Wilderness, water and 400 SEX DOLLS: Russia hosts world's weirdest river race

Last updated at 10:03 AM on 12th August 2011

If you thought Dick Dastardly and Muttley's races were wacky, have you witnessed a contest that combines sex dolls and water?

Because for more than 800 Russians, sex dolls and water is the perfect foil to take part in the ninth Annual Bubble Baba (a rude Russian word for 'woman') Challenge, held in the Vuoksa Rapids, 50 miles from St Petersburg.

The entire event only takes three minutes to complete, and organiser Dmitry Bulawinov, who also founded the event, said that it started 'as a joke at a party where the men got drunk and the women didn't show up'.

Scroll down to see a video of this year's wacky race

Ready for action: Around 800 people took part in this year's Bubble Baba Challenge

And they're off: It was the ninth race of its kind, held in the Vuoksa Rapids 50 miles from St Petersburg

Mr Bulawinov said that while considering the possible uses for a rubber woman on a camping trip, someone suggested that a sex doll would make a handy flotation device.

Thus the Bubble Baba Challenge was born.

Although hugely outnumbered by enthusiastic males - thrilled to be floating down the river atop a sex doll - women did compete in the contest, finding nothing strange about clinging to such an unusual 'lifesaver'.

A quick one is a good one: The race only last about three minutes

My girl: One competitor drags along his sex doll as he races to the finish line

Mr Bulawinov and other organisers try to be fair and leave open the option of floating down on rubber men dolls, but unfortunately, the male equivalent are not as easy to rent out.

'The men are too expensive, we can't afford them,' he complained.

The good news is that even if you lose the inflatable doll - which is against the rules - at least she'll stop you from drowning in those wildwater rapids.