STATE OF MEN: Change a threat into an opportunity or swap a sack of rye for a woman?

Me Tarzan, You Jane
An Estonian clinched Finland's seventh wife-carrying world championship, winning the "wife's" weight in beer and a sauna against 17 other couples. Using the "Estonian carry," where the woman clamps her thighs to the sides of the man's face while hanging upside down on his back, Madis Uusorg carried Inga Klauso 830 feet through a pool and over hurdles in just over a minute. The race in the remote village of Sonkajarvi, a few hours' drive from the Arctic Circle, has roots in local legend: apparently, stealing women from neighboring villages was common practice. It also harks to the story of Ronkainen the Robber, who made aspiring gang members prove their worth by carrying sacks of rye along a challenging track. "I just tried to run and not think about anything," Uusorg said.

[Beverly Hanly, in Furthermore, Wired's newsletter]