Pacu Jawi means "bull race" in Indonesian: held in West Sumatra several times a year to accompany the rice harvest cycle, this race consists of holding two bulls as they run through the muddy rice fields. Each participant stands on a plough pulled by two cattle, holding onto their tails like water skiers as they slide down the muddy track. The event is very spectacular, and it is the highlight of the agricultural festival that takes place between the planting of the rice.

Perhaps you remember assembling makeshift blowguns back in your school days, when you shot out little pellets of wet paper at your classmates. The British, world leaders in unusual sports, decided to go even further. In the 1980s, they had the brilliant idea of making this childhood game an accuracy competition. For this, participants have real blowpipes about 12 inches long, with a more or less sophisticated eyepiece. Some of the more experienced shooters even have laser scopes ! The shooters aim at a target covered with putty and located 3 and a half yards away. As ammunition, they use peas. Certainly a better choice than eating them for breakfast, but an unusual choice nevertheless !

Australia is a land of dangers, home to hundreds of the most dangerous species of animals in the world. One of them being Man, in particular the Australian, a kind of daredevil whose hobby is to endanger his own life. It is thus without much surprise that the Australians invented in the 19th century an unusual sport, inspired by the local fauna. Goanna Pulling is based on the principle of a tug-of-war, but with one particularity, and not the least: you have to pull with your neck!

Who else but Canadians could have invented a sport based on cooperation and fair play? Appearing at the end of the 1980's with an educational aim, this practice created by a Quebec gym teacher is mainly played in North America. But over time it’s been exported all over the world, and today claims just over 4 million licensees, according to the international federation.

If Japan is distinguished by the longevity of its population, here is a tradition that has lasted for nearly 1200 years ! The Onbashira, meaning "the celestial pillars", is a festival that takes place every 6 years in the mountains of the Nagano region (every 7 years according to the Japanese way of counting). Divided into two parts, this extremely popular festival consists of the symbolic replacement of the pillars of the Suwa-Taisha temples by huge fir trunks about 50 feet long and 10 tons each...

The Germans are known for their reputation of rigour and professionalism. Strangely enough, though, this next sport comes directly from our Teutonic friends. Have you ever wanted to cross an open space on wheels in an office chair ? In this discipline, which originated in the early 2000s, work desks are replaced by an inclined course about 200 yards long, where the participants race down a straight line at full speed...

Tiger Woods scans the course: hole #12 is located in front of a body of water. The wind is non-existent, the conditions are ideal ! The champion concentrates, victory is in his grasp. The American approaches his caddie ; but this time, he does not choose a club but retrieves a frisbee...

There's no need to introduce Quidditch, the famous team sport from the Harry Potter saga played on flying brooms. But did you know there is a version for muggles, that is to say nonwizards like you and your friends ? Contrary to what one might imagine, it isn’t the English who exported this discipline into the real world, but the Americans. In 2005 the rules were set, and in barely two years, it became a popular sport in many American colleges, even spurring the organization of a World Cup...