Fierljeppen

Dutch people saw a pole vault competition and said, "That looks like fun but this is the Netherlands; we have to do it over water." And so the sport of fierljeppen was born. It's also called polsstokverspringen, or in English, canal jumping. But seriously, folks, this was once the way to get to the other side of a canal efficiently when there was no bridge. It's far from the only time an everyday activity was turned into a competition, because that's what people do. The poles are between 26 and 43 feet long, and you are supposed to climb it while you are flinging yourself across the canal. Fierljeppen may look strange, but it takes strength, skill, and often a bit of luck to successfully complete a jump without looking utterly ridiculous. Great Big Story talked to champion jumpers Ruben Van Eijk and Mark Van Der Horst about this strange sport and what goes into it. (via Damn Interesting)