If you are a Big Brother fan you may remember Marcus and Siavash had to take part in a Task celebrating the annual Welsh ‘World Bog Snorkelling Championship’. On hearing the trigger song “We’ll Keep A Welcome In The Hillside” performed by The Treorchy Male voice Choir, they had one minute to get to the start point of the bog in the Garden, put on goggles, flippers and a snorkel and then had to snorkel through the bog to the finish point.
Allegedly the Big Brother bog contained fish guts rather than the usual Welsh mud! We decided to find out all about this curious sport!
This event was first held in 1985 and takes place annually every Bank Holiday Monday at Waen Rhydd peat bog just outside Llanwrtyd Wells. Local man Gordon Green devised the bog snorkelling event back in 1976 as a way to put the small mid Wales town on the tourist map.
Bog Snorkeling competitors attempt to complete two consecutive lengths of a 60-yard muddy water-filled trench cut through the peat bog in as short a time as possible. They must wear a snorkel and flippers, and complete the course without using standard swimming strokes. Some competitors are serious and may come long distances to compete. Others do it for the fun and the chance to don fancy dress or wetsuits on a holiday weekend.
Competitors pay £15 to take part in a variety of categories and the organiser Green Events Ltd donates all funds raised to charity.
If you don’t fancy taking part next year then try the next best thing and take the BBC’s online Bog Snorkelling Challenge.
We loved this so much we decided to become the sponsor for the 2010 event!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.funswimshop.co.uk/world-bog-snorkelling-championships-29-w.asp