Click to View

Seven years ago an event was born in Finland that encourages competitors not to throw away their mobile phones in a traditional manner, but to throw them as far as they can. The annual Mobile Phone Throwing World Championships took place once again this past Saturday in the City of Savonlinna near Russia, with over 100 throwers from around the world sending cell phones soaring into the air. The purpose: to compete, have fun, and shine the light on cell phone recycling.

With millions of mobile phones thrown into the dumpster every year and not being disposed of properly, there are a number of organizations worldwide attempting to get consumers to pitch their used handsets into environmentally friendly recycle bins instead. And then there are those who no doubt repress - or not - the urge to toss their handsets out the car window, over the hedge, into the ground, etc. everyday.

The Mobile Phone Throwing World Championships combines the two for what it says are good reasons. When phones are returned to stores they often become toxic waste. Its literature even cites how a lot of these devices end up sitting at the bottom of Finnish lakes. The concern is that hazardous materials could leach off.

The founder of the event, Christine Lund emphasized to Reuters, "There are a lot of mobile phones on the second-hand market, and we are recycling them (before they become toxic waste)."

"They can be recycled in sports activities, i.e. Mobile Phone Throwing, the only sport where you can pay back all the frustrations and disappointments caused by these modern equipments."

The type of phone favored by each competitor varied considerably, Lund explained to Reuters. "People choose by size, by color or by how it fits in the hand ... Some believe a heavy model will ensure a long throw, some want a light one," she said.

Heavy sounds like a solid strategy to me.

Like any World Championship games, medals were given out. There are growing numbers of national championships as well.

The winner in the Original - individual event, Finland's Lassi Etelatalo, tossed his Nokia handset (what else would he have chosen?) a world record 89 meters, which is about 292 feet. Etelatalo said to Reuters, "I prepared by javelin throwing, I haven't really practiced throwing mobile phones."

His mark outdistanced the previous record, 82.55 meters, of one Sagal Kouki, which was set two years ago. The previous record before that was a measly 66.72 meters.

Dutch Second place Freestyle-event finisher (which takes style into account) Elie Rusthoven almost got tossed himself for throwing his handset out of bounds, but his stupendous juggling served some serious damage control. The winner was one Paavo Kolari.

Woman's world champion Eija Laakso flung her mobile phone 50.83 meters. Junior category winner Jere Selin threw his 57.79 meters.

Click here for a full list, including team results.