Latvian men bring new meaning to the ball and chain concept of marriage as they competed on Saturday to carry their wives uphill in the fastest possible time. 53 married or cohabiting couples took part in the third year of this wife-carrying competition. Men carried their partners in a variety of styles: piggyback,fireman's carry or Estonian-style where the wife hangs upside down with her legs around the husband's shoulders. Inaty Kermala said it was a challenge for both her and her husband.
"It was hard for me to hold on and I felt it was hard for the husband to run, my head was hanging downwards and I thought it would never end."
This fairly new tradition has been borrowed from the Estonians,who have the easier task of carrying women across a field rather than up
