Walt Disney World Hosts Unconventional Sports Events for ESPN8: The Ocho

ESPN8: The Ocho is celebrating its 10th anniversary by bringing offbeat sports events to the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World. The event, which started as a joke in the 2004 film Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, has grown into a unique programming block featuring unusual games.

The first sport Rebekah Moseley checked out was roofball, founded by Adam Willis. Players throw a football onto a roof, aiming for a ping, and catch it when it comes off the roof. Fourteen-time champ Derek Weber demonstrated the game's challenges. Attendees also tried their hand at throwing.

The Housekeeping Games, which originated 36 years ago as an attempt to excite housekeepers, made its Ocho debut. The events include a mop obstacle course and vacuuming races. Michael Patterson explained that the sport was designed to be exciting for environmental services professionals.

Slippery Stairs, a returning favorite, involves making your way up a set of slippery stairs using a lubricant and ringing a bell at the top. Paul Higgins produces and hosts the game, which is part of a mini tour that has already visited South Padre Island, Knoxville, and Atlantic City.