The World's Stupidest Competition - Cheese rolling

The Cheese Rolling at Cooper’s Hill is one of the most spectacular and hazardous of rural English customs. It takes place at high noon on an extremely steep hill (45 degrees) and is open to all. It involves competitors hurling themselves 200 metres down this 1 in 2 hill in pursuit of the cheese.

Nobody really knows the actual origins of the Cheese Rolling competition held annually in the Cotswold Hills in South West England. It is thought to be part of an old fertility rite but whatever the beginnings; it is a tradition that certainly attracts a large crowed of spectators. The cheese weighs approximately 9lbs (4kg) and can achieve a speed in excess of 40 miles per hour (65 km/h). On several occasions in the past the cheeses have veered off into the crowd and caused numerous injuries. The winner of the chase gets to keep the prize of a seven to eight pound Double Gloucester cheese.

On the count of three, the first cheese is rolled, and on “four” the competitors launch themselves in pursuit. Inevitably, the wheel-shaped cheese reaches the bottom before it is seized, so the winner is the one to arrive immediately afterwards.

Traditionally, there are 4 Cheeses rolled, which have been donated and one is specifically for the girls. The cheeses are, of course, Double Gloucester, as is befitting of the area.

The competition was cancelled in 1997 after about thirty people were injured in the races - seven were spectators hit by cheeses. In 1999 extra safety precautions were taken, with a team of stewards and a mountain rescue unit on duty. The course was also lined with crash barriers (normally used for downhill skiing) to enhance safety.

A crowd of several thousand turned out to see this year’s spectacle as dozens of competitors hurling themselves down the very steep hill. Gale force winds and torrential rain add spice to what is already one of the most bizarre and perilous sporting challenges in Britain.

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