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September 12, 2005
Underdog Nation
We had the pleasure the other day of meeting Joshua Davis, author of Underdog Nation: How I Survived the World's Most Outlandish Competitions, at a backwards-running race he put on, and participated in, at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco. Josh is in the red shirt and is wearing a white pad on his head in case he falls down backwards.
Doing his best to prove that gumption is the better part of valor, Davis has traveled around the world doing what should be the impossible: Throwing his 130-pound frame against professional sumo wrestlers; sneaking into Iraq to cover the war; competing in the world arm wrestling championships; nearly boiling himself alive in sauna soaking competitions. And then, of course, there's the running backwards race in Italy.
Classify under "absurdist travel" on your book shelf. Joshua's book not only details the more obscure sporting events but details the roads less traveled in this mad, mad, mad world.
We asked him about the sumo wrestling, and he detailed his unconventional technique: "I grabbed the guy right under his flabby breast and tucked my hand right up in there. He was so surprised I was able to push him out."
Posted by insideoutmag at September 12, 2005 04:56 PM