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Travellers enjoying a holiday in Finland can now take part in a new and innovative extreme sport.

Although the activity does not have an official name, it is becoming popularly known as human pooh sticks.

Tourists are flocking to the small town of Kuhmo to take part in the year-round sport, which tests even the most-hardened of extreme sports fans' nerves and courage.

Those taking part are kitted out in survival suits and life jackets, before plunging into the ice-cold waters of the Pajakkakoski River.

No matter what the temperature, and it falls drastically at some points in the year, people can be seen getting into the Pajakkakoski and simply allowing themselves to be swept along with the current.

Supervisors are on hand to ensure that nobody runs into difficulties as they bob along in the deep slow-moving waters and zip past in the rapids.

'When you have experienced this you will know what it feels like to be a human pooh stick on the shoulder of a big river,' said Finnish Tourist Board director Anne Lind.

'There's liberation, exhilaration and a great sense of achievement when you reach the finishing point downstream and someone hauls you out and sends you back for another go.'

Many tourists may be worried about the cold, but Ms Lind promised that the provided thermal gear keeps everyone warm. She also said that hot chocolate is available in abundance after the activity.

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