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October 9, 2010

Maine couple wins wife-carrying competition

By Kelley Bouchard kbouchard@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer

NEWRY — A Maine couple won the 11th annual North American Wife Carrying Championship today at the Sunday River Ski Resort.

Rocco Andreozzi of Bethel and Kim Wasco of Farmington came in first place and won prizes including cash equal to six times Wasco’s weight of 127 pounds.

With a winning time of 1 minute 1.91 seconds, Andreozzi and Wasco beat second place finishers Jesse Wall of South Paris and Christine Arsenault of Portland by 16.86 seconds. Wall and Arsenault finished the championship heat with a time of 1 minute 18.77 seconds.

Couples elminated in earlier races included Jesse and Stacey Coleman of Gorham, who came in eighth place overall with a time of 1 minute 11.89 seconds.

Today’s victory qualifies Andreozzi and Wasco for the World Wife Carrying Championship held next July in Finland.

The event drew 50 couples from all over the United States and Canada. Competitors included Markus Raty and Joline Matika, both of Toronto, who won the Canadian Wife Carrying Championship in 2003-2005.

For this event, couples navigated a 278-yard obstacle course while the man carried his wife or teammate over hurdles and through the infamous water trap commonly referred to as the widow maker.

Teams do not have to be married to enter, but they must be comprised of a man and a woman and both must be over age 21.

The carry is the competitors’ choice, though most use the “Estonian” carry where the “wife” holds her husband around his waist and tightens her legs around his neck, thereby freeing the husband’s hands.

The legend behind the contest is based in Finnish history. In the 19th century, infamous Ronkainen the Robber had high qualifications for men he accepted into his band.

They had to complete a difficult course with a heavy sack on their backs. It was also not uncommon for men to steal women from neighboring villages. The first modern-day event was held in 1991 and foreign contestants were admitted in 1995.

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