The Cow Chip Throwing Capital of the World is hiding in the small town of Beaver, Oklahoma and it's as weirdly wonderful as you'd expect. People come from all over the world to participate in one of the oddest challenges—throwing dried cow dung—and you won't believe how competitive it gets. Who would have thought throwing cow dung would have put this small town on the map? Keep scrolling to get all the details and be sure to watch the short documentary at the end of the article to see this quirky competition in action.
Beaver, Oklahoma is located in the panhandle section of the state often referenced as "No Man's Land" because it's pretty much in the middle of nowhere.
Cow chips (a.k.a. cow dung) were an integral part of life during the pioneer days. They were used for many purposes and families starting having contests who could throw them the farthest. In 1970, Beaver, OK, turned this activity into an actual sport and now holds the title, "Cow Chip Capital of the World." The town holds an annual World Championship Cow Chip Throwing Contest.
Not to get too technical about cow dung, but basically, after a cow does its "business" in the fields, big patties are left to dry and are called cow chips.
They then get collected (mostly by the Chamber of Commerce) and put into a big pile for the competition.
People travel from all over the world to participate in this small town contest. On the day of competition, competitors choose their cow chips. They look for cow chips that they think will go the farthest.
When it's competition time, crowds gather around the throwing site to see who will take home the championship trophy.
There is actually quite a bit of skill that goes into this throwing competition. You have to know what chip will hold together the longest, exactly the best form to use, and then from there, you give it your best shot.
Rules officials will then get out the measuring stick and see who's chip held together and went the farthest distance.
There is one man in Beaver who has won at least 10 times, so if you think you've got skill, you better think again.
The town also holds a parade where you'll see this giant beaver strolling through town. It's quite a celebration and competition to witness.
For more details, be sure to watch this video below:
Is this not the craziest thing you have ever heard of? Between this and Tiger King, we sure do have some quirky stories about Oklahoma. I mean, who wants to live in a boring state anyway?
Adding to these fun tidbits about Oklahoma, here are 14 nicknames for different cities in the state and the meaning behind them.
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