READING NOW ‘Telephone Throwing Contest’ Held in Finland
Although our mobile devices have developed a lot in a short time with the development of technology, they can still drive us mad from time to time. From time to time, we see their batteries flow like water, and from time to time, they can let us down when we need them most. Most of the time, in such situations, we have to throw them out with anger.
Of course, we don’t just throw these devices that we pay a lot of money, which causes the anger on us to stay. Fortunately, the Finns have found a solution that is both comforting and entertaining. Moreover, this solution, which was put forward a long time ago, roughly includes launching mobile devices with peace of mind. Let’s take a closer look at this activity, which is considered a sport in Finland.
How did this competition come about?
An organization called Fennolingua, which provides translation and translation services and includes employees from different nationalities, played a leading role in the emergence of the telephone throwing competition. In 2000, the first step of the sport was held in Savonlinna, Finland.
But why?
The answer is actually quite simple. The reason the company organized this type of event was to relieve the tension and burden of the employees. As the feedback received from the participants was very positive, phone throwing competitions started to be organized every August since 2000. Inspired by this, different countries competed both within themselves and with each other at certain times of the year.
Every sport has written rules, isn’t it possible to throw a phone?
Of course. In this activity, which is adopted as a sport, there are four different categories, three of which stand out. These categories are juniors, freestyle, original and team original where the original is played as a team. Let’s take a rough look at the rules.
- Original: Also known as ‘Traditional’, the aim in this category is to throw the phone in the hand as far as possible.
- Original (Team): In this category, teams of up to three players each compete with the rules in the original.
- Freestyle: In this category, the important thing is not the distance of the throw, but the creativity of the competitor (shooting style).
- Junior: Children aged 12 or younger are competing in this category.
Competitors are not allowed to use their own phones. So where do the phones come from?
The devices used in the competition are obtained through sponsors or donations. Although the contestants cannot bring their own phones, they can take whatever they want from the options offered to them. At this point, some argue that the heavy ones go farther, while the light ones lag behind despite their powerful throws. For some, it’s the other way around. Let’s say it’s a matter of preference. In general, the weight of the phones is between 220 and 400 grams.
So what happens to the phones when the competition is over? Doesn’t this competition harm nature?
Since the early stages of the competition, recycling companies have constantly collected devices that cannot be used. These collected devices were also separated from their batteries with the processes applied in special recycling centers. Reusable phones were kept for the next year. One of the reasons for the emergence of the competition was to raise awareness about recycling.
The furthest distance a phone has been thrown so far in the competition is 110.42 meters:
But this record achieved in 2018 is not in Finland, Belgium Obtained in the phone throwing contest held in . The person holding this world record is Dries Feremans. The highest record holder in Finland is Ere Karjalainen, who launched a phone to a distance of 101.46 meters in 2012.
Finns have a number of different sports that may sound strange at first glance. What are your thoughts on the phone throwing sport, which is one of them?
Sources: Medium, Savonlinna Festivals, Guinness World Records, Mental Floss
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