Finns return to top form in wife-carrying world championships

[Pallantides]

Why not revive it?

Kidnapping brides?


...
I forgot to quote your post.

[Eldritch]

Kidnapping brides?

Why not? In the form of wife-carrying contests, at least.

In this country it's not unusual to enact a sort of role-playing kidnapping of the bride, where the groom's mates "snatch" the bride and take her to the wedding.

[Pallantides]

In this country it's not unusual to enact a sort of role-playing kidnapping of the bride, where the groom's mates "snatch" the bride and take her to the wedding.

Somewhat like the old Norwegian 'brudeferd' or 'brudelaupsferdi'



They also rode through the village with the bride before they set off with the boats

[Äike]

Finns won for the 2nd year in a row... Not bad

Champions

2010 – Taisto Miettinen (Finland) and Kristiina Haapanen (Finland).
2009 – Taisto Miettinen (Finland) and Kristiina Haapanen (Finland).
2008 – Alar Voogla (Estonia) and Kirsti Viltrop (Estonia).
2007 – Madis Uusorg (Estonia) and Inga Klauso (Estonia).
2006 – Margo Uusorg (Estonia) and Sandra Kullas (Estonia) time 56.9 seconds.
2005 – Margo Uusorg (Estonia) and Egle Soll (Estonia).
2004 – Madis Uusorg (Estonia) and Inga Klauso (Estonia) time one minute and 05.3 seconds.
2003 – Margo Uusorg (Estonia) and Egle Soll (Estonia) time one minute 0.7 seconds.
2002 – Meelis Tammre (Estonia) and Anne Zillberberg (Estonia) time one minute and 3.8 seconds.
2001 – Margo Uusorg (Estonia) and Birgit Ullrich (Estonia) time 55.6 seconds.
2000 – Margo Uusorg (Estonia) and Birgit Ullrich (Estonia) time 55.5 seconds. (World record)
1999 – Imre Ambos (Estonia) and Annela Ojaste (Estonia) time one minute and 4.5 seconds.
1998 – Imre Ambos (Estonia) and Annela Ojaste (Estonia) time one minute and 9.2 seconds.
1997 – Jouni Jussila (Finland) and Tiina Jussila (Finland) time one minute and five seconds.

[nisse]

2006 – Margo Uusorg (Estonia) and Sandra Kullas (Estonia) time 56.9 seconds.
2005 – Margo Uusorg (Estonia) and Egle Soll (Estonia).

...so he got divorced and remarried between competitions? I wonder if this was part of his strategy .

[Eldritch]

...so he got divorced and remarried between competitions? I wonder if this was part of his strategy .

2006 – Margo Uusorg (Estonia) and Sandra Kullas (Estonia) time 56.9 seconds.
2005 – Margo Uusorg (Estonia) and Egle Soll (Estonia).
2004 – Madis Uusorg (Estonia) and Inga Klauso (Estonia) time one minute and 05.3 seconds.
2003 – Margo Uusorg (Estonia) and Egle Soll (Estonia) time one minute 0.7 seconds.
2002 – Meelis Tammre (Estonia) and Anne Zillberberg (Estonia) time one minute and 3.8 seconds.
2001 – Margo Uusorg (Estonia) and Birgit Ullrich (Estonia) time 55.6 seconds.
2000 – Margo Uusorg (Estonia) and Birgit Ullrich (Estonia) time 55.5 seconds. (World record)

The contestants don't actually have to be married to each other.

The reason the Estonians dominated the sport for more thana decade is that they developed the aptly-called "Estonian style" of carrying your wife, which now everyone who competes seriously uses:

Several types of carry may be practised: piggyback, fireman's carry (over the shoulder), or Estonian-style (the wife hangs upside-down with her legs around the husband's shoulders, holding onto his waist).

[YOUTUBE]2GZhazadqXg[/YOUTUBE]