The Most Unusual Sports Trophies You Won’t Believe Exist
While sports trophies often bring to mind shimmering gold cups, sparkling medallions, or elaborate statuettes, this is not always the case. There are some incredibly peculiar prizes out there that shatter conventional norms, offering their recipients a truly unique symbol of victory. Let’s delve into the world of the most unusual sports trophies you won’t believe exist.
1. The Ashes Urn
Perhaps one of the most well-known oddities on this list, the Ashes Urn is awarded to the winner of the cricket test match series between England and Australia. The prize? A small terracotta urn said to contain the ashes of a cricket bail, symbolizing “the death of English cricket.” In actuality, it’s too fragile to travel and a replica is awarded instead. Even so, it remains an unusual sports trophy, its size and contents challenging traditional norms.
2. The Gelande Quaffing Trophy
Gelande Quaffing, a sport born out of boredom in 1986 by a group of Jackson Hole skiers, involves sliding beers down a table for a teammate to catch and chug. The annual Gelande Quaffing World Championships award a trophy that is as unusual as the sport itself: a golden beer keg mounted on a wooden pedestal.
3. The Giant Nut
BattleBots, a robot fighting competition, awards its champions with the aptly named “Giant Nut.” This trophy is an oversized, gold-colored hexagonal nut, acting as a playful and appropriate representation of the engineering and mechanical prowess that goes into the competition.
4. Cheese Rolling Cooper’s Hill Medal
One of the world’s weirdest sports, the Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling event in Gloucestershire, England, sees competitors chase a wheel of cheese down a steep hill. The first one to cross the finish line wins the cheese and a small medal. The real prize is the 7-8 pound wheel of Double Gloucester cheese, an unusual but delicious trophy.
5. The World Grits Festival Rolling Trophy
In St. George, South Carolina, the World Grits Festival hosts a “grits rolling” competition where contestants dive into a pool filled with grits. The competitor who can carry out the most grits by weight wins. The prize? An oversized golden grits spoon. An odd trophy for an equally odd sport, but a cherished tradition for the locals.
6. The Beer Can Regatta Trophy
Australia’s Darwin Beer Can Regatta is an annual boat race with vessels constructed entirely of beer cans. The trophy is an unconventional hybrid of sporting prize and folk art, featuring a beer can aesthetic that makes it a unique addition to any trophy cabinet.
7. Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Trophy
Alaska’s annual Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race from Anchorage to Nome offers a peculiar trophy. The champion is awarded not just with a cash prize but also with a trophy made from a slab of burled wood, adorned with an engraved gold nugget. The distinct, rough-hewn design of the trophy perfectly captures the rugged spirit of this grueling race.
In conclusion, while trophies generally represent victory, accomplishment, and prestige, these examples remind us that they can also capture the spirit, tradition, and idiosyncrasies of the sport they represent. From ashes to golden nuts to cheese wheels, these unusual sports trophies challenge convention, bringing a touch of quirkiness and fun into the world of competitive sports.
