THE BURNED OVER DISTRICT

Is a dumb idea still a dumb idea? Most people would say that arm wrestling is a dumb idea when men do it so what say you of women doing it, in organized leagues? To their credit the women make it entertaining and use it to support local charities.

Each league has its own Facebook page and the women are in frequent contact with one another, offering advice. (Q: Where does one buy an arm-wrestling table? A: $100 at Ultimate Arm Wrestling.) While there are slight variations on the concept in each city -- the champ in Taos wins a WWE-style belt, while the Windy City winner wears a tiara and a sash -- each group tries to stay true to the essence of the original CLAW.

It's more than following the four pages of intricate rules written by Charlottesville lawyer and CLAW referee Jude Silveira. Each match sponsors a different local cause, from youth music programs to teen pregnancy initiatives. "It's blossoming in all of these cities because it's such a clean idea," says Miller.

A clean idea, yes, but a hilarious one to take part in. All wrestlers compete free of charge, and if there is admission -- typically $5 -- the proceeds benefit the chosen charity. The matches are over pretty quickly. It's usually the best three out of five, with the ref calling the shots and three local celebrity judges deciding any ties.

The characters the women cook up are far-ranging -- Jackie O'Nasty? Strawberry Shivcake? The ref and judges can easily be swayed by CLAWbucks from the crowd. Oh, and let's not forget the monitor sitting under the wrestling table. His sole job: looking at butts. Wrestlers who get up from their seats are disqualified.

"One tournament, we happened to have two characters who were both housewives," Bunnell says. "One was named 'Bunnie Bruiser.' She was a '60s housewife with a beehive, an apron, Jell-O molds and martinis. She was up against 'Tough Love,' a working-class mom in curlers and terry-cloth robe. She shed it -- only to unveil another terry-cloth robe.

"It was our longest standing bout," Bunnell says. "They were in a gridlock. The tension and screaming, I have never heard it get so loud. They lasted through the entire song of 'Fight for Your Right (to Party)' by the Beastie Boys."

Who says women are equal? I think they got the better of men in this sport.