10 Ludicrous Sports You've Probably Never Heard Of
9. Sporthocking
Otherwise known as ‘extreme sitting’, sporthocking is a weird spin-off of skateboarding involving elements of juggling, parkour and even breakdancing. Invented in Germany by the Landschutz brothers in 2007, sporthocking has become more and more popular over the last decade or so, even being nominated by the influential ISPO Awards as the best new product of 2014.
The ‘sporthocker’ is a dumbbell-shaped stool, lightweight and carefully balanced, which can be used - in much the same way as a skateboard or BMX - to perform tricks. What sets it apart from the pursuits that inspired it is the sporthocker itself. While a board and a bike can be used to provide motion, the prop used in sporthocking is essentially a chair, and the only movement comes from the participants themselves.
That’s where the parkour aspect can come in. The sport requires careful balance, incredible core strength and hours of practice to master, and once you’re good, you look great. Up until that point, however, you’re just a man, woman or small child falling off a stool in increasingly convoluted and hilarious ways. Which, I suppose, is part of the fun.