25 Most Obscure Sports In The World

Bo-taoshi is Japanese for “pole-pulldown,” and it’s intense. Each team has 150 people that are divided into 75 attackers and 75 defenders. The goal? Knock down the other team’s pole. By the way, the number for 911 in Japan is 119.

According to the Extreme Ironing Bureau, this is “the latest danger sport that combines the thrills of an extreme outdoor activity with the satisfaction of a well-pressed shirt.” Originating in England, it is now a worldwide phenomenon that has taken place underwater, on mountainsides, and while parachuting.

According to some sources, this popular summer camp game originated in Israel. It’s played like dodgeball except it takes place in a wooden octagon and you have to hit players beneath the knees to get them out.

Every year from the top of Cooper’s Hill near Gloucester, England, a round of Double Gloucester Cheese is rolled and a herd of competitors chase it. Although they are theoretically supposed to catch it, the cheese can reach speeds of up to 70 mph, so generally speaking, whoever crosses the finish line first wins the cheese.

This modified form of polo was started in Switzerland in 1985, but since then, it has spread internationally. In the United States, it is played exclusively in Aspen, Colorado. (Yes, it’s still a rich people sport.)