Cooper's Hill Cheeserolling or AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH

File under bad ideas:
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/05/coopers_hill_cheeserolling.html

http://inapcache.boston.com/universal/site_graphics/blogs/bigpicture/cheeseroll_05_27/c14_19133485.jpg
http://inapcache.boston.com/universal/site_graphics/blogs/bigpicture/cheeseroll_05_27/c08_72dc5eb3.jpg
http://inapcache.boston.com/universal/site_graphics/blogs/bigpicture/cheeseroll_05_27/c15_19134195.jpg

http://inapcache.boston.com/universal/site_graphics/blogs/bigpicture/cheeseroll_05_27/c06_19133647.jpg

dude in borat nutsack swimsuit looks to be questioning his involvement

to say nothing of naked guy:
http://inapcache.boston.com/universal/site_graphics/blogs/bigpicture/cheeseroll_05_27/c12_19134207.jpg

I'm kind of shocked that wasn't the first pic you posted

gotta have a drumroll

Kinda dig the fact that most of these pictures feature some costumed or madeup guy/gal whose face betrays the discovery that you can't really ironically fall down a hill

The videos are even better than the pictures.

that is really hilarious! and then they start carrying still-lying bodies off of the hill on stretchers... and it isn't quite as hilarious

I think Michael Hanecke has been trying to capture this emotion I'm experiencing after watching that for his entire film career

ILoveUSandA (10 minutes ago)
If this took place in America, all the Brits would be saying how stupid Americans are and how they don't have anything to do besides chase cheese. Well go fuck yourself assholes. Your country does stupid shit too.

We trained for this once. But it got cancelled that year because the St John's Ambulance had to be in Somalia instead.

I plugged my headphones in halfway through the video, just in time to hear the woman shouting "GET THE CHEESE!". Well duh.

This is one of those amazingly batshit things that British people do that I've always thought about starting a thread about, just to see what the Americans thought.

I was actually going to go and watch this on Monday, a few of my friends went but they had to leave ridiculously early to be sure of getting in so I gave up.

I'd always thought the cheese would be bigger than that. Possibly the cheese rolling scene in Mason & Dixon misled me.

needs more arshavin

In last year's competition, I think of the injuries was to one of the spectators who was brained by the cheese. wikipedia says it can travel at up to 70mph, so even if the cheese ain't massive, at that speed it could fuck you up pretty bad.

Should maybe switch to Dolcelatte or something in the interests of health and safety.

there's also some village in the peak district that has an annual 'game' involving two massive teams (or maybe no teams?? I can't quite recall), and the only rule is that you're not allowed to kill anyone. the ball just moves about from dude to dude in a mass brawl.

(although perhaps I'm oversimplifying here)

http://www.uppiesanddownies.info/

http://www.visitpeakdistrict.com/see/ashbourne-football.aspx

Yeah was just gonna link that one too.

Basically in small towns, there are few forms of amusement.

see also shin kicking
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/gloucestershire/4605157.stm

That looks like a massive game of rugby and I disapprove on principle.

It looks like a massive game of Rugby Union so yeah me too.

I would like to push almost everyone who commented under that story down a hill

http://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/discovering/legends/ottery_tar_barrels.shtml

This is the single most insane thing I have ever seen first-hand in an English village. Also the town is absolutely rammed for the event so these dudes are essentially running through crowds carrying barrels of tar belching out flames. It's actually terrifying.

We need a rolling Jed-Watch thread for this stuff really.

I went and spectated on Monday - pretty mental. Me and my friend were the only non-Aussies on the coach down.

Here you go. Absolutely fucking mental.

Ha, just coming back to post tar barrels link

This is what makes the English Countryside the awesome and welcoming place it is.

What's really scary is when a crowd runs away from one barrell and sees another one coming round the corner in their direction.

"I almost spilled my bloody beer!"

Ottery St Mary is also a great name for a village.

this all makes the quaint countryside I saw between Morecambe and and Lancaster seem really, really boring.

I mean, where where our crowds of shinkickers running from giant flaming cheese wheels?

Possibly stranded out on a mudflat facing rapidly incoming tide?

I mean, where where our crowds of shinkickers running from giant flaming cheese wheels?

Now there's a sentence I never thought I'd see.

did we get this sorted