If you think competitive pillow fighting is just a chance to see scantily clad women beat the stuffing out of each other, then you haven't heard about the Pillow Fight World Cup, which is as pure as a freshly cleaned bedsheet.
The May 17 battle royale is a joint venture between a Brooklyn artist who for years has thrown pillow fight parties in warehouses and on rooftops, and a group of Austrian woman who want to turn the childhood game into respectable adult competition.
"It's less brutal than boxing, but you still need technique," said Maylin Kretzschmar, 26. She's one of three Austrians in the tournament. "It's a fun sport. I don't want to punch someone in the face, but you can still get rid of your aggression."
Eight women armed with fluffy weapons and dressed like athletes, not sex symbols, will step into a converted boxing ring in Brooklyn, N.Y. to beat each other mercilessly with feather filled pillowcases.
The American working with the Austrians is Andrew Thompson, creator of Punk Rock Pillow Fight, a sporadically scheduled whack-happy night for amateurs with live music.
His Punk Rock Pillow Fight events are open to men and women, but when the Austrians approached him about a ladies-only World Cup, he didn't object.
The upstart tournament contrasts with a rival Canadian Pillow Fight League. The six-year-old organization is a descendant of foxy boxing and mud wrestling, and banks on the sex appeal of its fighters to put fannies in the seats.
Thompson, 36, said lingering memories of these types of fleshy events make it tough for him to find ladies to enter the Pillow Fight World Cup.
"Females think this is some sexy lingerie pillow match and they don't want to be a part of it," said Thompson. "But I wouldn't be a part of any event like that either. I'm up against this stigma."
The disapproval cuts both ways.
Stacey Case, the Pillow Fight League founder, has frowned on the newcomers for creating what he says is a watered-down version of his carefully crafted enterprise.
"Anybody can do it, but what we think is that we're the only ones who do it well," said Case. "I've organized 65 events, not just one event like these guys."
Case also revealed to AOL Weird News that he plans to stage an international pillow fighting tournament of his own next year and to award bigger prizes.
"Any idiot can get a cup made," Case said, "but I spent three grand on a belt."
Until then the so-called sport is in the hands of Kretzschmar and her compatriots. They see the event as a chance to raise the profile of a game most people haven't played since sleepover parties in elementary school.
The rules for the Pillow Fight World Cup closely resemble the brand of pillow fighting waged by the Austrians in their training gym in Vienna.
Matches are fought in two rounds, each lasting two minutes. Judges award points for hits to the body and head. Contestants are penalized for turning their backs to their opponents and for dropping to a knee.
The most serious injury the gladiators face are occasional cuts on their knuckles, Kretzschmar said.
Thompson shares the Austrians' enthusiasm for pillow fighting, but for him, it's just a fun way to act immaturely.
"When I started Punk Rock Pillow Fight here in New York, it was to make something awesome out of nothing and to have a regressive childhood experience," he told AOL Weird News.
"I'm down for a good fight, but [the Austrians] take it much more seriously than I do."
Other entrants know it sounds silly to compete in the World Cup, but that's not stopping them.
"When I told my mom that I was entering," said Jennifer Tullock, 27, of New York, "She rolled her eyes and said 'Go strong.'"
Visit www.pillowfightworldcup.com/yes/ for more info. The first 50 people to sign up at pillowfightworldcup.eventbrite.com get free tickets.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.