Oddity Central - Collecting Oddities » contests

Seminole Indians Hope to Revive Alligator Wrestling

Spooky — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 11:19:44 +0000

Alligator wrestling has been a big part of Seminole culture, and a popular sport, until the 1990s. Now, Seminole entrepreneurs hope to bring it back to its former glory, and make a fortune, in the process.

The Seminole Indians have come a long way, from living and hunting in swamp areas, to owning the Hard Rock chain of restaurants and hotels. Now they’re getting involved in a business venture closely tied to their native culture: alligator wrestling.

Richard Bowers, president of the Seminole Indian tribe of south Florida, says alligator wrestling has immense growth potential as long as there’s always going to be a part of the population who will want to see blood sports. And it doesn’t get much bloodier than going toe to toe with a reptile that could turn a human limb from limb.

Photo by ALEX QUESADA

Alligator wrestlers have ten minutes to get the alligator out of its water-hole, somehow drag it to dry land, where each shows off a series of tricks, like kissing the gators or placing their heads and hands between the reptiles’ jaws. The prize money for this sort of competition adds up to around $10,000.

Photo by ALEX QUESADA

Men with sticks watch vigilantly, in case one of the competitors is caught in a dreaded “death-roll”, by the alligators, but spectators are advised to just sit down and watch the carnage, in case anything goes wrong. After all, if an alligator wrestler gets bitten, there’s not much anyone else can do to help.

Photo by ALEX QUESADA

via TimesOnline

Pig Beauty Contest Held in China

Spooky — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 11:10:17 +0000

The Pig Contest of Guanshan Village, Guangdong Province, China, is a centuries old tradition dating back to the Qing Dinasty.

Hundreds of thousands of tourists, from all over China, travel to Guanshan, every year, to take a look at the hundreds of pigs on display at the Pig Contest. This year, around 500 oinkers were sacrificed, cleaned up and set on display to be admired by passers-by.

After the most handsome pig is allected, the festivities end in a gargantuan feast, when the tasty participants are sliced up and served to the public.

Photos via Xinhua

Stuck at Prom

Spooky — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 10:38:28 +0000

Have you ever considered making your prom dress or suit out of duct tape? No? How about for $3,000?

Duck brand Duct Tape have been organizing the “Stuck at Prom” competition for 10 straight years, challenging students to create original prom costumes using as much duct tape as possible. Competitors’ costumes are judged according to the following criteria: workmanship, originality, use of color, accessories and amount of duct tape used. The 10 best costumes are subjected to an online vote.

First place winners receive a $3,000 scholarship, second place gets $2,000, third place $1,000 and runners up receive $500. It may not seem like much, but in these troubled times any penny counts. And plus, you get to wear a cheap prom costume that will definitely catch everyone’s eyes.

via Guidespot

Yam King Contest Held in China

Spooky — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 08:59:28 +0000

On November 25, a yam and taro contest crowned the largest yam of 2009, in South-West China.

As one of the biggest yam and taro supplier in China, Anhe Township held the seventh annual Yam King Contest. Farmers from all around the area brought their biggest harvested yams hoping they’ll snatch the title of yam King 2009.

The winner of the contest was a 1.66 meters-long yam that weighed 38 kilograms. I bet that’s big enough to feed the farmer’s whole family for a long time.

via Xinhua

The Cardboard Tube Fighting League

Spooky — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 15:47:51 +0000

Well, if there’s such a thing as the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, you’d better believe we also have a Cardboard Tube Fighting League.

It’s actually an international organization promoting events where people face each other in fair combat, wielding deadly…carton tubes. To be honest, it focuses more on fun and costume creativity than on violence. Anyone over 5-years-old can participate in a cardboard fight, so it’s not dangerous at all.

The rules of cardboard tube fighting are simple. To win a tournament or cardboard battle, you have to break your opponents cardboard and keep yours intact. If it should happen that both fighters break their tubes, the fight is declared a draw and the competitors are both declared winn…, losers. Parrying hits with the arm is forbidden and so is hitting an opponent in the face and stabbing.

During cardboard tube fighting tournaments, shields of any kind are forbidden, but they can be worn during cardboard tube battles, where two armies face each other and pound away until the last cardboard tube breaks or unravels.

[Photo Credits]

15-Year-Old National Texting Champ

Spooky — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 10:33:49 +0000

‘Surprisingly’ the US Texting Champ is a 15-year-old girl.

Kate Moore, a young girl from Des Moines, Iowa, took home the title of 2009 US Texting Champion and a prize of $50,000. But she had to work hard for every cent. LG, the contest organizer, made this year’s competition a very difficult one.

Contestants had to type tough messages while blindfolded, text acronyms, run an obstacle-course and text at the same time, and even text tongue-twisters while being taunted by actors dressed as emoticons. Moore made it to the final tie-breaker with runner up Dynda Morgan, and won the championship by typing “Zippity Dooo Dahh Zippity Ayy…MY oh MY, what a wonderful day! Plenty of sunshine Comin’ my way….Zippitty Do Dah Zippity Aay! WondeRful Feeling Wonderful day!” faster than her opponent.

15-year-old Kate Moore stated she texts between 400-500 times a day and an average of 12,041 times a month.

CNN via Switched