58 sporty couples gathered at Sunday River Resort in Maine over the weekend to compete in one of the more unusual events on the ski resort calendar. The annual North American Wife Carrying Championship took place Saturday, October 10, challenging competitors to carry their partners through a muddy obstacle course for a chance to win the carried partner’s weight in beer and five times that weight in cash.
This year’s championship attracted a reported record 58 couples, with Kim and Ben Haapapuro claiming the title while competing under the team name “Haapapuroply Ever After.”
The winning couple walked away with seven cases of beer, more than $600 in cash and an automatic entry into the Wife Carrying World Championship, scheduled to take place in Sonkajärvi, Finland, next summer.
A 278-Yard Obstacle Course With Beer And Cash On The Line
The competition took place at Sunday River’s South Ridge Base Area as part of the resort’s annual Fall Fest celebration. According to Sunday River’s official competition rules, the course measures 278 yards and includes log hurdles, a sand trap and a water obstacle known as the “Widow Maker.”
Couples race two at a time through qualifying heats, with the two fastest teams advancing to a head-to-head final to determine the North American champions.
Competitors can carry their partners however they choose, although most opt for the Estonian carry, a technique in which the person being carried hangs upside down with their legs wrapped around the carrier’s shoulders and their arms around the carrier’s waist. This leaves the runner’s hands free to navigate the obstacles.
Despite the event’s name, competitors don’t actually have to be married.
The official 2026 results show Team TNT finishing second, followed by Team Guac & Roll in third and The NY Frankfooters in fourth.
While the champions received their substantial supply of beer and cash, the runners-up weren’t left empty-handed. Second place earned the carried partner’s weight in soda and a $50 Sunday River gift card, while third place received a $50 resort gift card.
The event also recognizes competitors who distinguish themselves in less conventional ways. Team Running Out Of Time won Best Wipeout, while Quarter Century of Wife Carrying at Sunday River! received the costume award. Team Crackin Skulls claimed the Most Average award, which goes to the team whose time comes closest to the average finishing time of all participants.
Each of those special awards includes a $50 Sunday River gift card.
A Finnish Tradition That Found A Home At A Maine Ski Resort
The competition traces its origins to Finnish folklore involving a 19th-century outlaw known as Ronkainen the Robber. According to legend, members of his gang were required to demonstrate their strength by carrying heavy sacks or women over difficult terrain.
The first modern wife-carrying competition took place in Finland in 1991, and Sunday River established the North American championship in 1999. The event has since become one of the resort’s signature fall attractions, bringing competitors and spectators to the mountain before the winter ski season begins.
The annual wife-carrying competition has produced plenty of memorable moments over the years and including the measurements for the winning prize. Winners receive their carried partner’s weight in beer, $5 for every pound the carried partner weighs and a chance to represent North America at the world championship.
With 58 couples reportedly participating this year, the unusual competition continues to draw considerable interest from people willing to get a little muddy for a change for a rather generous supply of beer.
