Oddballs

Sports Including

Seepak Takraw (see pg. 8) Footgolf (see pg. 15) Tough Mudder (see pg. 22)

About the Authors

Christine:

Christine is basically modern day female Shaquille O’neal. She dunks all day in her free time, and is top tier.

She makes three pointers and two pointers and dunks and free throws and touchdowns and field goals and home runs in basketball like they are a joke. When she gets the basketball, nothing can stop her. She has a 3,000,000 : -30 win loss ratio. She most recently beat the Vancouver 49ers and the Houston Mavericks, with an upcoming match against the Florida Maple Leaves.

AJ:

Man are Christine and Taylor lucky to have a person so courageous and all around spectacular as AJ in their group. He calls all the shots and gets all the credit for literally everything in this magazine. He is the brains and the brawn behind this magazine, and the only reason Taylor and Christine are even needed is to massage his feet and fetch him 5 Hour Energy drinks. Teachers literally worship AJ like an idol. He has never gotten less than a 100 in his school history. He is glorified by all of the student body at LASA. He is in all the cliques. Jocks, Preps, Nerds, Band, Orchestra, Theatre, Geeks, Dweebs, he befriends them all. He is the highlight of the magazine, you might as well stop reading here.

2 - ODDBALLS

Letter From The Editor

By: Taylor McCarthy

AJ: So what should we do for our magazine?

Christine: What about ..

Taylor: TERRIBLE IDEA AJ: Yeah Christine, can you try to pick an idea that isn’t trash?

Christine: It’s hard to not pick it when I’m surrounded by it Taylor: Wow great burn Christine... GOT ‘EM Christine: Thanks Taylor!!

Taylor: Just kidding that sucked AJ: Yeah seriously Christine, step up your game AJ: OK, so our last two are Abstract sports and Music.

Taylor: I can’t believe that Abstract sports is still up there, I’m pretty sure we all went into this wanting Music.

Christine: Well I don’t care what we do...

AJ: Did we ask you?

Taylor: Gosh, Christine, ever heard of manners.

AJ: So, abstract sports?

Taylor: Why are you lobbying so hard for that topic?

AJ: Dude, we can do Buzkashi... It’s basically polo but with decapitated corpses of goats Taylor: That sounds amazing. That topic is fine with me Christine: I don’t really like it AJ: Great so we are all on board Christine: This seems like it’s gonna be hard to do Taylor: OK, so who wants to do what feature?

Christine: Ugh... This is gonna be a long semester.......

Taylor:

Taylor is the most athletic person you will ever meet.

He loves to do all kinds of sports and is outside 24 hours a day. Literally. All day. He uses up a whole bottle of sunscreen in a week from how much he plays in the sun. He enjoys all sports, but particularly enjoys Baseball, with all of the three pointers and touchdowns, it is easily the most exciting water sport. His favorite teams include the New England Packers and the Alaskan Heat. Not only does he enjoy sports, but also enjoys working out and is a proud black card member at Planet Fitness. When interviewed about his love of working out, he said “I go in there every day to get swole. It’s actually a problem because none of my jackets fit me anymore, which only leaves me tank tops.” He continues saying, “and I just feel bad carrying that kind of heat unconcealed out in public ya-know. Like I don’t accidentally want to hurt someone. ‘bang bang’” At this point he flexed his muscles.

ODDBALLS - 3

A buffalo race held in India, called Kambala.

Photo By: Wikipedia

Table of Contents 5

Which Sport is Right for You?

6

Hock, Drop and Roll

8

Find which of our feature stories you should check out with this flowchart.

A fun take on the concept of sitting.

Hockern is bringing it to a whole new level.

The Sport with No Sepak Tak-Flaw Watch out United States! This foot volleyball-like sport is coming to the spotlight.

12

A Diamond In the Ruff

15

Goal in One

How dogs are beginning to prove they are more talented than humans.

19

Beating a Dead Horse

20

Sweet Baby Cheesus | How to Beat the Shin Out of Someone

More like riding an alive horse and carrying a dead goat carcass around.

Cheese rolling and shin kicking competitions? Sounds like England.

22

Mud, Sweat and Fears

27

The More You Know

The story of an intense obstacle course that sounds close to being impossible.

Some more smaller-scaled oddballs, just in case you didn’t read enough about odd sports.

A fresh, new take on the golf and soccer world. It is probably the most chill sport in this magazine.

Photo By: Wikipedia

27 - ODDBALLS

Which Sport is Right for You? By: AJ Marks

This flowchart can be used to help you in deciding which of our featured sports is the best fit for you, and which you would like to play the most. Start at the box located to the right with “start” labeled above it. You are finished when you reach a box marked “finish,” or when you arrive at a specific sport. You are encouraged to read the story on the sport you arrive at afterwards.

START Do you like sports?

FINISH Close this magazine Are you an old fart?

Hellz nah

Yes

FINISH Take a nap

No

Yes

Are you an athlete?

No Do you like playing with balls?

I’m not into that...

Ball is life

Yes Are you tough?

Are you willing to get electrocuted?

Yes

Yes

No

Do you prefer playing with balls on the ground or in midair?

Air

Is your vertical over 3 feet?

No

Yes

No

Can you kick 5 feet in the air?

Can you kick a soccer ball 80 feet?

Yes

No

Yes No

Either

Are you afraid of getting dirty?

Yes

Do you work better with a team, or solo?

Team

Tough Mudder see pg. 22

Ground

Sepak Takraw see pg. 8

Solo

Footgolf see pg. 15 ODDBALLS- 5

Hock, Drop and Roll Sit and Stay Fit By: Christine Garner

Are you a couch potato? Need to do exercise, but it’s so much easier to just sit around?

Combine the two!

Hockern emerges from Germany, created by the two entrepreneur brothers Michael and Stephan LandschĂźtz, who are the owners

Photo Courtesy of: www.sporthocker.com

of the large sporthocker company, Salzig. Hockern is, in all simplicity, extreme sitting.

Germany Photo By: Wikipedia

The objective of Hockern is to attempt crazy moves incorporating jumps, flips, and throws, then land sitting down on your Sporthocker. A Sporthocker is similar to a double-sided, plastic stool. Skateboards are to the United States as sporthockers are becoming to Germany.

The rules?

The only rule is a requirement that validates a stunt is finishing it by sitting on one of the flat sides of the sporthocker.

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Players can either go solo or stunt with a team. Although many hock recreationally, Hockers can also compete in many competitions, which held in nightclubs a lot. The largest-scale, annual competition is Hocktoberfest, Oddity Central says.

Compiled by Christine Garner using Oddity Central, Incredible Things, and Wired.

Photo Courtesy of: www.Sporthocker.com

GOT ENERGY?

TRY MONSTER, RED BULL, OR ROCKSTAR TO GET THAT EXTRA BOOST.

The Sport with no Sepak Tak-Flaw FLIPS, KICKS AND TRICKS Story By: Christine Garner

C

ompletely upside-down with one leg extended to their left and the other foot almost seven feet straight up in the air, players spike the ball in a gravity-defying move.

As the players land, they reach to the ground with their hands to refrain from crashing against it and to stay ready for the return from the opposing team.

In Southeast Asia this sport has been trending since the 15th century, but even after all this time, it has not quite reached America yet.

With its crazy high kicks and the danger of throwing yourself in front of a ball at 40-plus miles per hour, Sepak Takraw, which literally means ‘kick ball,’ is becoming increasingly popular because of the creation of more tournaments and advocates nationwide.

Jeremy Mirken is one of these advocates and tournament creators.

He solely organized the Sepak Takraw tournament at Skillcon, an American skill convention.

He is not just a spectator, but a player too.

He qualified for the US national team and competed internationally for three years.

Advocates and enthusiasts of Sepak Takraw, such as Mirken, keep this sport going.

“I think what makes Takraw special is that it uses the bump, set, spike strategy of volleyball so it’s easy to comprehend, but at the same time it brings real, high-level acrobatics into play and does so on every point,” Mirken says.

Using the volleyball analogy makes it easier to grasp the concept of Sepak Takraw, but it is more complex than a common game of volleyball. The two are similar strategically.

Both are played on a court and with a team, but in Takraw, a player is only allowed to use their feet to kick the rubber ball and there are three members to a team on the court at once, as opposed to six, like in volleyball.

Photo By: Adib Wahab The Takraw net A player returning the ball over the net at an angle in hopes to be stands between too powerful for the other team to return. both teams at five feet in the air, and never played, he was introduced to the players must Takraw through a video, and says he return the ball over was astonished by the apathy toward the net to the opposing the sport in the United States. team, also referred to

“I’m surprised it’s not more as ‘regus,’.000 in three popular, considering how watchable moves or less. As a it is,” Adelson says. “Perhaps it’s writer for Yahoo! Sports, too close to volleyball, but MMA is Eric Adelson has reviewed a similar to boxing, so perhaps this will lot of other sports. Although he had

“It brings real, highlevel acrobatics into play and does so on every point.”

8 - ODDBALLS

catch on in the same way. It’s hard for Americans to embrace a new sport.

Soccer is still growing even though it is considered the ‘world’s game.’”

Adelson believes sports out of the norm for Americans have a hard time gaining popularity in the United States. He demonstrates by just seeing a video, someone can recognize and appreciate the qualities of Sepak Takraw. People adore the aspects of body control, reaction times, flexibility and power, which are shown in every move the players make.

“In Takraw, virtually every point you have some sort of highlight worthy clip to snap a picture of or to show on video. So as a spectator it’s really visually dynamic,” Mirken said.

Similar to the way in which spectators enjoy viewing the game, the players enjoy being a part of it. Players get a feeling of adrenaline when doing an intricate maneuver or a game saving shot. If you kick the ball upside down in the air and land correctly then you will quickly become full of adrenaline and energy to keep the game going The praise received after kicking up a fast downball is very motivating.

“For me, you get the feeling of exhilaration that comes with the sense of danger, possible physical harm. So it seems more extreme than the average sport,” Mirken says.

Mirken identifies one of the best parts of the game as the risk of danger. Power is key to the game he said and the ball can be flying through the air very forcefully and cause bruising to the feet, legs or any part of the body it might hit. Another source of danger is when a player could happen to land incorrectly and twist their ankle or stumble and fall, after a move in the air. Players love to take the risk of potential harm and play the game until they are at a professional level. Ker Cha, the US national team’s server, has been playing since the age of 12 years old.

“It feels like a dream coming true. I never expected to ever represent for Team USA or to play for at an international level. I have dreamed about representing to play for Team USA, but just not as soon as how it is now,” Cha says. “My brother Anthony

A server starting off the game by kicking the ball to the opposing side.

Photo By: Jeremy Mirken

ODDBALLS - 9

Photo By: Dbgg1979 via Flickr

Cha also plays with the national team. When I play with him on the court, against another opponent, I have really high expectations to where or what he is capable of playing. Otherwise, playing with him on court in international competition is the best. It’s fun when brothers both strive to become a part for the national team.”

It is Cha’s job as the server to begin the game by sending the ball over the net with a kick, after it is tossed to his foot by one of his teammates.

His goal is to make it hard for the opposing team to return the ball.

Ker Cha’s brother, Anthony Cha, is also a member of the national team. Since it has not become very popular in the United States, it is still a game very Two players go up at the net in an outdoors game. One is attempting to block (left) and the other is sending it over (right). immersed in culture and family. world,” Mirken says. “And so when or different states, and then there’s However, the opinion is common I came back to the United States I no fans watching. It’s an amazing, between interviewees, who are players, realized that we’re playing as if it incredible game that nobody even enthusiasts and/or spectators, that were still the 1970s.

We’re playing knows about.”

Sepak Takraw should become more outdoors or we’re playing and nobody’s

By observing the sport widespread. watching, there’s no communication internationally, Mirken is able to

“I observed what the game between players in different cities recognize what the United States is was like in different parts of the

Photo By: Jeremy Mirken

Brunei (left) takes part in competitive match.

The opposing blue team jumps up to block.

10 - ODDBALLS

lacks in comparison. He notes it is being played on a more serious level overseas and wants to bring the higher-caliber gameplay back here to the west, which is his goal in creating and supporting tournaments.

“I had the connections, both internationally and with western mainstream culture, that I felt like I was the right person to try to take on the responsibility of organizing something that is bigger than what players here are used to,” Mirken says.

“I wanted to bring that to the U.S.”

Mirken has created and helped organize several tournaments in the United States. He is pushing for the popularity he believes the sport deserves. Plenty of support for extreme and abstract sports can be seen in various forms including Planet X, a TV show, which was constructed to air sports like Takraw and promote the amount they are played. Eric Ducharme is the co-founder and coexecutive producer of Planet X.

“Planet X was created to expose new and emerging sports (Action/Extreme) during a time when only mainstream sports were available on TV such as football, basketball,

baseball, tennis, golf and etcetera,” Ducharme says.

Planet X has been around since 1995. As the co-founder and co-executive producer, Ducharme oversees all production, schedules talent, rights clearances, edits and delivers of show to satellite and other outlets. His coworkers and himself are passionate and have a deep interest for the sports they cover.

Planet X promotes sports in the same ways Jeremy Mirken does with his tournaments and interviews, and how Eric Adelson does in writing his articles.

“I think lots of kids are going to start to play it, but it can’t just be me,” Jeremy Mirken says. “I need a group of people who think like me and who are willing to devote a little bit of their time and sacrifice some of their own practice time in order to do what they know is the right thing to develop the sport. Hopefully it all works out.”

Photo By: Wikipedia

The USA Sepak Takraw team goes in for a huddle in the middle of a match.

Photo By: Jeremy Mirken

Player goes up for a kick and has his back completely parallel to the ground.

Did You Know?

Countries in southeast Asia have government commitees of 20 to 30 people who organize and communicate with teams from all over the region to form a Sepak Takraw tournament. Their jobs include sending flight information, picking teams up from the airport, and using implemented systems that have been around for a long time to better do so.

Photo By: Adib Wahab

Man returning ball on third kick.

ODDBALLS - 11

A Diamond in the The Up and Coming “Pupular” Sport Ruff

By: Taylor McCarthy This relay race sport has been around since the 1960’s, but that doesn’t make this sport any less unique or interesting. According to Flyball.org, Flyball is a sport composed of four hurdles with their size depending on the smallest dog’s height, and a spring loaded tennis ball dispenser. Two teams of four dogs each must run this 51 foot long course, jumping the four hurdles, and grabbing a tennis ball from the dispenser. They then must begin the trek back, jumping back over the four hurdles and running back to the other dogs, signaling the next dog to run. Austindogalliance.com says that the four dogs must all complete the course without any errors with before the other team to win. The fastest runthrough of a team of dogs is a mere 14.182 seconds!!!

Photos By: Wikipedia, Wikimedia and Gavin Anderson

12 - ODDBALLS

An ideal pass is when the returning dog and the leaving dog meet at the start line nose to nose.

According to Flyballdog.com, barking, drooling, and eating are all done frequently during a race. If a dog urinates or defecates on the lane, the race will be stopped and the win will be rewarded to the other team.

The largest Flyball competition is held in North America by NAFA, the North American Flyball Association. In 2009, there were 300 teams competing over the three day event.

The top five contenders for fastest run in Flyball are all teams from the United States of America.

ODDBALLS - 13

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Author AJ Marks tries out footgolf for himself at the footgolf course at the Harvey Penick Golf Campus in Austin, TX. At Harvey Penick, there is an 18 hole footgolf course, and a nine hole golf course.

Goal In One

Photo by: Hannah Marks

THE STORY BEHIND THE EMERGING SPORT OF FOOTGOLF

W

ith a sigh and a deep breath, the golfer concentrates on the elegantly laid out sophisticated greens. A powerful swing sends the ball soaring into the distance.

The golfer watches the ball fly through the air, trained on the sprawling golf course. The only anomaly in this scene: no golf club. This “golfer” is playing a different version of the sport that requires no clubs called footgolf.

Footgolf replaces the golf clubs and balls of traditional golf with regulation sized soccer balls and feet.

Because of the amount of time and money required for golf, millennials are not picking up the golf in the same number as previous generations. Because of this, golf courses are losing money, and many courses nationwide have shut down because they have gone bankrupt.

The emerging sport of footgolf however, attempts to bring this young generation back to the golf courses.

Story by: AJ Marks

Footgolf consists of using the appropriate size soccer ball (for most players over 12, an average size number five soccer ball is appropriate), and kicking it into a 21-inch wide cup in as few shots as possible.

The first footgolf course in Austin, Texas, opened at the Harvey Penick Golf Campus (HPGC) in summer 2014, according to Stephanie Mingos, the primary footgolf liaison for HPGC. HPGC is owned and operated

by The First Tee of Greater Austin (TFTGA), a non-profit that empowers youth via educational programs that teach life-enhancing values and healthy choices via the game of golf.

“For aspiring golfers like our young participants, footgolf is a great way to have fun while learning the rules of golf since footgolf takes on many golf rules,” Mingos said. “We also felt that Austin was a perfect market for footgolf because Austinites love being active and getting outside.”

Nathan Ploeger, a student at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy in Austin, Texas, held his 16th birthday party at the footgolf course at HPGC. Ploeger previously played recreation league soccer, and said his past soccer experience helped greatly when playing footgolf. Unlike soccer, which requires constant running and moving, footgolf requires little running, making it perfect for those looking for a leisurely activity.

“You don’t need to be athletic.

All you need to know is how to kick a ball,” Ploeger said. “You don’t have to run at all. You could be an old, white guy and still play footgolf.”

Mingos said that the game of footgolf is easy to pick up for players.

She also said that it’s accessibility and simplicity allows it to have a wide audience from soccer players to families.

“Most soccer players have played some version footgolf in their ODDBALLS- 15

lives – pointing to a target and challenging a friend to hit it in the least amount of shots,” Mingos said. “Footgolf is something different and fun. For soccer players, it is a unique way to practice ball control and aim. For novices, it is a great way to get outside and be active. For golfers, it is a great way to exercise a knowledge of the rules and topography of a golf course (hills, breaks, etc). For families, it’s an activity that all can do together.”

According to the National Golf Foundation, more golf courses have closed than opened since 2006. This is not the case with footgolf. Since it is growing and rising in popularity, every year more footgolf courses are opened in the United States. According to the American Foot Golf League (AFGL), over 330 courses in 46 states exist in the US alone.

“Footgolf has had a growing foothold in the golf industry since coming to the US in 2011,” Mingos said. “The PGA of America has even endorsed it as a non-traditional means to grow the game of golf among millennials.”

The addition of a footgolf course onto the traditional golf course has impacted operations at HPGC. Mingos said that footgolf enabled them to provide a new service yearround to a wider variety of patrons.

“Footgolf has positively affected our business,” Mingos said. “Two sport offerings on one property has been fruitful in our attempt to introduce more people to our facility and The First Tee of Greater Austin’s youth programs. It has been great to connect with new families and young people in the Austin area.”

This interest in footgolf by millennials benefits golf courses because these young people often turn away from golf because of the cost and time commitment. SportsOne Analyst Matt Powell, as quoted in the Wall Street Journal, said that golf does not appeal to younger people because golf is slow and expensive.

At HPGC, Mingos reports that most footgolfers are 15-35 years old in age or families with young children, ranging from age 5–14.

This age range of footgolfers is not an exception, but rather the expectation. According to the AFGL, about 80 percent of footgolf players are between the ages of 18 and 35. However, according to the National Golf Foundation and the U.S. Census Bureau, 83 percent of golfers are 40 years old or older. In addition, only 5 percent of golfers are under 30 years old, the age most prominent in footgolf. Mingos said that she believes footgolf appeals to millennials for a variety of reasons.

“First, Footgolf is a prime outlet for ‘the soccer boom’ in the U.S. in recent 16 - ODDBALLS

Photo by: Sharon Ploeger

Nathan Ploeger and friends gather for a picture while walking from hole to hole on the footgolf course at Harvey Penick Golf Campus. They went to celebrate Ploeger’s 16th birthday.

Photo by: AJ Marks

Even though footgolf may seem difficult, all you have to do, according to Nathan Ploeger is “kick it as close as you can to the hole, and don’t over kick it.”

Photo by: AJ Marks

The ball rolls to a stop in front of the flag at hole number two at the footgolf course at the Harvey Penick Golf Campus in Austin, TX.

years,” Mingos said. “Soccer fans [and] viewers are social and love the game and Footgolf is a great way to celebrate that love and have a good time with friends. Second, millennials who actively play soccer love footgolf because it’s a different way for them to compete and test their skills.”

Many believe this age gap in the golf community is because of the initial expense every player has to undertake when entering the sport, such as clubs, fee rentals, golf shoes and other necessary accessories.

An average set of golf clubs costs approximately $500 dollars not including the expense for golf balls, a rental for the course or a golf cart, according to the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA).

These costs generally do not affect golfers the same way they would footgolfers because, according to the National Golf Foundation (NGF) and the U.S. Census Bureau, the average household income of a golfer is $95,000, and nearly 80 percent of golfers have annual incomes of over $100,000.

However, the average national income for working class Americans is nearly half at $51,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This is not the case for footgolf. All that is required to play footgolf is an average pair of sneakers, athletic shorts, a T-shirt and a soccer ball. If a player does not own a soccer ball, balls usually are available to rent at the footgolf course.

“A round of footgolf costs $10 for an adult on weekdays and on weekends after noon and $13 on weekends before noon,” Mingos said.

“For kids, a round is $8.

Ball rentals are available for $5.”

In addition to

cost, the time commitment required for golf is overwhelming for many young people. According to golflink. com, an 18-hole golf match can take between 3.5 to 4.5 hours, averaging 10 to 15 minutes per hole. A match can easily reach five or six hours if there is a wait time, even five minutes long, on each tee box before starting the hole.

In contrast, footgolf is much more

Photo by: Sharon Ploeger

Liberal Arts and Science Academy (LASA) student Nathan Ploeger (in yellow) holds the flag while friend fellow LASA student, Milan Rivas, aims to kick the ball into the hole.

ODDBALLS- 17

accessible to the average consumer.

Mingos said that an 18-hole round of footgolf takes between 1.5 and 2 hours.

According to Mingos, another reason besides time and cost millennials are attracted to footgolf is because it is accessible to many different kinds of people and similar enough to other sports that the young audience may have played before.

“Footgolf is easy to learn and it’s a mix of the best elements of two sports, golf and soccer,” Mingos said. “Everyone knows how to kick a ball and the course is manageable for beginners and veterans alike... people aren’t discouraged at the prospect of trying this out of the ordinary soccer experience on a golf course. They aren’t discouraged that they haven’t played the sport or perhaps haven’t been around golf before.”

The cheaper prices, shorter time commitment and simplicity makes footgolf appealing to many families as well. It works for all kinds of families that are looking to lead a more active lifestyle.

“TFTGA wanted to introduce the sport of footgolf to Austin because it would be a great way to get new families Photo by: AJ Marks

A shot flies into the whole on hole number eight at the footgolf course at the Harvey Penick Golf Campus in Austin, TX. At Harvey Penick, the footgolf and golf courses are on the same land, but there is two footgolf holes for every golf hole.

18 - ODDBALLS

Photo by: AJ Marks

Did You Know?

Since 2010, when footgolf was first introduced to America , it has grown to be a prominent sport. According to the American Footgolf League, first founded in 2011, there are 332 footgolf in 47 states including Alaska, Tennessee, New Mexico and even 2 courses in Wyoming. In California alone there are over 50 courses.

One course in Sacramento, Calif. named Haggin Oaks predicted that over 10,000 rounds were played in 2014 alone. introduced to our youth programs and to our facility,” Mingos said. “It is a great way to get outside and be active… it’s an activity that all can do together.”

Ploeger agrees with the fact that footgolf is a great recreational activity.

“Just going out to green grass and playing with friends is fun.”

According to Mingos, Austin is the perfect market for footgolf

because of the great weather and the active lifestyle of Austinites.

“We also felt that Austin was a perfect market for footgolf because Austinites love being active and getting outside,” Mingos said. “You can’t ignore the drive that Austinites have to be active and their willingness to try things that aren’t commonplace. We are considered a very young city and footgolf very much ties into our ‘Keep Austin Weird’ identity.

Beating a Dead Horse

Photo by: Kanishka Ashrafi

A sport worthy of so much cheering, it will leave you hoarse!

By: Taylor McCarthy Photo courtesy of: Wikipedia

The national Afghan sport, Buzkashi, is a game of polo, but with a dead carcass of an animal rather than a ball. It is played all over the middle east region of the world, but primarily in Afghanistan and Kazakhstan.

Buzkashi used to be a sport used to train for war, but now is primarily played for fun, money, and bragging rights.

According to websites like NPR, the game lasts several rounds, after each round, a small cash prize is rewarded to the winner, then after the entire game, a major cash prize is given out.

According to Wikipedia, Buzkashi can contain up to 500 riders all going for the carcass

According to npr.org, There are two variations of the game: Tudabarai and Qarajai

Photo courtesy of: Flickr

There are two halves in the game, each being about 45 minutes

Photo courtesy of: Wikipedia

Photo courtesy of: Flickr

ODDBALLS - 19

How to Beat the Shin Out of Someone

Rules: Shins must be kicked before a throw can be achieved. A throw is not valid unless the thrower is in the process of kicking. If an intentional trip occurs, the throw goes to the opponent. If a kick is above the knee, the throw goes to the opponent. The first person to hit the ground loses the throw.

The Sport of Shin Kicking Players wear long trousers, white shepherd’s coats, and may cushion shins by using straw, or other padding.

A player begins by holding his or her opponent by the shoulders with their arms straight.

There is a Stickler (referee) who decides the outcome of each throw and says if a rule is violated.

A contest is decided on the best of three throws.

By: AJ Marks Information From:

Wikipedia.org, Olimpickgames.com, Daeschner.com, Canadiancheeserolling.ca, Soglos.com

Since 1988, the Double Gloucester cheese used for rolling has been made by the same woman, Diana Smart, who is 86 years old.

The cheese, when rolling can reach speeds up to 70 miles per hour.

18 - ODDBALLS

Sweet Baby Cheesus The Sport of Cheese Rolling

The Gloucestershire Cheese Rolling Festival (pictured) has been around since the 19th century, but cheese rolling in general has been around since the 15th century.

Photo Courtesy of: Ian Griffiths

There are four races, each containing 15 participants, but prior years have been known to have as many as 40 runners at once.

Usually a 7 pound cheese wheel is used.

A 40 pound wheel of cheese was used after WWII, to celebrate the vitory

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Mud, Sweat and Fears A COMPETITION AS CLEAR AS MUD Story by: Taylor McCarthy Photo By: James Dougan

T

hey trudged through the thick mud, swam through freezing cold water, slid down a 15 foot fireman’s pole surrounded with fire, even been shocked by electric wire hanging down below, and it isn’t even halfway over. They have all been beaten down and physically drained, with their mental boundaries being pushed as well. This is an average race in the Tough Mudder.

The Tough Mudder is a new sport, a Spartan race created in 2010. Although a fairly new sport, it is increasing in following, with over 1.3 million people across the nation

22 - ODDBALLS

Here James Dougan, Scott Robertson w the rest of the team are celebrating after finishing the grueling race.

participating in these races. Each race is about 10 to 12 miles long and are meant to challenge the mental and physical strength of the runner.

These races require intense training and preparation to complete, and take a large toll on your body afterwards.

This 12 mile obstacle course is not a joke, with obstacles that challenge participants to the extreme, but also require those competing to have enough stamina and endurance to complete the whole course. James Dougan and Scott Robertson, who work at Freescale, a company in Texas that makes processing chips, actually

completed the race together and spent many weeks preparing for this grueling competition. It is demanding, prompting many lists and sources consider the Tough Mudder to be one of the hardest and most challenging Spartan races out there.

“In addition to having the aerobic capacity, your whole body needs to be strong and ready for the obstacles,” Jill, an employee at an activity center/gym for Freescale, stated.

Every participant has to be completely focused and ready with a predetermined strategy for each

Photo By: James Dougan

obstacle, otherwise it will not be an easy task.

“A guy ran up beside me and tried to do it himself and fell badly, and fully dislocated his knee, it looked horrible,” Dougan said.

It is not enough just to lift weights, or do sprints. The tough mudder is just as much about the mental aspects of the race, as it is the physical, which is why it is so hard to complete, especially with it containing obstacles such as a 15 foot high dive, dropping into ice cold water, “Walk the Plank”,

“I think the toughest obstacle physically was near the end and we had to run up a curved slope and many of us took a few attempts to get up. Mentally, the toughest obstacle was crawling through a pipe that was filled with water at the bottom and in complete darkness,” James said.

These obstacles are meant to challenge some of the biggest fears humanity has. There are pipes in darkness to challenge those afraid of claustrophobia, as well as numerous tests to dare those who fear heights, and even obstacles such as a field of mud littered with dangling electric wires, “Electroshock Therapy”, meant to bring out some of your fears to add extra intensity to this Spartan race.

“All of them are challenging physically, but some of them require a lot of ‘am I really gonna do this’ mental strength,” Scott said

Here, James is seen crawling under the “Shocker”, a mud pit with looming electric wires

Although Photo By: James Dougan all of the obstacles are taxing to those attempting it, certain obstacles are more or less challenging than the others, whether they are harder mentally or physically.

“There were two that I found the toughest. The polar plunge was very, very difficult. You had to pull your head under icy water, and the belly crawl with shock wire,” Scott said. “The underground tunnel for claustrophobia was very scary, with water, you had to go underwater and you did not know where Here Scott is helping another runner over the “ Berlin Wall”, a 13 foot wall that all the runners must traverse you were going to pop up. That was the scariest.”

“I was absolutely exhausted. I could

However, along with any not take more than half steps on the other sporting event you may compete way to the car, my body was so tired. in, the joy of completing the event is Once I stopped running, my body shut blind sided by the pain afterwards, and down and it was very difficult for me the Tough Mudder is no exception, in to even walk to the car,” Scott said. “I fact having some of the most brutal was not feeling right for probably three injuries, due to the intense mental and days.” physical strain the runners put on their This pain is the best case body during the race. Only 78 percent scenario, ending the race with sore of the participants that compete muscles and slow movements. However, actually complete the race. if you don’t properly train, it can easily

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Photo By: James Dougan

Scott is seen here, in one of the many muddy ice cold water lakes throughout the course Photo Courtesy of: Wikipedia

Here a participant completes the “ Walk the Plank” obstacle , a 15 foot tall version of the high dive, where you have to jump off into the water below, then swim about 50 yards to the edge

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become much worse for any of them.

“Any physical activity can result in injuries; training for an obstacle race or mud run can often result in sprained muscles or joints,” Kate Broussard, a trainer at HotLava, a local parkour gym, said.

Even though some of the repercussions of the race are tough, you can lessen the blow by training beforehand. There are many different exercises you can do to train and improve your body, but the Tough Mudder website itself provides examples containing things such as resistance training and cardiovascular challenges.

“We did a lot of balance work using a BOSU ball, functional strength through squats and pull-ups. I looked at the website to get a feel for all of the obstacles. They had example training plans that I was able to brainstorm from,” Jill said

Without this training, it would become very difficult to even come close to completing the course.

Although, it can sometimes be difficult to know exactly what to train for, with many people having different strategies. Dougan believes the core is the most important to maintain tip-top shape.

“Obviously you need to be able to run for a good 10 miles, but the overall core strength is what gets you through it since there is a lot of physical strength required for some of the obstacles,” Dougan said.

Although Dougan believes a strong core is essential to succeed on the course, Scott did not focus on this particular group of muscles as much.

“We did a lot of running training just because it was a 12 mile race, and a lot of different obstacle training, like crawling. We did crawling across a football field on our belly, we did up and down hills, and some arm strength stuff as well,” Scott said.

Another way to avoid or lessen muscle or joint pain after participating in physically demanding events such as the Tough Mudder is to warm up your body shortly before beginning the activity.

“Most folks recommend ‘warming up’ your body with something easy on joints and muscles, such as walking or jogging. Elevating

Photo By: James O’ Brian II from Flickr

Here is the Finish line to the Tough Mudder, a site for sore eyes after completing this rigorous Spartan race

your heart rate helps to get blood into your muscles, which will help keep your muscles and joints safer when exercising,” Broussard said.

Other than training and warming up, many other sports can also help you when doing Spartan races such as the Tough Mudder. One of the most beneficial sports participants can do to train for the Tough Mudder is parkour, considering that many of the Tough Mudder events have large jumps

and obstacle sections. Parkour can also help you in many other ways, on and off of the course. Broussard, a trainer in HotLava, a local Austin parkour gym, which just closed in December, insists parkour is a great all around activity to do, whether it is training for a sport, or just recreation.

“Parkour develops strength, flexibility, body control, coordination, and mental problem-solving, which are skills useful to pretty much any other

Photo By: Nathan Forget via Flickr

Did You Know?

Besides the grueling obstacle course that all the participants must traverse, littered with dangerous trials like insane jumps and freezing water, the course is also a 10 to 12 mile race, with multiple miles of it requiring those doing the race to carry wooden logs, creating a full challenge, from the beginning to the end

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physical activity,” Broussard said.

In addition, parkour has many benefits to your overall quality of life.

“Like most exercise, it helps keep your body and mind healthy. Parkour can be thought of as physical problemsolving — you find the fastest, most efficient way to move your body from one spot to another.

It requires a lot of strength and flexibility, which can translate to doing a lot of other activities,” Broussard said.

However, no amount of training will help you unless you

have a team. The Tough Mudder is a very team-centric event. Many of the events require you to have assistance, featuring staggering heights, and it is always helpful to have an extra push when doing the race.

“They tell you at the beginning of the race that it is not a race, it is a team event to complete, and all of the obstacles that required help, after you finished the obstacle, you turn around and helped the person behind you , regardless of whether they are on your team or not so I guess that you don’t have to have your own team, but you need to be part of a team,” Scott said.

“You don’t have to have a team, but you need to be part of a team”

“It is a team event and it is really beneficial to do it with a team and they encourage you through some of the tough obstacles and when you are really tiring at the end,” Jill said.

“I like it because it gets people out!

The community appeal is great because training is always easier when your friends are involved.“

Photo Courtesy of: Wikipedia

Here is a group of members kneeling to pledge to the rules of the Tough Mudder before embarking on the intense 12 mile journey

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The More You Know In Case You Didn’t Read Enough About Odd Sports

1

Dog Surfing With a human or without one, dogs are catching the waves. Prior to the actual surfing, dogs are trained for a long time on how to be stable on the boards and stay on for long waves since that is what the main judging criteria is for competitions. Dog surfing appears prominent in many coastal areas of the United States whether it is recreational for a bonding experience with your pet or if it is competitive for prizes.

2 3

By: e Christin r e Garn

Photo Courtesy of: Wikipedia

Wife Carrying In this event, originating in Finland, you hope your spouse is as lightweight and small as possible. Just as the name sounds, wife carrying is, simply put, a race in which partners have to carry their wives through an obstacle course as fast as possible.

Photo By: Sandor Weisz via Flicker

Underwater Hockey Just like normal hockey, except better because it’s underwater! Players move a weighted puck on the bottom of a swimming pool that is six to eight feet deep. They wear fins on their feet to help with speed and endurance and use short sticks about one foot long to hit the puck back and forth. The goal is to hit the puck and get it into the opposing team’s goal on either end of the pool.

4 Compiled using Xtreme Ironing, Business Insider, and Surf City Surf Dog.

Photo Courtesy of: Wikipedia

Extreme Ironing Honoring the idea of multitasking, extreme ironing is a combination of ironing clothing while doing the post extreme thing you can think of. Many people take pictures of their extreme ironing feats and post them to the internet. Post include people ironing while skydiving, spelunking, riding on the backs of taxis, water skiing, climbing mountains, etc.

Photo Courtesy of: nick@ via Flicker

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