As always, the Japanese prove to have a very strong fantasy, and this time, they brought battles with snowballs to a higher level, creating a very popular sport in Hokkaido called "Yukigassen". Literally "Yuki" (Snow) and "Gassen" (Battle).

Before the battle begins, however, it is good to know the main rules of this hilarious competition:

  • There are two teams that fight each other, made up of seven players on the field, two reserves, and one trainer
  • Every match is divided into three three-minute periods
  • If you get hit by a snowball, you're eliminated from the period
  • Snowballs must be created with the same dimensions
  • Every team can use 90 snowballs every period, 270 snowballs in total

The playing field is regulated by strict rules, it is ten meters wide and forty meters long, with shelters positioned at identical strategic points for both teams.

A small irregularity in the playing field can compromise an entire game, even players must wear a full suit, gloves, and a war helmet!

A short video to an Epic Battle

Players start the battle by putting in place real combat strategies in a restricted field with little shelters. Snowballs are thrown in every way, trying to hit the opponents, and even if it seems easy, an entire match is physically exhausting.

Winning the match

  • One team eliminates all opposing players
  • The players succeed to steal and take possession of the opposing flag
  • At the end of the match, one team count more players than the opponent on the battlefield

Now, this sports discipline has a very thick championship with more than a hundred teams, and it is slowly expanding becoming international and followed all over the world. Some countries like Finland, Norway, and Denmark have recently created their own championship, and are competing for the World Championship against the very favored Japanese team, masters of this discipline.

It's a nice sport, even if we do not win a lot of beer, but we can be satisfied for this time and now, I will wait patiently for the winter to vent my desire to throw snowballs at anyone!

Thanks for reading.

If you enjoyed this second chapter of "StrangeSports", you can't miss "the race with wife", where the winners win rivers of beer!

See you soon!