What's a Wife-Carrying Race?
Well — glad you asked. Here's an example from our videographer, photographer and on-the-spot Lac La Biche POST newsroom reporter Chris McGarry.
The above video is also an example of two carry techniques ... the Piggy-back and the classic Estonian carry. Oh yes, there's an entire glossary of terms and words for this fringe sport. The Lac La Biche Agricultural Society's event at this weekend's Lakeland Country Fair is the only sanctioned Wife-Carrying competition in Canada. Oooooh, isn't that cool?
Organizers were pleased to see the contestants — some skipping the border from Saskatchewan, some from the municipality, and one couple coming all the way from Australia to run the obstacle course and show their strength, agility and 'clingy-ness'. Or ... perhaps they all did it for the prizes — the 'wife's' weight in beer and five times her weight in cash for the overall winning team. Not bad for a Saturday afternoon in Lac La Biche County. Listen to rodeo-slash- wife-carrying race announcer Gary Gross call this next one ... And they're off ....
There actually is — we're telling you because we know you were wondering — a North American Wife-Carrying Race governing body ... based in Maine. Winners from the North American championships that will be held in the American east-coast state in October can enter the world wife-carrying championships in Finland next year.
Googling "wife-carrying race", inquisitive readers will see that the world event is more like a chance for a small Nordic village to have a crazy party weekend ... with some people racing — but overall the "sport" is a global thing with teams and training programs popping up across the globe from Australia to Spain.
The results of the Lac La Biche County races will be available shortly. In the mean time, check out the videos, look at the form, and get yourself ready for next year when the folks at the Lac La Biche Agricultural Society are sure to carry this event back into the summer schedule.
