Sunday, February 28, 2010

The Frozen Oosik

According to the oracle that is Wikipedia, an 'oosik' is a"baculum used for copulation". The one we are referring to is the three-foot long penis bone of a walrus, and it is the trophy for the annual winter rugby match.

Rugby in Alaska is a summer sport, but once a year a few hardcore Pacific Islanders, the occasional lost Frenchman, and lots of local Alaskans who happened to learn the rules of rugby, engage in a match in knee-deep snow. Since the inaugural match a few years ago the scoreline has been 0-0 every single year, and this year was no different.

And so, at the end of a tough hour of running in snow without spilling their beers, the players kiss the trophy (???) and call it an honorable draw. And then head to the pub...


Some rugby players in action

Scrum down: the call was for everyone to go to the front row!

The ref holding the 'trophy'

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