Hundreds race on sex dolls down Russian river

More than 500 people rode inflatable sex dolls down river rapids at the eighth annual instalment of a bizarre but popular Russian race. The competitors - and their odd props - spent three minutes hurtling down the Vuoksa River's Losevo Rapids in the Bubble Baba Challenge.

The word "baba" is Russian for "peasant woman," but is also a crude term with sexual connotations. Men and women both took part in the challenge - with a separate heat for women-only racers.



The race was won by St. Petersburg man Vladislav Pavlenko who rode his doll, dubbed "Vanilla Pelotki," to the finish in two minutes and 47 seconds. The event was dreamed up by organiser Dmitry Bulawinov who conceived the idea as a joke at a party where the men got drunk and the women failed to show up.

The event was first held in 2003. Participants must be over 16 years old and are tested for alcohol. The competition's charter allows the replacement of the rubber doll with an inflatable animal or a rubber penis of an equivalent size.

With more photos.