December 02, 2007

The Top Ten Obscure Sports in the World.: Everything from surf lifesaving to unicycle hockey.

posted by Ying Yang Mafia to other at 06:30 PM - 17 comments

OK, I know it's big down here and maybe not up there, but Surf Lifesaving is not an obscure sport. It has produced and nourished a number of Olympic medallists in swimming and kayaking. The surf lifesaving flag race, on the other hand, is definitely stupid.

posted by owlhouse at 06:59 PM on December 02, 2007

Brewskee-Ball sounds like fun. Some Skee-ball tables would be a welcome addition in the sports bars in my locale!! Are the Highland games that obscure? Maybe in the U.S. of course, I just thought it would be pretty well known throughout N. Europe/Scandinavia Cool article YYM, neat idea!

posted by BoKnows at 08:43 PM on December 02, 2007

What? No shirling? I've been to a Highland Games weekend, the one at Grandfather Mountain outside of Boone, NC. It was fun and weird.

posted by NoMich at 08:57 PM on December 02, 2007

Highland games rules. So does surf lifesaving. Them's real sports.

posted by lil_brown_bat at 09:32 PM on December 02, 2007

They left out a few of my favorites. Not the least of which would be "Nipsy", a game invented bored/drunk miners betting on who could hit a lump of coal the farthest with a paddle. Leave it to the English. Hey lb bat, owe you an apology over the Sean Taylor comment a few days ago. Guess it was a robbery gone amok. Poor bastard.

posted by Tinman at 01:49 AM on December 03, 2007

Dog racing is an obscure sport? huh.

posted by Fence at 04:17 AM on December 03, 2007

I wanted to take my dog racing once, but couldn't figure out how to make him reach the pedals.

posted by Drood at 05:27 AM on December 03, 2007

I wanted to take my dog racing once, but couldn't figure out how to make him reach the pedals. Thank you folks, Drood will be here all weekend, dont forget to tip your waitress.

posted by Debo270 at 10:28 AM on December 03, 2007

Dog racing obscure? Uh... okay. And also, I know all about surf lifesaving because I used to watch Home and Away (ya flamin' drongo). My favourite obscure sport has got to be kabbadi, a weird Indian version of tag that used to be televised every Sunday afternoon on Channel 4.

posted by afx237vi at 10:43 AM on December 03, 2007

I'll see your kabbadi and raise you a sepak takraw.

posted by lil_brown_bat at 11:38 AM on December 03, 2007

sepak takraw is huge with kids in Thailand - doesn't need much equipment (a net, a little wicker ball) or many players (2-4/side) - fun to watch - bicycle kicks are really popular

posted by kokaku at 01:11 PM on December 03, 2007

Sepak Takraw is also an event in the SE Asian Games, and almost all sports shops in the region carry the equipment. I own a couple of takraw myself.

posted by owlhouse at 03:10 PM on December 03, 2007

How about the Afghan sport of Buzkashi? All you need for equipment is a couple of poles, some horses, and a headless carcass.

posted by Howard_T at 03:24 PM on December 03, 2007

I have always been a fan of extreme ironing. I can't iron clothes at home, let alone on the top of a mountain or in a tree.

posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 05:25 PM on December 03, 2007

No octopush?

posted by kirkaracha at 07:55 PM on December 03, 2007

I saw surf lifesaving sports association shirts and logo-ized goods for sale all over Sydney and Cairns--in Pam Cove, a beach resort nears Cairns, there's even an SLSA lodge/restaurant--but I thought it was the Aussie version of lifeguards, didn't realize it was a sport. Didn't buy the t-shirt, either way.

posted by billsaysthis at 09:20 PM on December 04, 2007

How can you say anything bad about Cribbage? I can't believe Cup Stacking was left off that list or Parkour (freerunning) for that matter.

posted by indigoskye at 08:42 AM on December 05, 2007

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