Kind of reminds me of that scene from Lord of the Rings, the really awesome one where the elf brings down an elephant by its earring....maybe this sport also needs some elves...
Some of the world’s craziest sports were definitely influenced by alcohol. They had to be—no way some of these strange games could have been created if people weren’t intoxicated.
One sport that admittedly was started after a “drunken lunch” was elephant polo. The game takes what is relatively normal in some places, polo, and adds the most powerful land animal on earth.
The World Series of Elephant Polo is played out for a week straight in Thailand, Nepal and Sri Lanka. It is truly a sight to see: goofy men seated atop elephants, being “driven” by mahouts (natives) with long mallets. The rest of the rules are pretty similar to normal polo. The biggest difference? Elephants are fast.
Watching them gallop around on the Discovery Channel doesn’t do justice to how fast they can be. The only problem with that is their girth doesn’t produce great results when they try to stop. Turning isn’t out of the question in elephant polo, but it takes a very skilled driver. Hence, the game takes a perpendicular pattern.
The sport is supposed to raise money for the conservation of elephants. I think the actual game is supposed to be a little bit of a joke, but I’m sure people out there take it very seriously.
Entering it’s 25th year, they should spice it up a little. Put the elephants on steroids. Maybe give the competitors spears or something and then play until the death. That would really take it back to man and wild, humans and animals. And instead of all of the people being drunk while playing, slip the elephants a few shots of something. Of course, those things probably need $200 worth of liquor to feel a buzz, but nothing would draw more attention.
mmm I yearn for a video of this mess.