FORGET throwing yourself out of a plane, or leaping from buildings with an elastic band on your back, when it comes to "extreme" sports in the most accurate sense of the term, bog snorkelling must be high on the list.

This August bank holiday Monday, the craziest competitors in the world will be lining up at Llanwrtyd Wells, Powys, to take part in international sport's dirtiest competition - Ben & Jerry's 19th World Bog Snorkelling Championship.

The title of World Champion Bog Snorkellor doesn't come easily. To gain the coveted title, competitors have to snorkel two lengths of a murky peat bog.

Mud, weeds and creepy- crawlies are no obstacles in their quest for glory. Official rules state that entrants must not use conventional swimming strokes, but instead rely on flipper power only. Competitors must also meet strict new time limits, imposed for the first time last year, to weed out the 'bog' standard from the 'bog-glingly' fast.

Last year's title was won by Philip John, of Bridgend, in a world-record-beating time of one minute thirty-five seconds, smashing the previous record by four seconds.

John, an international swimmer, will be back to defend his title this year and is hoping to scoop the first prize of a year's supply of ice-cream courtesy of the quirky Vermont duo.

The championships came about one night way back in 1986 as local pub revellers were engaged in a brainstorm for a local charity fundraising initiative, and in a last-ditch attempt to come up with something, suggested bog snorkelling.

This year, all funds raised from the championships will be donated to the Mid Wales division of the Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Trust. For more information or to enter, visit www.benjerry. co.uk