ESPN8: The Ocho Celebrates 10 Years of Wonderfully Weird Sports
From T. rex racing to the Roofball U.S. Open, ESPN8: The Ocho marks its tenth anniversary with four days of gloriously offbeat competition.
ESPN8: The Ocho Celebrates 10 Years of Wonderfully Weird Sports
ESPN's beloved showcase of offbeat competitions, The Ocho, returned for its tenth anniversary this week, running from August 6 through August 9 across ESPN's platforms. True to form, the broadcast packed in roughly 74.5 hours of programming dedicated to sports that rarely get a national spotlight.
This year's lineup includes fan favorites like T. rex racing, competitive pumpkin tossing, death diving and sign spinning, alongside newer additions such as the Big League Wiffle Ball World Series, the Roofball U.S. Open, the Housekeeping Games, and the National Ball Hockey League's Tier 1 Championship. The Golden Tee Golf World Championship also makes an appearance, giving arcade golf enthusiasts their moment in the spotlight.
The concept behind The Ocho has always been to celebrate the strange corners of the sporting world, and this anniversary edition is no exception. Similar oddball traditions exist well beyond the broadcast too, from Finland's long-running Wife Carrying World Championship to the Microsoft Excel World Championship, both of which have developed loyal followings despite bearing little resemblance to conventional athletics.
A decade in, The Ocho has proven there's a real appetite for competitions that trade trophies and rulebooks for pure entertainment value, and this year's anniversary lineup looks set to keep that tradition alive.