Bubble Baba Challenge: Understanding the History of an Unusual Race-Swim

• Location: Losevo on the Vuoksa River, on the Karelian Isthmus in Leningrad Oblast.
• Started: The first race took place in 2003, followed by the second edition in 2004.
• Competition: Participants tackled the rapids on inflatable dolls.
• 2023 edition: According to the organizer’s report, 471 people took part in 2023.
• Cancellation: The race planned for 2024 was canceled following objections from the authorities.

The name Bubble Baba Challenge referred to a race-swim at the Losevo rapids section of the Vuoksa River. The first race took place in August 2003, followed by the second edition in 2004. Participants swam through the river on inflatable dolls.

The location is in Losevo, on the Karelian Isthmus in Priozersk District, Leningrad Oblast. The river course, with its powerful water and rapids, shaped the competition more than the city of Saint Petersburg, with which it was grouped in some travel accounts. The local setting and water conditions are therefore important to understanding the event’s history.

The race was not held every year. In 2012, the district administration canceled the planned edition because road and railway bridges were undergoing repairs, while high water levels and faster currents also affected safety planning. Organizers and rescue workers devised an adapted course, but the district administration still did not approve the race.

After a lengthy break, the race-swim returned. The edition documented in 2023 drew 471 participants. The race planned for 2024 was canceled following objections from the police and concerns raised by the authorities.

Losevo is outside the city of Saint Petersburg and is part of Leningrad Oblast. A day in the city exploring Saint Petersburg and its unusual urban attractions is therefore a different itinerary from an outing to the rapids. If you stay overnight in the region, choose your accommodation location according to your planned day trips.

In the city, Saint Petersburg museums, Nevsky Prospekt, and Palace Square are distinct sightseeing highlights. For an outing to Losevo, transport and connections, timing, and safety conditions all go together; the event itself belongs to the region’s cultural history.

German Visa and Mastercard cards, payment apps, and cash withdrawals using German cards do not work.

How did the idea for the race-swim originate?

The organizer traced the idea back to a cycling trip taken by 14 men at Lake Ladoga in November 2002. A conversation about inflatable dolls on the water gave rise to the idea of a race-swim on the Vuoksa; one participant came up with the name Bubble Baba Challenge.