Over the last decade, Finland has enjoyed a stable cult following as the founders and hosts of the Mobile Phone Throwing World Championships.  Yes, you read that right.  Finnish athletes have embraced their ancestral roots and carried on their time-honored tradition of object-tossing.

Since the championships began in Savonlinna, Finland in 2000, the art of willingly throwing one’s phone (likely perfected by angst-ridden teenagers who are quick to throw whatever is around them) has been dutifully honored every year. The championships went national in 2004, inviting the entire world to come and compete in what is perhaps the most entrancing sport since the mystical art of curling.  All jokes aside, the mobile phone throwing phenomenon is sponsored by several phone recycling organizations to promote environmentally sound disposal of electronics.

The phone throwing championships are divided into different sections.  The first and most prominent is the “traditional,” or the good old-fashioned phone throwing hootenanny we’ve come to expect. The participants throw their phone three times and their score is the furthest distance that the phone lands.

After the traditional match-ups comes the “freestyle” competition, which is akin to a freeform gymnastics session on a mat, but with phones. The freestyle competition is divided into a basic category where only basic phones are applicable and an advanced category for phones with sliding keyboards, touch screens and other such peripherals.  However, the risks are far greater, and if someone flies too close to the sun with his or her life-changing slidephone acrobatics act and drops the phone, the competitor is instantly disqualified, and there’s no lifeline to phone a friend.  These cell phone freestylers truly live life on the edge.

The last competition is the junior “traditional” competition, for ages 12 and under. Children of that age definitely don’t need to have a cell phone in their lives. Despite this, the little league of the championships is a great place to scout young, up-and-comingtalent, starry-eyed and brimming with potential to be the new generation of athletes, who gather once a year to throw their phones for an environmentally friendly cause.

Nick Milanes, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’13, agrees that “it’s a fun and engaging way to keep people aware of recycling, a cause that most people seem to just roll their eyes at.”  Even though it is easy to laugh at a championship series based around throwing communication devices, it is an accessible way to shift some focus onto environmental consciousness.  Despite the ridiculousness of Europeans chucking their phones great distances, it’s a cause that I can get behind.  So, in the end, yes, Finland… we can hear you now.