speckbrett", you play it with a racket that looks like a wooden chopping board with holes in it and a small ball. The ground is smaller than a Tennis ground. You can find grounds in nearly every Park here in Münster. We play it since nearly 100 years, and have an own championchip.
What a great blog. The most interesting postbox I visits was in the Galápagos Islands. Post Office Bay google it for an interesting history. But again thank you so much for this blog, I really enjoyed reading about underwater post boxes and offices.
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