A closer look

Cooper's Hill in Gloucestershire hosts an annual event where dozens of grown adults hurl themselves down a near-vertical, wildly uneven grassy cliff in pursuit of a nine-pound wheel of Double Gloucester cheese. The hill is so incredibly steep that literally no one can stay on their feet, resulting in a violent cascade of tumbling bodies, dislocated shoulders, and muddy concussions. The grand prize for winning this brutal, bone-breaking race is simply getting to keep the cheese, which retails for maybe twenty bucks at a local supermarket. It is a stunning testament to the sheer boredom of rural village life, demonstrating that humans will enthusiastically risk severe spinal trauma if you just add a tiny bit of competitive dairy to the equation