Dorsal Finns

Dorsal Finns

Twelve Finns, carrying women on their backs, entered the annual national wife-carrying championships in Sonkajarvi near the Arctic Circle. The women, according to the rules, had to be over 17 and preferably someone else's wife. The course was 780ft long and included two fences and a waist- deep pool. Dropping the woman incurs a 15-second penalty. The winner, Ilpo Ronkko, finished in 1 minute 11.4 seconds. His prize was his wife's weight in lemonade. Finnish licensing laws prevented the award of beer.