Wok racing
Encyclopedia
Wok racing has been developed by the German TV host and entertainer Stefan Raab
: Modified Chinese
wok
s are used to make timed runs down an Olympic bobsled track. There are competitions for one-person-woksleds and four-person-woksleds, the latter using four woks per sled.
. In November 2003, the First official Wok World Championship was broadcasted from Winterberg
. The immediate success led to the second world championship in Innsbruck
on March 4, 2004. Participants are mostly b-list celebrities like musical artists(i.e. the NDH band Oomph!) actors, and TV hosts, but there are also known athletes that have ongoing professional careers in winter sports, like three-time Olympic luge
champion Georg Hackl
and the Jamaican Bobsled Team.
The third championship took place again in Winterberg on March 5, 2005. In contrast to the previous championships, there were two runs in which all contesters participated. The times of both runs were added. As a further innovation a qualifying round was created in which the participants had to jump from a trickski-jump with woks to determine the starting order. Further the sport event was professionalized.
. The only modifications are that the bottom is reinforced with an epoxy
filling and the edges of the wok are coated with polyurethane
foam to avoid injuries. Four-person woksleds consist of two pairs of woks, each of them is held together by a rounded frame. The two pairs are connected by a coupling. Due to the rather risky nature of the sport the participants wear heavy protective gear, usually similar to ice hockey equipment
. To further reduce friction
and the risk of injuries, the athletes wear ladle
s under their feet.
To improve performance, the underside of the woks are often heated with a blowlamp before the race.
on the German television channel ProSieben. The network used to declare these broadcasts as sporting events. Under German law that allowed the network to treat the massive corporate sponsorship of the event as incidental advertising which didn't count against Germany's strict rules regarding time limits for TV commercials. After a Berlin court ruling in 2009, however, the shows have to be labeled as an infomercial, since - unlike a regular sporting event - the races are explicitly staged for the TV broadcast, and there is strong evidence that the profits of the event sponsorship directly benefit the network.
March 4, 2004: Innsbruck March 5, 2005: Winterberg
March 11, 2006: Innsbruck March 9, 2007: Innsbruck March 8, 2008: Altenberg
March 7, 2009: Winterberg
March 19, 2010: Oberhof
March 12, 2011: Innsbruck
Stefan Raab
Stefan Konrad Raab is a German entertainer, television host, comedian and musician. Raab began his television career hosting the comedy show Vivasion in 1993 and has been hosting the late-night comedy show TV total since 1999. He became well-known in 1994 after composing a hit single spoofing...
: Modified Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
wok
Wok
A wok is a versatile round-bottomed cooking vessel originating in China. It is used especially in East and Southeast Asia.Woks are most often used for stir frying, but can also be used in other Chinese cooking techniques, such as in steaming, deep frying, braising, stewing, smoking, or making soup...
s are used to make timed runs down an Olympic bobsled track. There are competitions for one-person-woksleds and four-person-woksleds, the latter using four woks per sled.
History
Wok racing was inspired by a bet in the German TV show Wetten, dass..?Wetten, dass..?
Wetten, dass..? is a long-running German-language entertainment television show. It is the most successful Saturday television show in Europe...
. In November 2003, the First official Wok World Championship was broadcasted from Winterberg
Winterberg
Winterberg is a town in the Hochsauerland district of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and a major winter sport resort of the Wintersport Arena Sauerland.-Geography:...
. The immediate success led to the second world championship in Innsbruck
Innsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
on March 4, 2004. Participants are mostly b-list celebrities like musical artists(i.e. the NDH band Oomph!) actors, and TV hosts, but there are also known athletes that have ongoing professional careers in winter sports, like three-time Olympic luge
Luge
A Luge is a small one- or two-person sled on which one sleds supine and feet-first. Steering is done by flexing the sled's runners with the calf of each leg or exerting opposite shoulder pressure to the seat. Racing sleds weigh 21-25 kilograms for singles and 25-30 kilograms for doubles. Luge...
champion Georg Hackl
Georg Hackl
Georg Hackl is a German former luger who was three time Olympic and World Champion. He is known affectionately as Hackl-Schorsch or as the Speeding Weißwurst a reference to what he looks like in his white bodysuit coming down the luge at fast speeds.Hackl was born in Berchtesgaden, Bavaria.He won...
and the Jamaican Bobsled Team.
The third championship took place again in Winterberg on March 5, 2005. In contrast to the previous championships, there were two runs in which all contesters participated. The times of both runs were added. As a further innovation a qualifying round was created in which the participants had to jump from a trickski-jump with woks to determine the starting order. Further the sport event was professionalized.
Equipment
The typical racing woks are the ordinary round-bottomed Chinese pans, usually directly imported from ChinaChina
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. The only modifications are that the bottom is reinforced with an epoxy
Epoxy
Epoxy, also known as polyepoxide, is a thermosetting polymer formed from reaction of an epoxide "resin" with polyamine "hardener". Epoxy has a wide range of applications, including fiber-reinforced plastic materials and general purpose adhesives....
filling and the edges of the wok are coated with polyurethane
Polyurethane
A polyurethane is any polymer composed of a chain of organic units joined by carbamate links. Polyurethane polymers are formed through step-growth polymerization, by reacting a monomer with another monomer in the presence of a catalyst.Polyurethanes are...
foam to avoid injuries. Four-person woksleds consist of two pairs of woks, each of them is held together by a rounded frame. The two pairs are connected by a coupling. Due to the rather risky nature of the sport the participants wear heavy protective gear, usually similar to ice hockey equipment
Ice hockey equipment
In ice hockey, players use specialized equipment both to facilitate the play of the game and for protection as this is a sport where injuries are common, therefore, all players are encouraged to protect their bodies from bruises and severe fractures...
. To further reduce friction
Friction
Friction is the force resisting the relative motion of solid surfaces, fluid layers, and/or material elements sliding against each other. There are several types of friction:...
and the risk of injuries, the athletes wear ladle
Ladle (spoon)
A ladle is a type of spoon used to scoop up and serve soup, stew, or other foods. Although designs vary, a typical ladle has a long handle terminating in a deep bowl, frequently with the bowl oriented at an angle to the handle to facilitate lifting liquid out of a pot or other vessel and conveying...
s under their feet.
To improve performance, the underside of the woks are often heated with a blowlamp before the race.
Advertising controversy
Public wok Racing is only practiced once a year: The so-called "World Wok Racing Championships" are aired as special edition of Raab's show TV totalTV total
TV total is a German late-night television comedy talk show that has run since 8 March 1999 on ProSieben, and is currently aired at around 23:15 from Monday to Thursday....
on the German television channel ProSieben. The network used to declare these broadcasts as sporting events. Under German law that allowed the network to treat the massive corporate sponsorship of the event as incidental advertising which didn't count against Germany's strict rules regarding time limits for TV commercials. After a Berlin court ruling in 2009, however, the shows have to be labeled as an infomercial, since - unlike a regular sporting event - the races are explicitly staged for the TV broadcast, and there is strong evidence that the profits of the event sponsorship directly benefit the network.
Venues
November 6, 2003: WinterbergWinterberg bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track
The Winterberg bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track is a bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track located in Winterberg, Germany. It is the only track of its kind in the world with a turn that has corporate sponsorship with turn seven being sponsored by Veltins, a German brewery who has its headquarters...
March 4, 2004: Innsbruck March 5, 2005: Winterberg
Winterberg bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track
The Winterberg bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track is a bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track located in Winterberg, Germany. It is the only track of its kind in the world with a turn that has corporate sponsorship with turn seven being sponsored by Veltins, a German brewery who has its headquarters...
March 11, 2006: Innsbruck March 9, 2007: Innsbruck March 8, 2008: Altenberg
Altenberg bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track
The Altenberg bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track is a venue for bobsleigh, luge and skeleton located in Altenberg, Germany.-History:Altenberg raced bobsleigh as early as 1908 on a natural track going downhill. By the late 1970s, the East Germans who were already successful in luge, began getting...
March 7, 2009: Winterberg
Winterberg bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track
The Winterberg bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track is a bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track located in Winterberg, Germany. It is the only track of its kind in the world with a turn that has corporate sponsorship with turn seven being sponsored by Veltins, a German brewery who has its headquarters...
March 19, 2010: Oberhof
Oberhof bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track
The Oberhof bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track is a venue used for bobsled, luge and skeleton located in Oberhof, Germany.-History:Oberhof had been the home of sledding activities since 1905, mostly bobsleigh. In 1931, the facility hosted the first ever FIBT World Championships in the two-man...
March 12, 2011: Innsbruck
One-person Wok
| Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| 2003 |  Stefan RaabStefan Raab Stefan Konrad Raab is a German entertainer, television host, comedian and musician. Raab began his television career hosting the comedy show Vivasion in 1993 and has been hosting the late-night comedy show TV total since 1999. He became well-known in 1994 after composing a hit single spoofing... |
 Joey KellyJoey Kelly Joseph Maria "Joey" Kelly is a musician of Irish-American descent. Initially he was known as a member of the band The Kelly Family, but now appears primarily as an amateur athlete and participates in fun competitions.... |
Detlef Soost Detlef Soost Detlef Soost , also using the name D! , most often called Detlef D! Soost, is a German dancer and choreographer.-Life and work:... |
| 2004 | Georg Hackl Georg Hackl Georg Hackl is a German former luger who was three time Olympic and World Champion. He is known affectionately as Hackl-Schorsch or as the Speeding Weißwurst a reference to what he looks like in his white bodysuit coming down the luge at fast speeds.Hackl was born in Berchtesgaden, Bavaria.He won... |
Joey Kelly Joey Kelly Joseph Maria "Joey" Kelly is a musician of Irish-American descent. Initially he was known as a member of the band The Kelly Family, but now appears primarily as an amateur athlete and participates in fun competitions.... |
Stefan Raab Stefan Raab Stefan Konrad Raab is a German entertainer, television host, comedian and musician. Raab began his television career hosting the comedy show Vivasion in 1993 and has been hosting the late-night comedy show TV total since 1999. He became well-known in 1994 after composing a hit single spoofing... |
| 2005 | Georg Hackl Georg Hackl Georg Hackl is a German former luger who was three time Olympic and World Champion. He is known affectionately as Hackl-Schorsch or as the Speeding Weißwurst a reference to what he looks like in his white bodysuit coming down the luge at fast speeds.Hackl was born in Berchtesgaden, Bavaria.He won... |
Stefan Raab Stefan Raab Stefan Konrad Raab is a German entertainer, television host, comedian and musician. Raab began his television career hosting the comedy show Vivasion in 1993 and has been hosting the late-night comedy show TV total since 1999. He became well-known in 1994 after composing a hit single spoofing... |
Joey Kelly Joey Kelly Joseph Maria "Joey" Kelly is a musician of Irish-American descent. Initially he was known as a member of the band The Kelly Family, but now appears primarily as an amateur athlete and participates in fun competitions.... |
| 2006 | Joey Kelly Joey Kelly Joseph Maria "Joey" Kelly is a musician of Irish-American descent. Initially he was known as a member of the band The Kelly Family, but now appears primarily as an amateur athlete and participates in fun competitions.... |
Georg Hackl Georg Hackl Georg Hackl is a German former luger who was three time Olympic and World Champion. He is known affectionately as Hackl-Schorsch or as the Speeding Weißwurst a reference to what he looks like in his white bodysuit coming down the luge at fast speeds.Hackl was born in Berchtesgaden, Bavaria.He won... |
Stefan Raab Stefan Raab Stefan Konrad Raab is a German entertainer, television host, comedian and musician. Raab began his television career hosting the comedy show Vivasion in 1993 and has been hosting the late-night comedy show TV total since 1999. He became well-known in 1994 after composing a hit single spoofing... |
| 2007 | Georg Hackl Georg Hackl Georg Hackl is a German former luger who was three time Olympic and World Champion. He is known affectionately as Hackl-Schorsch or as the Speeding Weißwurst a reference to what he looks like in his white bodysuit coming down the luge at fast speeds.Hackl was born in Berchtesgaden, Bavaria.He won... |
Joey Kelly Joey Kelly Joseph Maria "Joey" Kelly is a musician of Irish-American descent. Initially he was known as a member of the band The Kelly Family, but now appears primarily as an amateur athlete and participates in fun competitions.... |
Stefan Raab Stefan Raab Stefan Konrad Raab is a German entertainer, television host, comedian and musician. Raab began his television career hosting the comedy show Vivasion in 1993 and has been hosting the late-night comedy show TV total since 1999. He became well-known in 1994 after composing a hit single spoofing... |
| 2008 | Georg Hackl Georg Hackl Georg Hackl is a German former luger who was three time Olympic and World Champion. He is known affectionately as Hackl-Schorsch or as the Speeding Weißwurst a reference to what he looks like in his white bodysuit coming down the luge at fast speeds.Hackl was born in Berchtesgaden, Bavaria.He won... |
 Christian Clerici |
Joey Kelly Joey Kelly Joseph Maria "Joey" Kelly is a musician of Irish-American descent. Initially he was known as a member of the band The Kelly Family, but now appears primarily as an amateur athlete and participates in fun competitions.... |
| 2009 | Georg Hackl Georg Hackl Georg Hackl is a German former luger who was three time Olympic and World Champion. He is known affectionately as Hackl-Schorsch or as the Speeding Weißwurst a reference to what he looks like in his white bodysuit coming down the luge at fast speeds.Hackl was born in Berchtesgaden, Bavaria.He won... |
Felix Loch Felix Loch Felix Loch is a German luger and Olympic champion. He has been competing since 1995 and has been on the German national team since 2006. He won five medals at the FIL World Luge Championships with four golds and one silver... |
Joey Kelly Joey Kelly Joseph Maria "Joey" Kelly is a musician of Irish-American descent. Initially he was known as a member of the band The Kelly Family, but now appears primarily as an amateur athlete and participates in fun competitions.... |
| 2010 | Georg Hackl Georg Hackl Georg Hackl is a German former luger who was three time Olympic and World Champion. He is known affectionately as Hackl-Schorsch or as the Speeding Weißwurst a reference to what he looks like in his white bodysuit coming down the luge at fast speeds.Hackl was born in Berchtesgaden, Bavaria.He won... |
Joey Kelly Joey Kelly Joseph Maria "Joey" Kelly is a musician of Irish-American descent. Initially he was known as a member of the band The Kelly Family, but now appears primarily as an amateur athlete and participates in fun competitions.... |
Christian Clerici |
| 2011 | Georg Hackl Georg Hackl Georg Hackl is a German former luger who was three time Olympic and World Champion. He is known affectionately as Hackl-Schorsch or as the Speeding Weißwurst a reference to what he looks like in his white bodysuit coming down the luge at fast speeds.Hackl was born in Berchtesgaden, Bavaria.He won... |
Felix Loch Felix Loch Felix Loch is a German luger and Olympic champion. He has been competing since 1995 and has been on the German national team since 2006. He won five medals at the FIL World Luge Championships with four golds and one silver... |
 Lucy Diakovska |
Four-person Wok
| Year | Team | Drivers |
| 2003 | Dick Brave and the Backbeats | Sascha Schmitz Sascha Schmitz Sascha Schmitz , better known under his stage name Sasha, is a German singer-songwriter, musician and occasional actor. From 2003 until 2005 he performed under his alter ego Dick Brave.- Early life :... , Andre Tolba, Felix Wiegand, Martell Beigang |
| 2004 | ProSieben team | Ralf Zacherl, Stefan Gödde, Dominik Bachmair, Simon Gosejohann Simon Gosejohann Simon Gosejohann is a German comedian, TV presenter and actor.In 2008, Gosejohann won the Deutscher Comedypreis in the category "Best Comedy Show" for his role in Elton vs. Simon. A year later, he picked up the Best Hidden Camera Award for his show Comedystreet.- External links :*... |
| 2005 | ProSieben team | Joey Kelly Joey Kelly Joseph Maria "Joey" Kelly is a musician of Irish-American descent. Initially he was known as a member of the band The Kelly Family, but now appears primarily as an amateur athlete and participates in fun competitions.... , Stefan Gödde, Charlotte Engelhardt, Lukas Hilbert Lukas Hilbert Lukas Hilbert is a German composer, lyricist, music producer and singer.-Biography:Hilbert founded a musical band called The Future with his brother, Kieran, and the drummer, Maik Buchwald, when he was twelve years' old... |
| 2006 | Fisherman's Friend Fisherman's Friend Fisherman's Friend is a brand of strong menthol lozenges produced by Lofthouse company in Fleetwood, Lancashire, England.- History :Fisherman's Friend was originally developed by a young pharmacist named James Lofthouse in 1865 to relieve various respiratory problems suffered by fishermen working... team |
Sandra Kiriasis Sandra Kiriasis Sandra Kiriasis is a German bobsledder who has competed since 2000.At the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City she won silver in the two-woman event together with teammate Ulrike Holzner... , Christoph Langen Christoph Langen Christoph Langen is a German bobsledder who competed for the West German and German national team from 1985 to 2005... , Silke Kraushaar Silke Kraushaar Silke Kraushaar-Pielach is a German luger who competed from 1995 to 2008... , Susi Erdmann Susi Erdmann Susi Erdmann is an East German-German luger and bobsledder who competed from 1977 to 1998 in luge, then since 1999 in bobsleigh... |
| 2007 | SEAT SEAT SEAT, S.A. is a Spanish automobile manufacturer founded on May 9, 1950 by the Instituto Nacional de Industria , a state-owned industrial holding company.... team |
Sven Hannawald Sven Hannawald Sven Hannawald is a former German ski jumper who competed from the mid 1990s to the mid 2000s. Hannawald won the Four Hills Tournament once. He also won four medals at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, as well as three medals each in the Olympic Winter Games and the FIS Ski-Flying World... , Susi Kentikian, Christina Surer Christina Surer Christina Surer is a Swiss race car driver. She has been racing for more than a decade, having spent several years in go-karts before participating in the Ford Superseries , Alfa 147 Cup and the Ford Fiesta Cup... , Markus Beyer Markus Beyer Height 176 cmMarkus Beyer is a German boxer at super middleweight and the former WBC Champion, who resides in Lilienthal, Germany. He represented his native country at the 1996 Summer Olympics, in the light middleweight division... |
| 2008 | Frosta team | Christoph Langen Christoph Langen Christoph Langen is a German bobsledder who competed for the West German and German national team from 1985 to 2005... , Susi Erdmann Susi Erdmann Susi Erdmann is an East German-German luger and bobsledder who competed from 1977 to 1998 in luge, then since 1999 in bobsleigh... , Silke Kraushaar Silke Kraushaar Silke Kraushaar-Pielach is a German luger who competed from 1995 to 2008... , Felix Loch Felix Loch Felix Loch is a German luger and Olympic champion. He has been competing since 1995 and has been on the German national team since 2006. He won five medals at the FIL World Luge Championships with four golds and one silver... |
| 2009 | TV total TV total TV total is a German late-night television comedy talk show that has run since 8 March 1999 on ProSieben, and is currently aired at around 23:15 from Monday to Thursday.... team |
Stefan Raab Stefan Raab Stefan Konrad Raab is a German entertainer, television host, comedian and musician. Raab began his television career hosting the comedy show Vivasion in 1993 and has been hosting the late-night comedy show TV total since 1999. He became well-known in 1994 after composing a hit single spoofing... , André Lange André Lange André Lange is a retired German bobsledder and the most successful bob pilot of all time who competed at senior level from 1998 to 2010. Competing in three Winter Olympics, he has won four gold medals. He was born in Ilmenau, Thuringia.... , Axel Stein, Björn Dunkerbeck Björn Dunkerbeck Björn Dunkerbeck is a professional windsurfer who has won Professional Windsurfers Association Overall World Championships a record twelve times.... |
| 2010 | TV total TV total TV total is a German late-night television comedy talk show that has run since 8 March 1999 on ProSieben, and is currently aired at around 23:15 from Monday to Thursday.... team |
Stefan Raab Stefan Raab Stefan Konrad Raab is a German entertainer, television host, comedian and musician. Raab began his television career hosting the comedy show Vivasion in 1993 and has been hosting the late-night comedy show TV total since 1999. He became well-known in 1994 after composing a hit single spoofing... , André Lange André Lange André Lange is a retired German bobsledder and the most successful bob pilot of all time who competed at senior level from 1998 to 2010. Competing in three Winter Olympics, he has won four gold medals. He was born in Ilmenau, Thuringia.... , Axel Stein, Björn Dunkerbeck Björn Dunkerbeck Björn Dunkerbeck is a professional windsurfer who has won Professional Windsurfers Association Overall World Championships a record twelve times.... |
| 2011 | Babybel Babybel Babybel is a brand of cheese sold internationally. The Bel Group introduced Babybel in 1952 and in 1977 Mini Babybel was launched in France. In 1979, Mini Babybel was launched in the U.S. under the Laughing Cow umbrella brand. As of 2011, Mini Babybel is eaten in North America, South America,... team |
Sandra Kiriasis Sandra Kiriasis Sandra Kiriasis is a German bobsledder who has competed since 2000.At the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City she won silver in the two-woman event together with teammate Ulrike Holzner... , Tatjana Hüfner Tatjana Hüfner Tatjana Hüfner is a German luger who is the current Olympic Champion and has competed since 2003. She won the bronze medal in the women's singles at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin... , Manuel Machata Manuel Machata Manuel Machata is an German bobsledder who has competed since 2005.Manuel Machata grew up in Ramsau near Berchtesgaden, Germany. He attended the CJD Christophorus high school in Berchtesgaden. After completing high school he joined the sports group of the German army... , Christoph Langen Christoph Langen Christoph Langen is a German bobsledder who competed for the West German and German national team from 1985 to 2005... |
Speed records
| Place | Speed in km/h | Holder | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winterberg | 89.98 | Georg Hackl | 2005 |
| Innsbruck | 91.70 | 2007 |
| Place | Speed in km/h | Holder | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winterberg | 114.3 | Elton & Friends | 2009 |
| Innsbruck | 97.00 | FROSTA | 2006 |
Course Records
| Place | Time in seconds | Holder | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winterberg | 47.621 | Georg Hackl | 2005 |
| Innsbruck | 54.840 | 2007 |
| Place | Time in seconds | Holder | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winterberg | 57.117 | TV total | 2005 |
| Innsbruck | 52.527 | Fisherman's Friend | 2006 |
See also
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- Shopping cart race
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