The annual “Wife Carrying Championship” took place in Newry, Maine, drawing multiple teams of contestants who raced through a challenging 275-meter course filled with water, mud, and wooden obstacles, all while carrying one partner on their back. The winners were rewarded with beer and cash prizes.
This unusual competition has its roots in a politically incorrect Finnish tradition. According to reports from the Associated Press, there is a legend dating back to the 19th century in Finland about a man named “Ronkainen the Robber,” who would raid villages and abduct women with his gang. Traditionally, the event involved men carrying women, but in modern times, participants do not have to be married couples, and it doesn’t always have to be a husband carrying his wife.
During the weekend event, many contestants donned eye-catching costumes, while spectators cheered from the sidelines. Some participants employed unique carrying techniques, positioning their “wives” head down from their backs to allow for greater mobility and free use of their arms as they navigated the muddy course. It was not uncommon for contestants to slip and fall multiple times before getting back on their feet to continue.
The victors of this quirky competition received beer and cash rewards — specifically, five times the weight of their “wife” in beer and an equivalent amount in cash. One of the most amusing moments involved placing the “wife” on one end of a scale and counterbalancing it with a barrel of beer to determine weight.
Among the couples participating this year were Wade and his wife from Cuba, New York. Wade shared, “We come here every year. The chances of winning are slim, but everyone cheers each other on, and the atmosphere is fantastic.”
