Extreme Croquet is Wicket Good

Photo: wharman, Flickr

Croquet is a casual game played upon manicured lawns in crisp, white slacks, right? In between swings of the mallet you sip your cocktail and snicker at grandpa's poor shot. This game is historically all about the party, so much so croquet was even banned in Boston in the late 19th century thanks to all the gamblers and drinkers stumbling over wickets.

But if you ever get a chance to play extreme croquet, you're in for an entirely different experience. Forget the backyard, Connecticut Extreme Croquet Society says the ideal course is a stand of woods, a bumpy field or a drainage basin. Imagine whacking a wooden ball from wicket to wicket across unpredictable terrain for a couple of hours. If a 175-pound person playing traditional croquet burns about 200 calories per hour, an extreme match must shed at least 300. Pass on the cocktail and you've got yourself a decent workout.

The Succop Conservancy in Butler, PA opened four extreme croquet courses earlier this summer -- a creative way for visitors to literally immerse themselves in the rolling terrain. You can't help but develop a better appreciation for wetlands after traipsing through one in search of the next wicket. The best part of extreme croquet has to be the lack of a governing body, and experimentation has delivered beveled mallets for loft shots and two-story wickets for extra points. Extreme clubs play by disparate rules with one constant -- fun.

In the spirit of That's Fit editor Katie Tweed's family, start a competitive extreme croquet tourney in your area. Design your own extreme course, master it, then beat everyone you invite over to play.