World Bog Snorkeling Championships

Published on January 13, 2009 by Rask Balavoine in Sports

I would rather pass a kidney stone.

Comments (5)|4 Liked It

In the Waen Rhydd bog near the little mid Wales town of Llanwrtyd Wells (pronounced Llanwrtyd Wells), bog snorkelers meet at the end of August each year for the annual World Bog Snorkelling championships. O yes they do, and have done so since 1985 when the event began.

What happens is that a trench 55 metres long is cut through the dense bog and allowed to fill with bog water. The competitors (usually in wet suits, but not necessarily) have to propel themselves two lengths of the trench wearing snorkel and flippers but without making use of conventional swimming strokes. Powered only by their flippers and remaining underwater the whole distance, the fastest competitors can make it in around 1 minute 38 seconds (2008 record).

Read more in Sports
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The sport has diversified in recent years to include a bog snorkelling triathlon, with a 19 km run and a 40 km mountain bike ride sandwiching the bog snorkel. And it’s not just the Welsh who compete! Competitors have been known to travel from Australia, and now there is an annual event staged near Dungannon, Northern Ireland, but that trench is much longer.

Why? Why indeed.

It’s all good fun, but the events are really an attempt to raise awareness of peat bogs and to highlight the risk of losing such natural habitats. Money raised is distributed among several charities.

See you all there next August bank holiday with your snorkels.

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5 Comments

  1. James DeVere
    Posted January 13, 2009 at 4:32 am

    I saw that on telly! Wonderful stuff…j

  2. Darren Goad
    Posted January 13, 2009 at 5:13 am

    So, it just seemed too unbelievable, so I had to make sure that you were not making this up. And… I did find it on Welshpedia… Not a glowing endorsement, but Rask, I have to ask… where on earth do you find these things? Keep ‘em coming as they make great pub conversations.

  3. Lost in Arizona
    Posted January 13, 2009 at 9:16 pm

    I have to wonder at times, what people will come up with next..lol! But since it’s in good fun to raise awareness about the ecological benefits that bogs can have to our environment, then why not? You come up with some of the most zaniest, interesting articles! :)

  4. eddiego65
    Posted January 17, 2009 at 9:40 am

    Very interesting sport! First time I heard of it.

  5. C Jordan
    Posted January 17, 2009 at 9:11 pm

    If Rask says it is, then it is.This is true. The BBC TV even covered it on a programme called “Countryfile”. Another gem Rask, keep ‘em coming.

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