Baseball may be America’s favorite summer pastime, but across the pond, a unique, no-hands sport reigns supreme—and we’re not talking about soccer.
Toe wrestling—yes, toe wrestling—is such a popular pastime in Northern England that there’s an entire championship centered on this sport every summer.
Since its inception in 1976, the Toe Wrestling Championship has taken the Derbyshire community near Manchester by storm.
Toe wrestling is a competition between two participants. With their bare feet in a square ring, opponents sit on the floor, lock their big toes, and then battle in an arm-wrestle style to wrangle the other’s foot to the sideboard of the designated wrestling area. The art of toe wrestling is more skill than strength; opponents are required to keep non-competing feet in the air with hands flat on the ground.
It’s a best-of-three competition that typically lasts one hour, and fear not: Toe hygiene is a priority. Nurses inspect all toes for fungus and hidden weapons prior to competition. Livingstone says they see about 10 to 30 participants annually. Winners move on through the bracket until the leaders go toe-to-toe in the final tournament.
After 40 years and many toe tangos, the sport of toe wrestling continues to gain traction, even if the International Olympic Committee has refused to accept it as an official Olympic sport.
