The first Pillow Fighting World Championship was inaugurated in New York on May 17.

The event was attended exclusively by women -- mostly representatives of the United States, Austria, Japan and Sweden. 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.

Under the terms of the contest, participants had to beat the standard pillows for sleeping whose weight should not exceed 750 grams. 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.

Similar competitions are held regularly in different countries. And in early April 2011 the world marked the International Day of pillow fights.

Pillow Fighting World Championship aims to be a pure enterprise, a sport where women can engage in the competition without being objectified. The Championship is a joint endeavor between Brooklyn Artist Andrew Thompson, creator of Punk Rock Pillow Fight, and a group of Austrian women who wish for the slumber party showdown to become a respectable adult competition.

Take a glimpse of the photos from the Pillow Fighting World Championship:

New York Japan New York Japan