I Could Totally See Homer and Marge Entering This Contest - The Prize? Your Wife's Weight in Beer

NEWRY, Maine -- Keith Cardoza and Julia Stoner of Boston, Mass. posted the second fastest preliminary time and topped their original effort in the final heat to become 2007 North American Wife Carrying Champions (NAWCC) against the largest field in the event’s history. They take home a trophy, Julia’s weight in Bud Light beer, and five times her weight in cash, which totaled $675. They have now qualified for the world championship, which is held in Finland in July.

The carry is the competitors’ choice, though most use the “Estonian” carry, where the “wife” holds her husband around the waist and tightens her legs around his neck, thereby freeing the husband’s hands. (HUH?!)

Click here for the whole story and why wouldn't you want to?

Here's another wife carrying competition in Finland. Allegedly, the competition arose from barbarians who tested possible recruits to their ranks by forcing them to carry heavy sacks while performing other tasks (hacking and chopping tasks, I assume). The sacks were implemented because it was not uncommon to steal women from neighboring villages. Ah, the good old days.

(I found the first part of this juicy morsel over at Best Week Ever.)