Wife-carrying

Wife carrying (Finnish: eukonkanto or akankanto, Estonian: naisekandmine, Swedish: kärringkånk) is a contest in which male competitors race while each carrying a female partner. The objective is for the male to carry the female through a special obstacle track in the fastest time. The sport was first introduced in 1992 in Sonkajärvi, Finland.

Several types of carrying may be practised: either a classic piggyback, a fireman's carry (over the shoulder), or Estonian-style (wife upside-down on his back with her legs over the neck and shoulders).

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Eukonkanto originated in Finland. Tales have been passed down of a man named Herkko Rosvo-Ronkainen (aka Ronkainen the Robber^[1]). This man was thought to be a robber in the late 1800s who lived in a forest. He supposedly ran around with his gang of thieves causing harm to villagers. From what has been found, there are three ideas as to why/how this sport was invented. Firstly, that Rosvo-Ronkainen and his thieves were accused of stealing food and abducting women from villages in the area he lived in, then carrying these women on their backs as they ran away (hence the "wife" or woman carrying). The second suggestion is that young men would go to neighbouring villages, and abduct women to forcibly marry, often women who were already married. These wives were also carried on the backs of the young men; this was referred to as "the practice of wife stealing". Lastly, is the idea that Rosvo-Ronkainen trained his thieves to be "faster and stronger" by carrying big, heavy sacks on their backs, from which this sport evolved. Though the sport is often considered a joke, competitors take it very seriously, just like any other sport.^[2]

Wife carrying contests have taken place in Australia, the United States, Hong Kong, India, Germany, the UK and other parts of the world besides Finland and nearby Sweden, Estonia and Latvia, and the sport has a category in the Guinness Book of Records.^[3][4][5]

The original course was a rough, rocky terrain with fences and brooks, but it has been altered to suit modern conditions. There is now sand instead of full rocks, fences, and some kind of area filled with water (a pool). These are the following rules set by the International Wife Carrying Competition Rules Committee:

• The most important rule is to have fun when carrying a wife
• The length of the official track is 253.5 metres (832 ft).
• The track has two dry obstacles and a water obstacle about one metre deep.
• The wife to be carried may be your own, or the neighbour's, or you may have found her further afield; the wife must, however, be over 17 years of age.
• The wife is a gender free term that is used over the carried person (Gender rule changed in February 2023)
• The minimum weight of the wife to be carried is 49 kilograms (108 lb). If she weighs less than 49 kg, she will be burdened with a rucksack containing additional weight to bring the total load to be carried up to 49 kg.
• All participants must enjoy themselves.
• The only equipment allowed is a belt worn by the carrier and a helmet worn by the carried.
• The contestants run the race two pairs at a time, so each heat is a contest in itself.
• Each contestant takes care of his/her safety and, if deemed necessary, insurance.
• The contestants have to pay attention to the instructions given by the organizers of the competition.
• There is only one category in the World Championships, and the winner is the couple who completes the course in the shortest time.
• Also, the most entertaining couple, the best costume, and the strongest carrier will be awarded a special prize.

While the International rules are the basis for all competitions, rules and prizes do vary for each competition.

The Wife Carrying World Championships have been held annually in Sonkajärvi, Finland, since 1992 (where the prize is the wife's weight in beer).^[6][7]

The Sonkajärvi Wife Carrying Ltd (Sonkajärven Eukonkanto Oy in Finnish) owns the Trade Mark Wife Carrying (Eukonkanto in Finnish) and has official partners globally who have the right to hold licensed Wife Carrying Competitions.

• 1997 – Jouni Jussila (Finland) and Tiina Jussila (Finland), 65.0 seconds.^[8]
• 1998 – Imre Ambos (Estonia) and Annela Ojaste (Estonia), 69.2 seconds.^[9]
• 1999 – Imre Ambos (Estonia) and Annela Ojaste (Estonia), 64.5 seconds.
• 2000 – Margo Uusorg (Estonia) and Birgit Ulrich (Estonia),^[10] 55.5 seconds.
• 2001 – Margo Uusorg (Estonia) and Birgit Ulrich (Estonia), 55.6 seconds.^[11]
• 2002 – Meelis Tammre (Estonia) and Anne Zillberberg (Estonia), 63.8 seconds.
• 2003 – Margo Uusorg (Estonia) and Egle Soll (Estonia), 60.7 seconds.^[12]
• 2004 – Madis Uusorg (Estonia) and Inga Klauso (Estonia), 65.3 seconds.^[13]
• 2005 – Margo Uusorg (Estonia) and Egle Soll (Estonia), 59.1 seconds.^[14]
• 2006 – Margo Uusorg (Estonia) and Sandra Kullas (Estonia), 56.9 seconds.^[15]
• 2007 – Madis Uusorg (Estonia) and Inga Klauso (Estonia), 61.7 seconds.^[16]
• 2008 – Alar Voogla (Estonia) and Kirsti Viltrop (Estonia), 61.9 seconds.^[17]
• 2009 – Taisto Miettinen (Finland) and Kristiina Haapanen (Finland), 62.0 seconds.^{[citation needed]}
• 2010 – Taisto Miettinen (Finland) and Kristiina Haapanen (Finland), 64.9 seconds.^{[citation needed]}
• 2011 – Taisto Miettinen (Finland) and Kristiina Haapanen (Finland), 60.7 seconds.^[18]
• 2012 – Taisto Miettinen (Finland) and Kristiina Haapanen (Finland), 61.2 seconds.
• 2013 – Taisto Miettinen (Finland) and Kristiina Haapanen (Finland), 65.0 seconds.^[19]
• 2014 – Ville Parviainen (Finland) and Janette Oksman (Finland), 63.7 seconds.
• 2015 – Ville Parviainen (Finland) and Sari Viljanen (Finland), 62.7 seconds.
• 2016 – Dmitry Sagal (Russia) and Anastasia Loginova (Russia), 62.7 seconds.
• 2017 – Taisto Miettinen (Finland) and Kristiina Haapanen (Finland), 68.6 seconds.
• 2018 – Vytautas Kirkliauskas (Lithuania) and Neringa Kirkliauskiene (Lithuania), 65.1 seconds.
• 2019 – Vytautas Kirkliauskas (Lithuania) and Neringa Kirkliauskiene (Lithuania), 66.7 seconds.
• 2020 – Event not held
• 2021 – Event not held^[20]
• 2022 – Taisto Miettinen (Finland) and Katja Kovanen (Finland), 67.4 seconds.
• 2023 – Taisto Miettinen (Finland) and Katja Kovanen (Finland), 66.4 seconds.
• 2024 – Vytautas Kirkliauskas (Lithuania) and Neringa Kirkliauskiene (Lithuania), 63.5 seconds.

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Australian Wife Carrying Championships have been held annually since 2005.

• 2005 – Australian Champions: Anthony Partridge & Angela Cafe
• 2006 – Australian Champions: Kal Baker & Kelly Smith
• 2007 – Australian Champions: Anthony Partridge and Angela Moore
• 2008 – Australian Champions: Jason Doyle & Lyneece Garland
• 2009 – Australian Champions: Anthony Partridge & Kath Whalan
• 2010 – Australian Champions: Anthony Partridge & Kath Whalan
• 2011 – Australian Champions: Michael & Emma Blenman
• 2012 – Australian Champions: Beau Mynard & Ellie Gresham
• 2013 – Australian Champions: Amiee & Jamie Graham
• 2014 – Australian Champions: Jade Cupitt & Luke Papworth
• 2015 – Australian Champions: Jess McCallum & Ben Gregg
• 2016 – Australian Champions: Adrian and Amanda Betts
• 2017 – Australian Champions: Adam Cullen & Tylee Robinson
• 2018 – Australian Champions: Dylan Hedges & Alana Flemming
• 2019 – Australian Champions: Nicholas Metcalf & Jess Codrington
• 2022 – Australian Champions: Nick & Ashleigh Topham
• 2023 – Australian Champions: Elliott Earnshaw and Adelaide Taylor

The North American Wife Carrying Championships takes place every year since 1999 on Columbus Day Weekend in October at Sunday River Ski Resort in Newry, Maine.

• 2016 – Elliot and Giana Storey (Maine)
• 2017 – Jake and Kirsten Barney (Virginia)
• 2018 – Jesse Wall and Christine Arsenault (Maine)
• 2019 – Olivia and Jerome Roehm (Delaware)
• 2020 – Olivia and Jerome Roehm (Delaware)
• 2021 – Olivia and Jerome Roehm (Delaware)
• 2022 – Caleb Roesler and Justine Roesler

The United Kingdom Wife Carrying Race was established in 2008, though the "sport" is claimed to have taken place "with help from our Scandinavian cousins" for around 1200 years from 793AD when Viking raiders raided villages and abducted wives.^[21]

• 2008 – Joel Hicks carrying Wendy Cook
• 2009 – Matt Evans carrying Jatinder Gill (the prize was their combined weight in beer - 120 kg)
• 2010 – John Lund carrying Rosa Fenwick
• 2011 – Sam Trowbridge carrying Nathalie
• 2012 – Tom Wilmot carrying Kirsty Wilmot
• 2013 – Mike Witko carrying Lindsey Finn (Mike went on to take 3rd place carrying Hattie Archer in the World Championships in Finland)
• 2014 – Rich Blake Smith carrying his actual wife Anna Smith. (Rich and Anna went on to finish second in the world wife carrying championships in 2014 - the highest placing for a British couple).
• 2015 – Jonathon Schwochert carrying Charlotte Xiong (this race also saw Joel Hicks carrying "Tiny Tina" a male friend in drag who was 7'4" and 22 stone)
• 2016 – Jonathan Schwochert carrying Charlotte Xiong (this race saw Joel Hicks carrying two wives simultaneously but coming last)
• 2017 – Jack McKendrick carrying Kirsty Jones
• 2018 – Chris Hepworth carrying Tanisha Prince^[22]
• 2019 – Chris Hepworth carrying Tanisha Prince
• 2020 – Mark Threlfall carrying Cassie Yates
• 2021 – Event not held
• 2022 – Alex Bone carrying Millie Barnham
• 2023 – Vytautas Kirkliauskas carrying Neringa Kirkliauskiene (Lithuania)
• 2024 – Stuart Johnson carrying Hattie Cronin

The US final takes place on the second weekend of July in Menahga Minnesota (MN-St. Urho Wife Carry for Charity Challenge). Major wife-carrying competitions are also held in Monona, Wisconsin, Minocqua, Wisconsin and Marquette, Michigan.

• North American champions Ehrin and April Armstrong were featured as guests on a first-season episode of GSN's revival of I've Got a Secret.
• BBC Presenters Mike Bushell and Steph McGovern reversed the roles when they took part in the UK annual wife-carrying competition in 2013, she carried him. The male presenter said this was a first.^[23]
• Margo Uusorg and Sandra Kullas hold the world record time for this competition, finishing the 253.5-metre course in 56.9 seconds in 2006.^[24]
• The main characters in the 2018 film Father of the Year enter (and win) a wife-carrying contest. 2016 North American Wife Carrying Champions Elliot and Giana Storey were featured as stunt extras in the wife carrying scene.
• Elliot Storey and Giana Storey appeared on an episode of “Live with Kelly” on October 29, 2016.

• Cheese rolling
• Idiotarod
• Kinetic sculpture race
• Wok racing
• Zoobomb
• Bog snorkelling
• Sepak takraw

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wife carrying.

• Wife-carrying World Championship in Sonkajärvi
• Wife carrying competition in the UK