FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2011 (WSC) in Oslo was a success for the hundreds of thousands spectators, the participants as well as the Norwegian hosts, not to mention their athletes. Norway won 20 (8 Gold, 6 Silver and 6 Bronze) out of 63 medals and when our King Harald V who attended every day was asked if that was a bit “greedy”, he answered: Who could blame them, this is what they have been training for years to do: -) The second most successful country was Austria with 10 and Sweden with 5 medals.
Norway’s national arena comprising of the Holmenkollen and Midtstuen hill or ski jump as well as the Cross-Country Stadium is a compact venue in the true sense of the word. The three competition venues all lay in close proximity to each other: Cross-Country tracks main tribune with start and finish line.
The championship lasts for 10 days, and includes 21 competitions within Cross-Country, Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined (jumping first, then cross country by the same athlete). My wife and I had a one day sponsored experience, with three events included:
Nordic Combined team relay:
Norway won bronze, Austria gold and Germany silver in this event. Norway got off to a slow start, as number four following the ski jumping, but ended in third place, 40.6 seconds behind the winner: Left: Ski Jump in Midtstuen – Right: Cross-Country relay
King Petter & Queen Marit:
The King and Queen of this championship are Peter Northug and Marit Bjørgen – in a class of their own. The incredible Marit Bjørgen won 4 gold medals and one silver this time and she is also the most successful sprinter in Cross-Country World Cup history, with twenty-three victories. She is ranked second (after Yelena Välbe) in the ladies all-time Cross-Country World Cup rankings, with forty-four individual victories. One of her most notable achievements was becoming the most successful athlete at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, by winning five medals, including three gold medals and the Championship relay gold for Norway’s women. On the day we where there, she won 10 KM: Above: Marit in red – Photos from Women’s 10 KM – we were standing close by : )
Petter Northug won 4 gold and 2 silver medals in this championship including Sunday’s event: Men’s 50 km Mass Start Free, defeating Russia’s Maxim Vylegzhanin – Tord Asle Gjerdalen from Norway came third. Norwegian star Petter Northug powered Norway to gold in the men’s 4x10km relay last Friday as well, following teammates Martin Johnsrud, Eldar Roenning and Tord Asle Gjerdalen to clinch victory in the final leg of the relay after grabbing the lead with one kilometre to go. Northug was quite a successful athlete at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics too: Two Gold, one Silver and one Bronze medal!
How about you: Did you notice in the news or watched some of this winter sport event? Whatever; it would have been nice if you could share your thoughts in comment:
FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2011 in Oslo, Norway’s national arena comprising both the Holmenkollen and Midtstuen hill or ski jump as well as the Cross-Country stadium is a compact venue in the true sense of the word. The three competition venues all lie in close proximity to each other, surrounded by the Cross-Country tracks which provide many scenic views towards the city, the fjord and of course the venue:
Having been rebuilt or reconstructed 18 times throughout history, the new and spectacular Holmenkollen arena is just being finalised for this Oslo2011 (click pic to bigify & enjoy). The Ski World Championship 2010 in Norway Winder Wonderland.
A cultural event:
I was there with some friends and my wife on Monday 28th (sponsored by the food company Stabburet, which used my photo in an advertisement – read details in the post here) and gladly invite you along. I promise it’ll be fun, even if sport isn’t your cup of tea! You see, Holmenkollen is not merely a sports venue; it is also a tourist magnet of note with over a million visitors every year and this event is a celebration for all with a variety a cultural events as well. Let me give you some examples of what we met on our way from one venue to another: Lively characters, even Trolls from Norwegian fairy tails, as well as storybook bakers from popular children’s stories.
Combine sports mania & outdoor recreation:
Every day there are thousands of spectators at Holmenkollen, 20 minutes by Metro from Oslo City Center – they expect around 100 to 150 thousand on Sunday – fully equipped for a one day outdoor folk festival: Most have a backpack, some have skies and of course they have flags too!
You see, if you are dressed right and have sufficient supplies, like coffee, toddy, an extra hip bottle and pack a good lunch, a day like this can be a blast: Enjoying sports event is for everyone the Norwegian way : -)
If you are in for more luxury, there are of course tribunes too – very often occupied by invited guest from all over the world:
So as you can see this event is something for everyone to enjoy, both young and old, Norwegian or visitor there is something fun and exciting for everyone. Of course there have also been some very good sporting events hehehe, and I will be telling you more about it in my next post. In the mean time stay tuned and follows along with the news in Nordic Skiing, because there is still more fun to come!
Norwegians love outdoor life associated with voluntary physical activity or use of leisure time outdoors in nature. With leisure means the air outside, and you should not be confused with English free or clean air, or even free of contamination. However, that’s what you get and it’s of course an important part of the recreational effect of a family trip out and about – even in winter times! Wouldn’t you do the same if you had the inviting scenery we had last weekend: Panorama photo from the Oslo Fjord just 20 minutes out of town at Sandvika in Bærum.
Treasuring the natural outdoors:
If you think of it: We humans lived outdoors long before we lived indoors, and we had to million years as hunters and gatherers. So we’ve developed a body and a mind that is predisposed to a life in and of nature. The last few thousand years however, we have developed a culture and a civilization that somehow looks like we can put ourselves above the rest of nature. To find peace and a new balance we need to interact with the old natural elements. My respectful contention is that these environments are vital to our health and peace of mind (click all pics to bigify & enjoy):
Treasuring The ‘freedom to roam’:
Norwegians really enjoy the right to access and passage through uncultivated land in the countryside. The right is an old consuetudinary law called the “Allemannsrett” (lit. all men’s right), that was codified in 1957 with the implementation of the Outdoor Recreation Act. It’s based on respect for the countryside, and all visitors are expected to show consideration for farmers and landowners, as well as other users and the environment: Enjoying Outdoor’s natural playground with waffles & hot chocolate.
Ancient traces provide evidence of the freedom to roam in many European countries, suggesting such a freedom was once a common norm. This “right to roam” has survived in perhaps its purest form here in Scandinavia and a possible explanation as to why the right has survived mainly in these four countries is that feudalism and serfdom were not established here. In Norway the right has been won through practice over hundreds of years and it is not known when it changed from mere ‘common practice’ to become a commonly recognised right. Another factor is the survival of large areas of unenclosed forest and to ensure the ability to operate outdoor recreation, we determinately have set aside green spaces, parks, islands and outlying areas in fairly close proximity to urban areas, especially around the capital of Oslo. If you recall my saying: There is no such as bad weather, only bad clothes; winter, snow and ice is of course no obstacle, but rather takes the recreational effect to a new dimension:
Outdoor Recreation in Winter Wonderland:
I shot a lot more photos with my Nokia N8 mobile phone on this hike by the Oslo Fjord – eager to share with my readers as always. Trying to capture the spirit and atmosphere and bring some of this fresh, crisp and free air home to you:
Now you have seen us exploring our natural environment. How do you interact with your natural environment? Maybe you don’t have snow or skiing, but every place has its own unique beauty. Share with us in the comments.
FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2011 started today in Oslo and will include 21 competitions within Cross-Country, Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined as well as a variety of cultural events. It’ll take place at The Holmenkollen Ski Jumping Hill – the third best known sporting arena in the world, after Wimbledon and Wembley.
Since the first event in 1892, Holmenkollen ski jump has been re-developed on no less than 18 occasions. Even in its second year, work commenced on developing and improving the ski jump. In 1914, the first tower was erected, ‘Tower of Babel’. For the Olympic Games in Oslo in 1952, permanent grandstands and a judge’s tower were built and during the Championships of 1966 and 1982 the facility was further extended. Following these changes, only small alterations have been made before the current major re-development for the Oslo2011. I was there for the trial WSC in 2010 and took plenty of photos (click all pics to enlarge & enjoy) – here some spectators:
The arena has previously hosted the 1952 Winter Olympics and the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in 1930, 1966, 1982 and now 2011 as well as annual Biathlon World Cup races.
Advantage of Social Media sharing:
My regular readers knows I’m above average in Social Media activities. As a network evangelist, I love to share and be inspired of others – like I often say: It’s a Givers Gain! It occurs in many ways and in this case, two of the pics I took in Holmenkollen last year (posted about and shared on Flickr) has become “famous” in Norway:
Sausages: Kollen Grill & Wiener:
One of Norwegian food companies, Gilde, who make sausages or hotdogs, wanted to use one of the photos for their Holmenkollen sausage collection and the result: Left: Boil Hotdog (or wieners) – Right: Grill Hotdog – the word “Kollen” in the name is of course a direct reference to Holmenkollen. As locals call the ski jump Kollen for short.
The picture is now to be seen all over Norway; at gas stations, local groceries, in newspapers e.g.:
Nora homemade Jam:
Another food company; Stabburet, who makes jam (made from old, traditional Norwegian recipe) asked for permission to use the other and they promote their Holmenkollen collection in newspapers:
Follow RennyBA & DianeCA on Oslo2011:
The companies above have of course paid for the use of my photos. This has not made me a millionaire but of course I am very proud to see them all over the country! The best payment I received was in addition 4 VIP tickets to the World Championship in Nordic Ski events. So we will be reporting from the atmosphere and activities in the coming days. There will be a lot happening here in Oslo winter sport capital so stay tuned! Holmenkollen spirit: Kollen is especially known for its sportsmansly atmosphere and its famous “Kollen roar”.
RennyBA’s Terella is about the significant four seasons and how we enjoy each of them in Norway, right now; the Winter Wonderland. The love of being outdoors and exploring the nature is an important part of this, including the fascination of the colourful scenery at sunset and sunrise. It never ceases to amaze me with its beauty and splendour; artistically painted on the sky with great diversity – dark and brooding or mysterious and colourful – I can’t help trying to capture the spirit as often I can; The Beauty in wintertime of Left: Sunset – Right: Sunrise : -)
Panoramic Sunrise Scenery:
Perhaps you’ve heard the saying “as the days lengthen, the cold strengthens”. For the next few weeks, this will be the case. Even more; this time of the year – two months after winter solstice and the shortest day of the year – we have 9 ½ hours of daylight in Oslo. That is almost 4 hours more than the shortest day of the year back in December. This additional daylight is not going to help us in the temperature department, but who cares with a morning view from the living room in the second floor like this: Taken with my Nokia N8 mobile phone. On top: the panoramic photo automatically mounted as one from the individual four photos beneath.
Slideshow for the love of Sunrise & set:
All this glory of a sunset & rise gives a spirit of wonder and joy, hard to explain with photos alone. That is why I like to experiment with mixing them in a slideshow adding some text and royalty free music. So please take a tour with me of some beautiful sunsets and rises from Norway the Winter Wonderland and marvel at the beauty of what nature create:
As many have read over the years I am really an outdoor enthusiast. I think that the nature around us gives us opportunities more than challenges. It gives us the opportunity to experience beauty beyond anything man could ever create, and to enjoy recreation in the fresh air which makes us feel alive. I hope you will get an opportunity to enjoy the nature wherever you are as the weekend approaches, and please feel free to share your experiences in the comments on my blog.
Most have a backpack, some have skies and of course they have flags too!
