RUSSIA: Russia stages its fourth "Bubble Baba Challenge"

It's not an official sport event - not just yet - and it will probably never be considered for the Olympics; but the growing popularity of Rubber Doll White-Water rafting in Russia, saw the fourth annual contest staged near St.Petersburg on Sunday (August 27). The event, better known as the "Bubble Baba Challenge 2006", is the highlight of the novelty watersports season in Russia, and was held over a testing one kilometre course near St.Petersburg. Contestants are required to brave rapids on the river Vuoksa while embracing a blow-up doll, some of whom had their modesty preserved by t-shirts. The idea to use rubber dolls to race down the rapids was conceived as a joke three years ago during a long rafting trip involving only men. Since then the popularity of this new watersport has grown rapidly. Some 150 contestants - mostly men and some women over 16 - braved the cold waters of the Vouksa river outside St.Petersburg, holding tight onto their rubber partners. Not all made it all the way to the finish in a good shape. As in an ordinary rafting contest, the winner is the fastest to float down the rapids.

ITN Source | September 2, 2006

Tags:. .men. .during. .source. .women. .waters