Bog snorkelling
 Competitor of the World Bog Snorkelling Championship | |
| First played | 1976, Llanwrtyd Wells, Wales, United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Characteristics | |
| Team members | No |
| Mixed-sex | Yes, but in separate leagues |
| Type | Outdoor, aquatic |
| Venue | Water-filled trench cut through a peat bog |
Bog snorkelling is a sporting event where competitors aim to complete two consecutive lengths of a 60 yards (55 m) water-filled trench cut through a peat bog in the shortest time possible, wearing traditional snorkel, diving mask and flippers. They complete the course without swimming, relying on flipper power alone.
The women's world record stands at 1 minute 22.56 seconds by Kirsty Johnson in 2014. The men's world record was set by Neil Rutter in 2018, with a time of 1 min 18.81 seconds. Both were set at the Waen Rhydd bog, Llanwrtyd Wells in Wales.
Rules
- A water-filled trench 60 yards (55 m) in length must be cut through a peat bog by the organisers.[1]
- Competitors must wear snorkels, masks and flippers.[1]
- A wetsuit is not compulsory, but is often worn.[1]
- Bog snorkelling competitors must traverse two consecutive lengths totalling 120 yards (110 m) in the shortest time possible.[1]
- The course must be completed without using conventional swimming strokes, relying on flipper power alone.[1]
World record history
| Time | Record holder | Location and date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 min 44 sec |  Peter Beaumont of Wales |
Waen Rhydd bog, Llanwrtyd Wells, Powys, Wales in 1997.[2] |
| 1 min 39 sec |  John Cantillon of Dublin |
Llanwrtyd Wells 2000.[2] |
| 1 min 35.46 sec | Philip John |
Llanwrtyd Wells 2003.[3][4] |
| 1 min 34 sec |  Casey Squibb from Dorset, England |
Alice's Loft & Cottages, Doohamlet, Castleblayney, County Monaghan in 2009.[5] |
| 1 min 28 sec |  Connor Murphy from Portadown, County Armagh, Northern Ireland |
Doohamlet, later the same day in 2009.[5] |
| 1 min 23.13 sec | Dineka Maguire from Northern Ireland |
Llanwrtyd Wells 2013.[6] |
| 1 min 22.56 sec | Kirsty Johnson (Current women's world record) |
Llanwrtyd Wells 24 August 2014.[7] |
| 1 min 19 sec | Paddy Lambe from Castleblayney, County Monaghan |
Irish Bog Snorkelling Championship 2016 (His sister Moira Lambe also won the ladies' event.)[8] |
| 1 min 18.81 sec | Neil Rutter (Current world record) |
Llanwrtyd Wells 26 August 2018.[9] |
World Bog Snorkelling Championship
The World Bog Snorkelling Championship, first held in 1985, takes place every August Bank Holiday in the dense Waen Rhydd peat bog, near Llanwrtyd Wells in mid Wales.[1] Competitors travel from as far afield as Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, England, Finland, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, Poland, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Wales and the US.[2][4][10]
Other bog snorkelling events take place, particularly in Wales, but also in Australia, Ireland, and Sweden. These include the Bog Snorkelling Triathlon, which consists of a 120 yards (110 metres) snorkel, a 19 miles (31 kilometres) bike ride and a 7+1⁄2 miles (12.1 km) run.[11][6]
Proceeds from the World Championship go to a local charity each year. Past recipients include the Cystic Fibrosis Trust (2005) and the Motor Neurone Association (2006). The 2006 charity was chosen in memory of the Green Events treasurer, Ron Skilton, who died in December 2005.[3]
In popular culture
- 2019 - Royal Mail issue a collectable stamps edition of UK Weird and Wonderful Customs which includes Bog snorkelling at Llanwrtyd Wells, World Gurning Championship at Egremont, Up Helly Aa in Lerwick, Burning the Clocks in Brighton, 'Obby 'Oss festival in Padstow, Samhain Celtic festival (Halloween) at Derry, Horn Dance at Abbots Bromley and Cheese-Rolling at Cooper's Hill.[12]
References
- ^ a b c d e f Galván, Javier A. (19 June 2014). They Do What? A Cultural Encyclopedia of Extraordinary and Exotic Customs from around the World: A Cultural Encyclopedia of Extraordinary and Exotic Customs from around the World. ABC-CLIO. p. 36. ISBN 978-1-61069-342-4.
- ^ a b c "Bog snorkellers set new world record". BBC News. 28 August 2000.
- ^ a b "The 2007 event". llanwrtyd-wells.powys.org.uk. 2006. Archived from the original on 14 December 2007.
- ^ a b "Schoolboy is champion bog snorkeller". BBC. 26 August 2002.
- ^ a b "Irish Bog Snorkelling (2009) World Record Smashed Twice!! 1st ever Irish Bog Snorkelling Championships a Huge Success". Archived from the original on 22 July 2010. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
- ^ a b "Teenager in bog snorkelling record". Belfast Telegraph. 25 August 2013.
- ^ "Fastest time to complete Women's World Bog Snorkelling". guinnessworldrecords.com. 2020.
- ^ "Mayhem in the muck at bog snorkelling championship - Independent.ie". Retrieved 12 September 2016.
- ^ "Fastest time to complete Men's World Bog Snorkelling". guinnessworldrecords.com. 2020.
- ^ "Rude Health World Bog Snorkelling Championship 2022". green-events.co.uk. 27 August 2022.
- ^ "World Bog Snorkelling Championship". Archived from the original on 15 November 2011. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
- ^ "Stamps: Cheese rolling, gurning and bog snorkelling on new UK stamps". BBC. 9 July 2019.