Looking a bit like something out of the kamasutra, former Olympic cross-country skier John Farra ferried his upside down and clinging wife Tess to victory Saturday, bringing home the hotly contested seventh annual North American Wife Carrying Championship at Sunday River ski resort in western Maine.
With a large crowd enjoying the spouse-hauling and foliage in full fall frenzy, Farra and Farra of Caribou, Maine, bested a largest-ever field of 27 couples — who came from as far away as Georgia and Colorado — over a 278-yard obstacle course featuring a water trough and log hurdles with an impressive winning time of 1 minute, 4 seconds.
Competing couples needn't be married but must be one each, male and female, and at least 21 years old, since a highlight of the grand prize is the "wife's" weight in (sponsor) Redhook beer.
The Farra's also snagged a trophy, five-times Tess's weight (110 lbs.) in cash ($550) and up to a $1000 reimbursement towards a trip to the World Championships in Finland next July.
"We definitely plan on going to Finland," said John Farra. "Training was key for me. One method I used was putting an 80 pound bag of cement mix in my backpack and running around the yard."
Now he can practice with the beer!
Though teams can use whichever carry method they choose, serious competitors and all winners thus far have utilized the “Estonian” carry, where the “wife,” upside down, holds her husband around the waist from behind and tightens her legs around his neck, thereby freeing the husband’s hands for balance, grappling with obstacles, and what have you.
The Farras will be hard pressed to carry the World Championship in '07. Estonians — they of the fancy carrying technique — have won the renowned race nine years in a row, and this year's winner, world record holder Margo Uusorg, 26, has won it five times himself. "We don't have a secret, we just try to run fast and hope the legs work," said Uusorg modestly after his latest win.
Article comments
1 - Matthew T. Sussman
I heard the Mormon finished last.
2 - Eric Olsen
the unreconstructed Mormon - I keep hearing all teh "regular" Mormons are embarrassed of the bigamists.
Apparently I find this entire concept much more amusing than the rest of the world
3 - Nancy
What is amusing about middle aged men forcibly marrying young - usually underage - girls, usually multiples of them? And then to add insult to injury, they throw their huge illicit families onto public welfare because they themselves can't support them or don't think they ought to. These kids marry because they don't have any choice: their parents connive with the "groom" to sell them/hand them over. Nothing amusing about that, Eric. Inform yourself about this matter. There's plenty of reasons why it's illegal.
4 - Matthew T. Sussman
Wife carrying, not multiple wives, is the funny part.
There's nothing funny about that much nagging.
5 - Eric Olsen
ah, I was talking about the wife carrying story - Suss was making a jokey about Mormons. Notice the line break between the two statements - it means they are unrelated. You are a very tighly wound person, Nancy. Just say no to bigamy
6 - Nancy
Early in the ayem I have little or no sense of humor. I need to lighten up.
7 - Donnie Marler
"I heard the Mormon finished last."
I don't care who you are, that's funny!
8 - Matthew T. Sussman
Well then I'll try another direction.
So, Eric, how'd you place?
9 - Eric Olsen
there seems to be a very strong correlation between big guy/small woman and success - I'm not that big and Dawn is not that small
10 - Donnie Marler
LOL, man, somebody wants to sleep on his couch!
11 - Snarkattack
Ah great, I'll never find someone to compete with and there I was thinking my being light would make me a desirable candidate for such a race. Oh well.