Aug 28, 200610:44 AMThe Life

Heave your phone!

Finland claims to be the home of mobile phones... and Finns have always been very fashion-conscious about their handsets.

In fact, many Europeans wonder why Finns buy brand-new phones when their old ones are still working.

According to this Finnish website, the mobile phone has become an essential part of most Finns' daily lives, but when that phone is most needed, "the battery runs out or your sweetheart doesn't answer or someone doesn't return your call. Hope, anticipation, passion and frustration concentrates on the mobile phone."

So what happens to the old mobile phones?

According to insurance companies, there are lots of mobile phones at the bottom of Finland's many lakes.

I guess that's why they decided to hold the Mobile Phone Throwing World Championships in Savonlinna, Finland.

The new 2006 men's champion is Lassi Etelätalo (Finnish, of course) with a throw of 89.0 meters (291.9 feet). The winner in the women's category is Eija Laakso (another Finn) with a new world record 50.83 meters (166.7 feet).

Funny. I've been in training for the 2007 competition, and didn't even realize it...