How to Play Eukonkanto (Wife Carrying)

Eukonkanto - 'wife carrying' - began as a joke that has since taken on a life of its own. Originating in Sonkajärvi, Finland, the story goes that a local brigand only accepted troops who could complete a challenging race course. And because making off with women from nearby villages was a common practice at the time, the course had to be run while carrying a woman.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

1. Find a 'wife.' This may be your own wife, or someone else's. She must, however, be older than seventeen. She must also weigh no less than forty-nine kilos. If she weighs less, she will be laden with extra weight until she reaches the minimum.
2. Develop an obstacle course. This course is traditionally 253.5 meters long, and made up of gravel, sand, and grass. There should be two dry obstacles, and one water obstacle that is one meter deep.
3. Prior to the contest itself, obtain the appropriate insurance.
4. Don the appropriate gear. The carrier is allowed to wear a belt, and the carried wife is required to wear a helmet. Viking helmets are acceptable.
5. Run the course. Contest winners often finish in less than a minute. You are penalized fifteen seconds every time you drop your wife. The winner receives their wife's weight in beer.

Tips & Warnings

• There are a variety of wife-carrying methods available. Some examples include piggyback, the fireman's carry (over the shoulder), and Estonian-style (with the wife hanging upside down, her legs around the man's shoulders, and holding on to his waist).