Have you ever stumbled upon cultural practices that left you feeling terrified or amazed? The Wife-carrying competition, also known as Eukonkanto in Finland, definitely falls under the latter category.
Eukonkanto, or wife-carrying, may seem peculiar, but it’s an actual sport in Finland. Male competitors, usually with their wives as teammates, race to carry their partners through a challenging obstacle course in the quickest time possible.
The World Wife Carrying Championships take place in Sonkajarvi, Finland, where it all began. It’s a widely contested and fiercely competitive event that attracts participants from around the world.
Although there are multiple accounts of the origins of the sport, they share a commonality. As stated by wife-carrying.org, the sport is rooted in the legend of Herkko Rosvo-Ronkainen, also known as “Ronkainen the Robber,” from the 19th century.
In the initial rendition, Ronkainen and his gang were accused of looting food and women from nearby villages, carrying the women on their backs as they fled.
Another retelling claims that the men would travel to neighboring villages to abduct wives from other men, ultimately making them their own.
The third variation of the story suggests that Ronkainen trained his robbers by carrying heavy sacks on their backs, eventually transforming this practice into a sport.
Vytautas Kirkliauskas from Lithuania is shown carrying his wife, Neringa Kirkliauskiene, as they participate in the Wife Carrying World Championships 2018 in Sonkajarvi, Finland in the image by Reuters.
The first modern wife-carrying event took place in 1992 in Finland, followed by the admission of foreign contestants in 1995. It is now celebrated annually as the World Championship in Sonkajärvi, Finland, with a North American championship established in 1999. Despite being a sport that many view as humorous, competitors approach it with great seriousness.
There are different ways of carrying a wife, including the traditional piggyback, the fireman’s carry over the shoulder, and the Estonian-style (wife upside-down on the husband’s back with her legs over his neck and shoulders).
During the competition, wives are carried through a custom-designed course that has two dry obstacles and one water obstacle. Obstacles can range from sand to small fences and an area filled with water (a pool).
As with any serious sport, the International Wife Carrying Competition has established guidelines set forth by the International Wife Carrying Competition Rules Committee. While these rules provide a foundation for all competitions, each individual event may differ in terms of regulations and rewards. Countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Sweden, and Estonia host official qualifying events.
The official track for the race measures 253.5 meters and includes two dry obstacles and a water obstacle that is approximately one meter in depth. Participants do not need to be legally married to the person they are carrying, as their “wife” can be a neighbor or someone they meet during the competition. However, the woman being carried must be at least 17 years of age and weigh a minimum of 49 kilograms. If she weighs less than 49 kg, additional weight is added to a rucksack to ensure the total load meets the minimum weight requirement.
One of the rules of the Wife Carrying Competition is that all participants must have fun. Safety equipment is limited to a belt for the carrier and a helmet for the carried, and each contestant is responsible for their own safety and, if necessary, insurance coverage.
Additional prizes are awarded for the most entertaining couple, the best costume, and the strongest carrier. The ultimate prize is the wife’s weight in beer for the couple who completes the course in the shortest amount of time. Regardless of whether a couple wins or loses, the sport promotes teamwork and camaraderie among participants.