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13th Annual North American Wife Carrying Championship Set for Saturday, October 6, 2012
Newry, ME (Summer 2012)—The traditional vow exclaiming “to have and to hold” will take on a whole new meaning for the 50 couples set to compete in Sunday River Resort’s 13th annual North American Wife Carrying Championships (NAWCC) on Saturday, Oct. 6, 2012.
Wildly popular, the North American Wife Carrying Championship draws thousands of spectators to the grass covered slopes of Sunday River each fall. The event, however, is open only to the first 50 couples who register through the resort’s website, www.sundayriver.com, starting in September.
For the race, Sunday River builds a regulation size 278-yard obstacle course featuring log hurdles, sand traps, and the always popular “widow maker” water hazard.
How the wife is carried is the competitors' choice, though most use the "Estonian" where the female participant holds the male around the waist and tightens her legs around his neck, thereby freeing his hands.
Prequalification is not required to enter the North American Wife Carrying Championship and competing couple does not have to be married though they must be comprised of a man and a woman and both must be at least 21 years old to enter.
The winning couple will take home the wife’s weight in beer, five times her weight in cash, and an entry into the World Championship, which takes place in Finland the following summer.
The legend behind the NAWCC is based on 19th century Finnish legend “Ronkainen the Robber” who had high qualifications for the men he accepted into his band. To prove their worth, men had to compete through a difficult course with a heavy sack or woman grabbed from neighboring villages on their back.
The first modern-day wife carrying event was held in Finland 1991 and foreign contestants were admitted in 1995. Qualifying events are also held in Australia, Sweden, and Estonia.
Registration for the NAWCC starts in September, and is open up until the day of the event. For more information on the North American Wife Carrying Championship, visit www.sundayriver.com.
