Inflatable Sex-toy Challenge

LOSEVO, Leningrad Oblast ? Adrenaline-addicts from the city and beyond competed in a three-minute wet and wild ride on inflatable women from sex shops in the eighth annual Bubble Baba Challenge at the Losevo Rapids on the Vuoksa River, about 80 kilometers northwest of St. Petersburg.

The competition was held on Aug. 28. At the contest, riders have to raft on inflatable devices down the rapids on Vuoksa River.

The triumphant winner of the race was St. Petersburg ?athlete? Vladislav Pavlenko on his ?Vanilla Pelotki? (2 minutes 47 seconds) , followed by Dmitry Arsentiev, another local, who rode ?Killer Whale? (2.51). Alexander Marasin, also of St. Petersburg and the owner of ?Fearless Zina? (2.55), came third.

(photo: Alexander Belenky / The St. Petersburg Times)

Baba translates from Russian as ?peasant woman,? but is sometimes used with sexually offensive connotations.

More than 450 thrill-seekers took part in the unorthodox contest, where inflatable babes-turned-boats were given titles no proper regata would ever have accepted. Take, for instance, ?Floating Piggy? or ?Baby-Barge.? Other bold and sassy names that provided valuable insights into their male riders? characters and egos, have included ?Unstoppable Chick,? ?Cuddly Female Racoon,? ?Big Tit Excess,? ?Sexual Goddess,? ?Roach,? ?Miss Peep,? ?School Girl,? ?Indefatiguable? and ?Luba For A Price.?

The event, which was first held in 2003, runs under the motto ?A Rubber Babe is More Than Just A Vehicle?.

(photo: Alexander Belenky / The St. Petersburg Times)

Since 2008, the competition has included a separate heat just for women.

Female competitors demonstrated much poorer results. Vera Tatosyan of St. Petersburg took first place in the women?s event with ?Yosya,? with a time of 3:29. Another local Nadezhda Pavlenko and ?Vanilla Pelotka? came second at 3:38, followed by third-place winner, St. Petersburger Lyubov Rumyantseva on ?Quill-Driver? with a result of 4.06.

There are no strict health restrictions for participation in the the competition, although a specially accredited doctor, however, makes all competitors pass an obligatory alcohol test. The contest also sets the minimum age at 16 years, for both male and female riders.

The competition?s charter also allows the replacement of the rubber doll with a rubber penis of an equivalent size or an inflatable animal. Some female participants have used the rubber penis option. One such vehicle competed under the title of ?Ladies? Pleaser.? Obligatory gear includes wet suits, life vests, and helmets as the Vuoksa rapids can present a challenge.