Wife-Carrier Wins Her Weight in Beer

B E T H E L, Maine, July 17 -- A Virginia man and a New Hampshire woman took home six cases of beer after winning in the final round of the North American Wife Carrying Championship on Saturday.

John Suitor, of Middleburg, Va., and Gail Guy, of Portsmouth, N.H., both 33, joined dozens of contestants who carried their partners over wooden hurdles and through a waist-deep water pit in pursuit of the first-place prize: their wife’s weight in beer, compact discs, gourmet coffee or other items.

For their effort, the couple won Guy’s weight in Pepsi, doughnuts, heating oil, compact discs and beer. There’s also talk of sending them to Finland to compete in the world championships.

More than 40 couples participated Saturday in the “North American Wife Carrying Championship,” an event designed to raise money for a local arts council.

The origins of the contest date to 19th-century Finland, when a band of robbers forced new recruits to complete an obstacle course with a sack on their backs as training for stealing women from nearby villages.

An Unlicensed Rider

Teams in the 278-yard race were not required to be married, which was a good thing for Suitor — his wife begged off after 40 or 50 yards during a trial run less than a week before the event, having given birth to their second daughter four months ago.

Suitor and Guy won with a time of 1:16 during a final-round competition between the two teams with the best times, said Ryan Triffit, spokesman for the Sunday River ski resort, where the contest was held.

As difficult as it was, Suitor and Guy said they would do it all again next summer in Finland, where the world championship is being held.

“If we can find an airline willing to give us tickets, we’ll go,” Suitor said.

Spouses Not to Be Taken Lightly

As a flood of news reporters and photographers recorded the event, male participants quickly discovered that traversing a 279-yard obstacle course while carrying someone is hard work.