Mýrarboltinn, usually called swamp soccer or mud football in English, has been described as the one of the strangest forms of football (soccer) played anywhere in the world. This unique form of football is played in a muddy field, a mire, and involves as the name implies, a lot of mud! The Swamp Soccer Championship is held each year in the Westfjords.
The second year in a row the championship is held in Bolungarvík, a small fishing town in the Westfjords. In addition to the football there are concerts and live music acts during the weekend, and of course, an endless muddy party. The summer in the Westfjords has been wet, so participants will get plenty of mud. Fortunately a swimming pool is located right next to the court, for easy washing.
Read more: Video: Icelandic Swamp soccer is the second strangest version of soccer played anywhere
Its all fun and games, and while the contestants take winning seriously, mud football is really all about the party.
One of the organizers told the local news site Bæjarins besta that they hope that all games can be played on Saturday, leaving Sunday for relaxation and fun. It's better to just plough through the games in one day, finish all the dirty muddyness in one day. Some contestants don't like getting back into the mud for a second day, but prefer to take it easy, go swimming and then there is the big party on Sunday evening and a dance.
Teams are generally made up of groups of friends, many of whom who have put serious effort into creating team uniforms to show up in. But if you’re without a team, it’s no problem! You can either just be a less-muddy spectator, or send a quick email to the organizers and ask to join a catch-all team, as they call it, “a collection of oddballs both from Iceland and around the world”. Registration is open. You need to act fast, as registration is filling up fast!
Now, if you’re ready for a truly dirty weekend in Iceland, don’t hesitate to sign up for Mýrarbolti. And bring duct tape. Your shoes don’t stay on in the mud unless they’re taped to your feet.
Mýrarboltinn, usually called swamp soccer or mud football in English, has been described as the one of the strangest forms of football (soccer) played anywhere in the world. This unique form of football is played in a muddy field, a mire, and involves as the name implies, a lot of mud! The Swamp Soccer Championship is held each year in the Westfjords.
The second year in a row the championship is held in Bolungarvík, a small fishing town in the Westfjords. In addition to the football there are concerts and live music acts during the weekend, and of course, an endless muddy party. The summer in the Westfjords has been wet, so participants will get plenty of mud. Fortunately a swimming pool is located right next to the court, for easy washing.
Read more: Video: Icelandic Swamp soccer is the second strangest version of soccer played anywhere
Its all fun and games, and while the contestants take winning seriously, mud football is really all about the party.
One of the organizers told the local news site Bæjarins besta that they hope that all games can be played on Saturday, leaving Sunday for relaxation and fun. It's better to just plough through the games in one day, finish all the dirty muddyness in one day. Some contestants don't like getting back into the mud for a second day, but prefer to take it easy, go swimming and then there is the big party on Sunday evening and a dance.
Teams are generally made up of groups of friends, many of whom who have put serious effort into creating team uniforms to show up in. But if you’re without a team, it’s no problem! You can either just be a less-muddy spectator, or send a quick email to the organizers and ask to join a catch-all team, as they call it, “a collection of oddballs both from Iceland and around the world”. Registration is open. You need to act fast, as registration is filling up fast!
Now, if you’re ready for a truly dirty weekend in Iceland, don’t hesitate to sign up for Mýrarbolti. And bring duct tape. Your shoes don’t stay on in the mud unless they’re taped to your feet.
