http://eursoc.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/1907/The_Bubble_Baba_Challenge.html While eccentric British events often claim a lengthy heritage, the Bubble Baba is on its fifth year. Dreamed up by Dmitry Bulawinov after a boozy weekend when he wondered whether rubber women might have uses other than the obvious, this year's event attracted 400 contestants. It takes place on the Vuoksa river, close to the village of Losevo, which is about 110km from St Petersburg. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-477782/The-Bubble-Baba-Challenge-wilderness-water-400-rubber-women.html The 'Bubble Baba Challenge': wilderness, water and 400 rubber women Last updated at 18:07 26 August 2007 Comments (0) Add to My Stories Some Russian men and women apparently have more than enough imagination to spare ? 400 of them recently used inflatable sex dolls as flotation devices to raft down the wildwater Vuoksa river. The Fifth Bubble Baba Challenge (in Russian, baba stands for 'woman,' only unlike the other word for woman, zhenschina, conveys not a ounce of respect) took place outside the village of Losevo, about 110km from St Petersburg. Some 400 participants took part in this year's race down the wildwater Vuoksa River The unusual sporting event was dreamed up by mastermind and organiser Dmitry Bulawinov. He said the idea of floating down the river in the embraces of a rubber woman was conceived as a joke at a party where the men got drunk and the women didn't show up. 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. Contestants clinging to inflatable dolls compete in the 'Bubble Baba Challenge' Although hugely outnumbered by enthusiastic males - thrilled to be floating down the river atop a rubber chick - women did compete in the contest, finding nothing strange about clinging to such an unusual 'lifesaver'. Bulawinov and other organizers try to be fair and leave open the option of floating down on rubber men dolls, but unfortunately, they can't rent them out like they do the rubber women. And they're off: The fifth 'Bubble Baba Challenge' begins "The men are too expensive, we can't afford them," he complains. The good news is that even if you lose the inflatable girl - which is against the rules, - at least she'll stop you from drowning in those wildwater rapids. It's not an official sport event and it will probably never be considered for the Olympics, but the growing popularity of Rubber Doll White-Water Rafting in Russia saw the fourth annual contest staged near St.Petersburg. http://propercourse.blogspot.com/2006/09/bubble-baba-challenge.html Video The event, better known as the 'Bubble Baba Challenge 2006', is the highlight of the novelty watersports season in Russia, and was held over a testing one kilometer course near St.Petersburg. Contestants are required to brave rapids on the river Vuoksa while embracing a blow-up doll, some of whom had their modesty preserved by t-shirts. The idea to use rubber dolls to race down the rapids was conceived as a joke three years ago during a long rafting trip involving only men. Since then the popularity of this new watersport has grown rapidly. http://oksla.com/album/Bubble%20Baba%20Challenge/ More images