Wife carrying (eukonkanto in Finnish) is strictly a couples’ sport. Partners traverse a series of three obstacles over a 253.5 meter course; the distance seems to have been arbitrarily chosen. Two of the obstacles are dry (often log barriers, bales of hay, or fences) while the third is wet (and consists of meter-deep water). The track itself, originally composed of rock and now (for the purpose of safety) made of sand, further increases the difficulty of traversing the course.The annual competition and many of its rules are certainly bizarre, perhaps a reflection of their largely undefined origins.
