When you think of sports, you probably picture football stadiums, Olympic tracks, and televised championships. Yet, the phrase 10 bizarre forgotten sports summons a whole other world—games that were once the talk of towns, the subject of wagers, and, in many cases, outright mayhem. Below we dive into ten of the most outlandish pastimes that have slipped into the pages of history, leaving behind only curious anecdotes and a few faded photographs.
10 Bizarre Forgotten Sports Overview
1 Dwile Flonking
Like stoolball, dwile flonking survives in a handful of remote English villages, but its origins are shrouded in mystery. Some enthusiasts argue it dates back to medieval Suffolk harvest festivals, while others claim it sprang up in the 1960s as a quirky display of local pride. Regardless of its true birthdate, the sport has faced modern scrutiny, leading several councils to ban it for breaching health‑and‑safety regulations.
The game revolves around copious drinking and a beer‑soaked cloth—called a “dwile”—that two teams fling at each other’s heads. After a sugar beet decides who starts, one player grips a pole with the dwile (the “driveller”) while the opposing side circles him in a dance known as “girting.” The goal is to strike a player; a miss earns the target the title of “swodger.” The other team then lines up, and the striker must down a pot of ale before the dwile is passed down the line. Points are tallied, though most participants are too inebriated to care about the final score.
Radu, a self‑described history and science enthusiast, curates the oddities of the past. You can say hello on Twitter or explore his personal website for more bizarre curiosities.
2 Fox Tossing
During the 17th and 18th centuries, European aristocrats who had grown weary of conventional fox hunting turned to a more flamboyant spectacle known simply as “fox tossing.” The sport demanded a large, enclosed arena, a massive sling laid on the ground, and a herd of terrified foxes ready to be launched skyward.
Teams of two each grabbed either end of the sling. When a fox dashed across the line, both participants pulled with all their might, hurling the animal into the air. The highest‑flown fox earned its team the victory, with recorded heights reaching an impressive 7.5 meters (about 25 feet). When foxes were scarce, other critters—hares, badgers, wild boars, even wolves—filled the roster, turning the event into a chaotic animal‑slinging carnival that often resulted in the participants being attacked.
3 Episkyros
Episkyros was a simple yet rambunctious ball game beloved by the ancient Greeks—though it was not meant for the elite athletes of the Olympic pantheon. Instead, it welcomed everyone: elders, women, children, and anyone else looking for a bit of fun.
Two equal teams lined up opposite each other, with a central line called the skuros separating them. Additional lines marked the rear of each side. The game began with one side throwing the ball over the opposing line, then racing to regain ground while the other team attempted to capture the ball and push the opponents back. Victory went to the team that forced the other completely across its own rear line. The blend of catching, sprinting, and brute force makes Episkyros a distant ancestor of modern rugby and American football, and it even inspired the Roman game harpastum.
4 Stoolball
Unlike many entries on this list, stoolball still enjoys occasional play in parts of southeast England. Its roots stretch back to 14th‑century Sussex, and scholars argue it served as a precursor to both cricket and baseball. Some even claim it was the first bat‑and‑ball game ever played in North America, debuting in Plymouth in 1621.
Because the original rules were never firmly recorded, modern stoolball is a best‑guess reconstruction. The game pits a bat—essentially a short‑handled wooden paddle—against a ball, and players sprint between stools that act as wickets. Notably, the sport earned a nod in Shakespeare’s The Two Noble Kinsmen, and by 1927, over a thousand clubs existed worldwide.
During World War II, Pat Reid recounted a version of stoolball being played by prisoners at Colditz Castle—though the name was purely coincidental and unrelated to the historic pastime.
5 Cock Shying
Cock‑shying, sometimes called “cock throwing,” was a grisly English blood sport that thrived up until the 18th century. Contrary to what the name suggests, participants didn’t hurl roosters; instead, they hurled weighted sticks—known as “coksteles”—at live roosters tied to a post with just enough slack for the bird to dodge.
The tradition was linked to Shrove Tuesday celebrations, but it also found a home in taverns where spectators placed bets on the outcome. If a throw struck the rooster without killing it, the thrower could attempt to seize the stunned bird before it recovered. Success meant a new pet; failure meant a wasted effort. Attempts to ban the sport, such as the 1660 prohibition in Bristol, sparked riots—rioters even hurled dogs and cats at the mayor’s house in protest.
6 Eel Pulling
Eel pulling was a 19th‑century Dutch pastime that showcased a blatant disregard for animal welfare. Two basic versions existed: a tug‑of‑war where a live eel, slicked with soap, replaced the rope, and a more theatrical version where an eel dangled over a canal and participants leapt from boats to snatch it.
The latter version proved especially popular, turning the sport into a spectacle where audiences roared as competitors splashed into the water. Amsterdam became the epicenter of eel pulling, and even after authorities outlawed the activity, locals persisted. When a police officer finally cut a live line on July 25, 1886, the ensuing “Eel Riot” left 26 dead, 100 injured, and countless arrests.
7 Quintain
While jousting dominates popular medieval imagination, knights also honed their skills on a device called the quintain. Instead of facing another mounted opponent, a rider would charge a stationary target—usually a shield mounted on a pole with a counter‑weight at the opposite end.
When struck correctly, the target spun rapidly, signaling the rider’s precision. A mistimed blow caused the counter‑weight (often a sandbag) to swing back and knock the rider off his horse. Because the quintain was essentially a training apparatus, it lacked the pomp of full‑scale tournaments, allowing anyone—from nobles to commoners—to watch or even participate using wooden horses or boats in some locales.
8 Turtle Racing
Modern turtle races at county fairs are harmless children’s amusements, but a century ago the spectacle was far more dramatic. Massive turtles—sometimes sea turtles like loggerheads—were raced in straight lines, with small children perched atop as jockeys.
Reports indicate the sport originated in the Bahamas, where races took place in water rather than on land. Spectators gathered like they would at a horse track, cheering as the giant reptiles surged forward. The novelty of men riding turtles added a surreal twist, and the races often featured intricate courses rather than simple sprints.
9 Equestrian Long Jump
Combining the human long jump with horse racing, the equestrian long jump attempted to create a hybrid spectacle. The sport garnered enough interest to be featured at the 1900 Paris Olympics as part of a dual equestrian program that also included a horse high jump.
Belgian rider Constant van Langhendonck, astride his mount Extra‑Dry, captured gold with a 6.1‑meter (20‑foot) leap—significantly ahead of the 5.7‑meter runner‑up. Yet the achievement paled beside the human long‑jump world record of 8.95 meters (29.4 feet), leaving audiences unimpressed and the event quickly fading into obscurity.
10 Barking Off Squirrels
“Barking off” emerged in late‑18th‑century Kentucky as a quirky squirrel‑hunting contest. Frontiersman Daniel Boone popularized the technique, which involved shooting the bark just beneath a squirrel’s perch. The resulting concussion was powerful enough to kill the animal while leaving its skin intact—ideal for trophy collectors.
At the height of the craze, Kentucky woods teemed with squirrels, and hunters often killed thousands in a single day. Success depended less on sharpshooting and more on rapid reloading, prompting spectators to place bets on who could reload fastest. The sport offered a fresh challenge for both participants and onlookers, blending skill, speed, and a dash of cruelty.