wife carrying

ok - something for fun

 

Sport in Finland and Estonia (pdf)

snip

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The Wife Carrying World Championship began in 1992 at Sonkajärvi, Finland, and has been held annually since then. Contestants are winning couples from wife-carrying competitions in Australia, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland and the United States. The competition involves the man running along a 253.5 m track with three obstacles, carrying his “wife”. This “wife” must weigh at least 49kg, or be weighted to 49 kg. The “wife” need not be your own, but can be “the neighbour’s”.⁴ As a health bonus, the winner receives the “wife’s” weight in beer, known to improve cardiovascular health when consumed in moderation.⁵

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I guess that removes the polygamist advantage.

 

Why these people did not win an Ig Nobel prize is beyond comprehension. 

 

Wife carrying for health  

I-Min Lee MB BS, ScD, Associate Professor^{1 ,}Sylvia Titze MPH, Associate Professor² ,Pekka Oja PhD, Scientific Director (retired)³

 

¹ Division of Preventive Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass, USA.

² Institute of Sport Science, University of Graz, Graz, Austria.

³ UKK Institute for Health Promotion Research, Tampere, Finland.

Abstract

Objectives: To highlight a fun activity — the sport of wife carrying — and to investigate factors associated with better performance.

Design, setting and participants: Cross-sectional study based in Sonkajärvi, Finland (venue of the annual Wife Carrying World Championship race), of 172 couples participating in wife-carrying races, 1992–2010. Main outcome measure: Race finishing time.

Results: The mean age for male participants was 32.6 (SD, 8.7) years and for female participants, 30.5 (SD, 9.2) years. The mean finishing time was 98 s. Finish times tended to be somewhat slower as the age of the male partner increased (P = 0.06), but not as the female partner’s age increased (P = 0.89). Race experience was not associated with faster times (P = 0.88). Estonians were almost 12 s faster than other nationalities, although this was not statistically significant (P = 0.25), probably due to the small number of Estonians. Men who engaged in endurance-type physical activities as hobbies (P = 0.003), or in both endurance- and strength-building activities (P = 0.001), were significantly faster than those who did neither. Among women, strength- building (P = 0.03) but not endurance-type (P = 0.36) physical activities were significantly associated with faster race times.

Conclusions: Wife carrying can be a novel option for increasing physical activity levels, which improve health. Although some key data were unavailable, such as wife’s body weight, and injury rates, this study identified several factors associated with better performance in this sport.

It was published as a Christmas article in the Med J Aust 2011; 195 (11): 723-725.  Australians are known beer drinkers.  You could easily have male and female carrier divisions to make it less sexist. 

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The Ig Nobel Prize ceremony started out as science types having fun.  The Journal of Irreproducible Results has been around for decades and reflects science humor much more closely than television shows like The Big Bang Theory.  Over the years the Ig Nobels have evolved into papers that sound wacky at first glance, but in the end make you think and raise more questions.

 

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Recipes

Here are two spiced chai recipes...   Let me know if you have better!

 

I have tried several but here are two I make with variations… for sweetening I usually use honey or maple syrup

note the overnight trick on the second type - you can adapt the first to it) it makes a very rich brew. I usually make 2 or 3 cups at a time and have throughout the day.

I’ve had some very good and very not-so-good spicey chai mixes that you just add to the water, milk and tea … there are probably some to try, but homemade is good.

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(All measurements are per cup – multiply for the number of cups or medium-sized mugs you are making. There are two approaches: focus on one key spice, like cardamom, or use a smaller quantity of several ingredients)

3/4 cup water plus 1/4 cup milk (I make this with coconut, almond or soy milk for a vegan version - all have different tastes. coconut is very rich)
Sugar to taste
Roughly ~2 teaspoons per cup loose black tea leaves (Ideally Assam or Ceylon tea – English Breakfast will do)

Some or all of the following (measurements are per cup or per medium-sized mug):

2 green cardamom pods
2-3 whole black peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
1-2 pieces cinnamon (“real cinnamon”. May be labeled “Vietnamese cinnamon”)
Fresh ginger (2-3 thin slices for extra zing)

Or

Loose tea masala (a mixture of spices that I’ve found - it makes it very siple)
and ginger (see above) if desired (I like ginger a lot, so I almost always use it)

Heat water and milk. Before it comes to a boil, add fresh ginger (with skin, sliced into thin rounds), if using and any or several of the following: a few pods of green cardamom, Cinnamon stick, fennel seeds, peppercorns and/or cinnamon. Devesh used 1/8 teaspoon of tea masala per cup and fresh ginger, skipping the other spices. When the milk / water mixture boils, add loose black tea. Turn off the heat and let steep for 2 minutes. Pour into a cup through a sieve to strain out tea leaves and spices. Add sugar / sweetener to taste.

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Masala Chai Tea

makes one 8 ounce serving
3/4 cup water
2-4 whole green cardamom pods, smashed
1-2 thin slices fresh ginger
1 1-inch cinnamon stick
1 piece star anise
3/4 cup milk (vegan use coconut, almond or soy milk)
1 1/2 teaspoons loose black tea leaves (Assam or English Breakfast teas work well)
Sweetener, to taste (I prefer honey or maple syrup)

In a small saucepan, combine the water, cardamom, ginger, cinnamon stick and star anise. Bring the mixture to a boil then lower the heat and simmer for a few minutes until the mixture is fragrant. Add the milk and tea leaves, and simmer for another minute then turn off the heat and let steep for 2 minutes. Pour into a cup through a fine mesh sieve. Discard the leaves and spices. Add sweetener, to taste.

If you want deeply flavorful tea in the morning, follow these alternate directions starting the night before.

In a small saucepan, combine the water, cardamom, cinnamon stick and star anise. Do not add the ginger yet. Bring to a boil then turn it off and cover the pan. In the morning, add the sliced ginger and bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer for a few minutes until the mixture is fragrant. Add the milk and tea leaves, and simmer for another minute then turn off the heat and let steep for 2 minutes. Pour into a cup through a fine mesh sieve. Discard the tea and spices. Add sweetener, to taste.