If competitions such as Oulu’s Air Guitar tournament (www.airguitarworldchampionships.com) or the Ant Hill event (who can sit naked on an ant hill the longest) don’t sate your competitive appetite, fear not, Finland also features world championships in:
Wife Carrying: Inspired by the 19th century practice of stealing wives from neighboring villages. Brave the 253.5m obstacle course, but be careful: a wife dropping infraction leads to a 15sec. penalty (and likely a night on the couch). Prize: Wife’s weight in beer. (www.sonkajarvi.fi.)
Sauna Endurance: Compete on the cusp of death or injury. The temperature starts at a mild 110°C (230°F) and rises every 30 seconds. The winner is the last person sitting upright who can walk out unassisted. Prize: A one week vacation to a different type of sauna: Morocco. (www.saunaheinola.com.)
Mobile Phone Throwing: Finland has the most cell phones per capita in the world. Might as well throw some. Prize: A new phone. (www.savonlinnafestivals.com.)
Mosquito-Killing: Henri Pellonpää is the world record holder, with 21 kills in 5min. in 1995. The government worries that the event will disrupt the balance of nature, but it doesn’t seem like a scarcity of mosquitos will ever be possible in Finland. Squash away. Prize: Mosquitoes will fear you.