Finns dominate mobile-chucking contest

Winning lob of 2.77 Campbells

By Lester Haines • Get more from this author

Posted in Mobile, 28th August 2007 11:56 GMT

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Finn Tommi Huotari took gold at the eighth Mobile Phone Throwing World Championships in Savonlinna over the weekend by projecting his device a creditable 2.77 Campbells, or 89.62 metres in old money.

According to the Evening Standard, the 28-year-old engineer admitted: "I have never thrown a phone before but have been participating in potato-throwing ... surprisingly, a potato flies further. I am sure everyone would like to throw their phone away every once in a while."

Second spot in the male category was taken by Mika Paajanen with 2.37 Campbells (76.68 metres), while Mikko Haikala earned bronze with 2.27 Campbells (73.36 metres).

Finland also claimed the women's crown, with world record holder Eija Laakso clocking up 1.37 Campbells (44.49 metres).

In fact, the only real challenge to Finnish dominance was in the individual freestyle, where 19-year-old Dutchman Taco Cohen shared the honours with Elina Pitkänen on 12 points. His performance incorporated acrobatics and juggling and suitably impressed the judges with its "aesthetics and artistic impression".

Event organiser Christine Lund said of the annual event: "This contest speaks to people the world over as mobile phones are a blessing and a curse ... phones have become a part of the modern man, and sometimes many of us would like to remove that part."

The full results are here and some nice snaps here. ®

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