CHEESE ROLLING: A SILLY EXTREME SPORT OR A CRAZY CUSTOM?

If you want more adventure in your life, maybe you should take up an extreme sport! Extreme sports are sportive activities which include a fair amount of danger, risk and entertainment at the same time. They are becoming more and more popular every year, but why? The main reason is to experience the adrenaline rush and to feel unbeatable and powerful.

Base jumping, ice climbing and cave diving are some types of extreme sports. But, cheese rolling?!

We don’t know how exactly it started, but we know that the traditional Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling Race is an annual event that has been taking place for over a century. The name comes from Cooper's Hill where the 'sport' takes place, just outside the village of Brockworth, England.

Well, it is difficult to explain how it is done because it is really silly. A wheel of cheese is thrown down a hill to roll all the way down while a group of crazy “sportspeople” chase it, trying to be the first to catch it or get to the bottom of the hill. The standard wheel of cheese must weigh just over 3kg. It gains a lot of speed while rolling down the very steep slope of the hill. The winner gets to keep the cheese. Second or third place receives about £20.

I know it is unbelievable, but the cheese rolling race has become so popular that people travel from all over the world to join the event even from as far away as Brazil and Japan.

Local people of the village say they believe the cheese rolling race brings luck to their village. It also makes the village a tourist attraction site which also contributes to the economy. One wonders if they want to keep doing the race because they are devoted to their customs or if there are other reasons.