Chris Anderson, a former British soldier, is about to race down a hill to catch a speeding cheese. With over twenty wins, this local star from the village of Brockworth isn't afraid of sprains. No, this isn’t a pitch for a Monty Python sketch, although the story does have a whiff of absurd British humour...

You probably know Florence for its Italian charm and its reputation of being one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The jewel of Tuscany, the cradle of the Renaissance, a city of culture with many museums that echo its historical and privileged link with art and architecture, it is even known as the "capital of the arts". However, the most violent sport on our list comes straight from Florence : Calcio Storico, also known as Florentine Calcio, is a traditional sport of the city, where four districts compete annually in a discipline that is a cross between a football match and a combat between gladiators...

Don't be afraid of this barbaric soundic name, it simply means "long jump" in Frisian, the second official language of Friesland, a northern province of the Netherlands. But what exactly is this discipline? It's a kind of pole vaulting, where you try to cross a canal or other such waterway. Unlike the pole vault in track & field, the competitor runs without the pole (it's too big and heavy) ; instead, the pole is erected vertically in the waterway itself. Our athlete will then run and jump on the pole, catch it, and use it to propel himself as far as possible to land on the other side, where the bank is usually arranged with sand to cushion the fall.

If the name rings a bell, it's probably because you're a Back to the Future fan. Indeed, in the second opus, the Slamball is mentioned as being one of the sports practiced by the turbulent Needles Douglas, Marty McFly's colleague played by the rockstar Flea, bass player of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. But what is Slamball ?

d4. d5. c4. No, this is not a naval battle, but a chess opening. Imagine for a moment : you are facing your opponent, the stopwatch is running, as soon as you make your move you tap the clock to count down the opponent's time. With a sharp eye, you try to fathom your opponent while he thinks about which piece to move. But on the other side of this tactical battle, your opponent is... shirtless. And so are you...

You've all seen, at least via archive footage, a child straddling a stick and pretending it’s a horse. What we are talking about here is on a completely different level. Hobby horsing is the extension of this, the modern and sportive version. It appeared in Finland about ten years ago and was popularized thanks to the internet. Hobby horsing was at the beginning a self-organization of young girls, most of them with riding experience. These Finnish teenagers got together and gradually structured this practice into a real discipline.

Why race a boat when you can race a giant pumpkin ! As odd as it may sound, there is indeed a giant pumpkin boat race held every fall on Lake Pesaquid in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Founded in 1999, the race has become a popular event in the region; since 2010 it has welcomed more than ten thousand spectators, both Canadian and American. Indeed, the United States are always fond of things gigantic.

The height of elitism and absurdity, the Eton Wall Game is a pure product of the English establishment. Played at Eton College, not far from the royal town of Windsor, it is probably the most aristocratic sport in the world. First played in the early 18th century, a match has been held every year since 1766, underlining the weight of tradition. Founded in 1440 by King Henry VI, Eton College is considered the cradle of English royalty, and the world's aristocracy is keen to send their children to this prestigious school.