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Pehlivans at the Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling Festival.
Avarız Köyü, Turkey

Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling Festival

Brawny guys rolling around in oil is the oldest regular sporting event besides the Olympics.
Taihape, New Zealand

Gumboot Capital of the World

Taihape's claim to fame is a fictional Kiwi farmer wearing gumboots.
sports

The New York Cosmos Are American Soccer’s Past. Are They Its Future?

A team that was once the most glamorous in the world is making its comeback.
Erik Shilling September 13, 2016
video

Watch These Sprightly Frogs Compete in a 1965 Jumping Jubilee

The contest takes place every year at the Calaveras County Fair in California.
Lauren Young August 23, 2016
Permanently Closed
Hundreds of machines are setup for the tournaments.
Carnegie, Pennsylvania

Professional and Amateur Pinball Association World Headquarters

Where the "World Pinball Champion” is crowned.
mines

The Self-Proclaimed Center of the Universe is in Wallace, Idaho

This came as a surprise to New York City.
Tao Tao Holmes July 13, 2016
weapons

Wax Bullet Duels Were the Paintball Fights of 1909

Prideful men could fluff their feathers without anyone ending up dead.
Tao Tao Holmes June 29, 2016
animals

Unsightly Dogs Compete to Be the World's Ugliest in California

It's a surprisingly competitive contest that began in the '70s.
Urvija Banerji June 24, 2016
bars

Meat Raffles are the Juiciest Bar Trend

Meet the meat raffle, a British bar tradition transported to the U.S.
Natalie Zarrelli June 9, 2016
Champ de Mars Racecourse
Port Louis, Mauritius

Champ de Mars

Dating back to 1812, this is the oldest racecourse in the Southern Hemisphere.
Participants chill out to the best of their abilities.
news

This Relaxation Competition Finds Out Who Can Chill the Best

Could you win?
Cara Giaimo May 24, 2016
games

Watch These Guys Climb 80-Foot Poles in Just 13 Seconds

Sprinting up a vertical surface: challenging, but possible.
Tao Tao Holmes May 19, 2016
trees

Lumberjack Contests are the Coolest College Extracurricular

How a campfire competition between 19th-century loggers became a professional sport.
Lauren Young May 18, 2016
games

Watch a Fast and Furious Bout of Competitive Tree Felling

Chop chop!
Tao Tao Holmes May 17, 2016
Stairs, tilework
Bisbee, Arizona

Bisbee Stairs

Stairs often replace streets on the steep slopes of this old mining town.
objects of intrigue

Here Are the Medals Given to Eugenically Healthy Humans in the 1920s

People were judged alongside livestock at state fairs.
Ella Morton April 26, 2016
video

Extreme Speed Pipe Smoking is Not for the Weak of Stomach

Welcome to adrenalin sports, British gentleman style.
Tao Tao Holmes April 12, 2016
animals

The Colorful, Crocheted World of Turkish Camel Wrestling

Selçuk, are you ready to rumble?
Tao Tao Holmes April 6, 2016