Getting hit with a fish

How many times have you wondered "what is the most fun I could have with this dead fish?". Before you mull it over too long, in England, the question has long since been answered: Conger cuddling:

Conger cuddling is a traditional event in Lyme Regis, Dorset, England, in which a dead conger eel is thrown at members of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). Part of the town's "Lifeboat Week", the eel is attached to a rope and thrown at nine people standing on flowerpots in a manner similar to skittles. There are two teams involved in a last man standing competition.

The event, which attracts around 3,000 people annually, was used to raise funds for the RNLI. It has been called the "most fun a person could have with a dead fish".

The event started in the early 1970s when Richard Fox, a retired publican, organised the first event. It became a tradition of the town, drawing numerous spectators. However, in 2006 the RNLI made the decision that the event was "inappropriate" after a complaint was made. When it was next held (28 July 2006) the eel had been replaced by a buoy, but there are talks of a replacement, plastic eel being made for 2007.

So, in the tradition of Monty Python's common bit of getting smacked in the head with a fish, which came first, the sport or the comedy skit? This will surely inspire debate and research in only the most dedicated/dorky. And lo, I've thrown down the gauntlet by gleefully writing about it. Dork, indeed.