Sons of Norway Remembers Alexander Dale Oen.

Last week the world learned of the tragic death of Norwegian Olympian Alexander Dale Oen. On April 30th , while participating in his national team’s training camp in Arizona, he was found unconscious in his hotel bathroom after having suffered a cardiac arrest. At the same time, the Olympics, Norway and the world of competitive swimming lost one of their brightest stars.

Oen’s list of accomplishments included medals in the FINA Shour Course World Championships, European Swimming Championships, European Short Course Championships, Summer Olympics and, most recently, a gold medal at the 2011 World Championships.

Recently Sons of Norway had interviewed Oen for a Viking magazine segment meant to lead in to the summer Olympics. From his comments, it was clear to see that his family and his country were things he held closest to his heart. We at Sons of Norway feel his recent comments stand as a testimony to his character and the legacy he left behind and want to share some of them with you.

“In my free time, I try to spend as much time as possible with family and friends.”

“My brother has been the greatest influence in my career. He always cheered me up with a smile, even if my races were not good. He was always the one who woke me up in the morning so that I wouldn’t miss practice.”

“It’s always an honor to be able to represent Norway and carry the flag on my shoulder. My mindset for the Olympic Games is all about having great fun, and to push myself past every limit, both mentally and physically.”

On behalf of all Sons of Norway members our thoughts are with Oen’s family as they get through this most difficult time.

Sons of Norway sponsors active, healthy lifestyles

This past Friday Sons of Norway sponsored the Uptown Minneapolis Criterium, which is the 4th stage of the Nature Valley Grand Prix/Bicycle Festival. This was a great event for because it brought together some of the country’s most elite cyclists and thousands of people who are interested in leading active and healthy lifestyles.

The event was important for Sons of Norway because we, also, believe in the importance of active and healthy lifestyles. So much so, that we have redeveloped our Sports Medal program to better reflect the fun and excitement that comes with being active. We’ve already rolled out two new medals and every quarter we will introduce another new design for our program.

Combined with this new look, we have also added a new sport, swimming, to the list of activities that are eligible for medals. If you’d like to learn more about this new svommerke medal, or any of the redesigned programs, don’t hesitate to contact culture@sofn.com or call 800-945-8851.

The Norwegian Curling Team: A Story with Legs

Last week I wrote about the hubbub surrounding the Norwegian Olympic curling team's "flashy" trousers. Since then, Norway's athletes have had a great showing at the games. (As I'm writing this, a quick check of my “NBC Vancouver 2010” smart phone app tells me that they have six gold, three silver, and five bronze medals.) But as far as I can tell, nothing about Norway's participation in the 2010 games seems to be garnering as much attention—or global media buzz—as those pants. A Google search for "Norway curling team pants" yields 137,000 results. On Facebook? You can join the nearly 370,000 fans of “The Norwegian Olympic Curling Team’s Pants.” And it's not at all surprising that Norway's King Harald V has weighed in, describing the the harlequin-pattern slacks as "the coolest pants I've ever seen," according to a BBC report issued today.

One can only imagine what's next. A bidding frenzy for a pair of the jester pants on eBay? A team appearance on "The Tonight Show"? Endorsement deals? I sincerely hope for all of the above.

Winter: You can’t beat it. Enjoy it!

As a Minnesotan, I see only two viable options for getting through the long winter each year: Escape it or embrace it. For practical reasons, I’ve always taken the latter approach. I remind myself that winter provides different—but equally gorgeous—scenery, and that February’s lengthening days mean the snow and ice will eventually be giving way to green grass. In the mean time, I count my winter blessings: cozy evenings at home, a break from yard work and plenty of snow for cross-country skiing.

Someone who seems to have perfected the notion of embracing winter is writer Stephen Regenold. Instead of escaping to a warm, exotic destination, he and his friends traveled to Molde, to explore Norway’s Romsdal Alps. Stephen shares his adventures in “Valhalla, on Skis,” in the February issue of Viking. Check it out! I bet it will inspire you to get out there and enjoy the season—no matter where you live.

Another Gold for Norway!

I know, I know, Norway is down 2-0 in the first period, but hey they can make a comeback! In the meantime, here's an Olympic update from Nichole!

Today, Tora Berger won Norway another gold medal (her first!) in the individual biathlon, missing just one shot and completing the course in 40 minutes, 52.8 seconds. In doing so, Berger's win added the 100th medal to Norway's winter Olympics coffer.

Congrats to Berger -- it was a very exciting match to watch. Her concentration during the shooting was such a thing to watch. Can you imagine skiing that hard for 40 minutes and making so few mistakes while being that exhausted? Amazing!

Blades of Steel: The Showdown

In a few hours one of the most anticipated Olympic match-ups is going to bring together two hockey powerhouses who have thus far under-performed in the tournament. But, then again, today is only the second game.

In any case, don't be surprised if you call the HQ this afternoon and hear cheering in the background because at 2 PM the U.S. Hockey Team is facing off against Team Norway. What will set this game apart from any other played by either team is that we'll probably be cheering no matter who has the puck. It's hard to split loyalty, but we find a way to do so equitably every time something like this comes around.

I'm really looking forward to the game because I don't think that the U.S. is going to dominate the way everyone else is expecting. In their first game of the tourney they only beat the luke warm Swiss team 3-1 (and remember, the Swiss version of "miracle on ice" was beating the Canadian team in a non-medal match-up during the 2006 Olympics).

Though Norway did get shellacked by the Canadian team the other day, I think that was a learning experience for our boys in Red. I think I speak for everyone here at HQ when I say we are looking forward to one of those epic games that Olympic hockey is known for.

Norway is Looking Golden...Finally!

In a moment that many around here thought they'd never see in 2010, Norway has finally brought home its first gold medal of the 2010 Olympics! In a stunning victory over a field of amazing skiers, Marit Bjoergen has brought Olympic gold to Norway by winning the Ladies' Individual Sprint Classic yesterday.

Big congrats to Marit Bjoergen who added a gold medal to her collection, which already included a bronze medal in the 10 km free cross country race.

2010 Olympics: Wherein Norway Shakes Up the International Curling Establishment . With Their Pants!

Winter Olympics fever is running high in my house. We watched the opening ceremonies and my three sons got almost as excited when the Norwegian delegation walked into the stadium as when Team USA did! If you have a smart phone, I highly recommend NBC’s “Vancouver 2010” app.

My family’s favorite feature is “Medal Count,” which updates and ranks each nation’s gold, silver, and bronze medals throughout every day of the games. There’s also video updates, schedules, and Twitter feeds from the likes of Apollo Anton Ohno, and you can set up “Favorites” so that you’re always getting updates on your favorite countries. How else would I know that “Norway’s curlers hope two-time Major golf winner John Daly’s passion for garish, brightly patterned trousers can inspire them to Olympic gold”? Apparently the team trained in blue, grey, white, and red diamond-patterned golf pants from the same company that supplies Daly and is considering shaking up the conservative curling establishment by wearing them for competition.

Sure, it’s trivial—but my boys will be so impressed when I share that inside scoop with them at the dinner table tonight.

Sons of Norway's Olympic Connection

So, who caught the women's moguls-freestyle competition last night? I did, and the most memorable part of it was the medal presentation. For those who saw it, the U.S. National Anthem was playing, U.S. skier Hannah Kearney was on the top podium and it was a beautiful moment. But that wasn't the memorable part for me, instead it was what was going on behind Ms. Kearney on the Bronze podium, where a young lady with pink hair, broke into tears as the anthem was played and she sang along with all her heart. That was the memorable part to me.

Why?

Because that patriotic, emotional bronze medalist was none other than Sons of Norway member Shannon Bahrke. For those of you who keep past issues of Viking magazine, check out your February 2006 issue for a profile of this amazing woman. Check out some photos from Shannon's huge day here!

In other news, Norway's Olympic team is on the medal board with 3 so far. Congratulations to cross country skier Marit Bjoergen for her Bronze medal, Emil Hegle Svendsen for his silver medal in the 10K sprint biathlon and to Aksel Svindal for silver medal in the Men's Downhill Alpine Skiing event.

Ski for Light: Photo Recap

Thanks to some dedicated participants I've got some great photos for you from this year's Ski for Light. Enjoy!

Ski for Light: Larry Showlater

Today's coverage of the 2010 Ski for Light comes to you courtesy of Larry Showalter, the event's immediate past president. I had the pleasure of catching up with Larry in between events on Friday and spoke with him about all manner of Ski for Light topics. We discussed everything from this year's location (a rare repeat from the previous year) to the importance of good communication between guides and visually impaired skiers.

As mentioned in a previous blog post, this year's event is being held in Soldier Hollow for the second year in a row. I didn't think this was a common occurance, so I was glad to get some info from somebody like Larry, who has participated in Ski for Light for 18+ years. According to Larry, its not as rare as it used to be, but it's still not a common practice either. He said it's happened a couple of times in the past 10 years, and before that it was almost unheard of. He told me one the the main factors in returning to Soldier Hollow was that it was very well received by the skiers. “The fact that they get to ski in a venue that was created for the Olympics played a big part in that. It's not usual for an Olympic cross-country venue to be maintained after the international event wraps up.” Also, according to Larry, the weather plays into the decision-making as well, and it looks like they got exactly what they were looking for. Larry told me that they “could not have had five days of better skiing weather. No extreme temps to melt or freeze the tracks makes for great conditions.”

Next I moved the conversation to Larry's experience this year so far. As a veteran Ski for Light skier, I was interested in hearing his thoughts on working with a sighted guide. This year proved to be especially interesting, I think, because Larry was paired with a first-time guide. Apparently, the good folks who plan the event like to cycle guides and skiers in a manner that one year you will be paired with someone with more experience, so the week can be a learning experience for you, then another year it's reversed and you are the more experienced person doing the teaching.

Larry told me that this year he was working a lot on the communication that's needed for a skier and guide to be safe and successful. Larry also explained to me that what you say is only half the equation. How you say it is just as important. Because the skier and guide are constantly in motion, the guide can not waste time or words on “filler,” like uh's and um's. It's important to be very efficient with your use of words. The only thing more imperative to a good experience is to not let the visually impaired skier get surprised or tentative. According to Larry, this can happen easily if the guide isn't communicating well or often. When that happens, the skier gets nervous and doesn't enjoy the experience of being out on the course. Word to the wise, right?

At this point we had to wrap things up, but before we did I asked Larry to share some thoughts on the importance of participating in a worthwhile event like this. He told me “it's a great way to celebrate Norwegian heritage and culture. Participating is a great way to do something fun and spread the word about cross country skiing and Norway.”

Well said, Larry! Ok, check back soon, I should have some photos from this year's event coming shortly!

Ski for Light: The Eikevik Connection

As I mentioned yesterday, I had the opportunity to interview Leif Eikevik, grandson of former Supreme President and Ski for Light Founder Bjarne Eikevik.

Even though the Ski for Light has been a major part of his family, and vice versa, this year was Leif’s first time as attending and being a guide for a visually impaired skier. When we spoke, we discussed a number of different topics, from his family connection to his experience as a guide.

Leif told me that he had heard about Ski for Light for years from his grandparents when he’d stay overnight at their house. His father, who guided skiers until the mid-80’s, also was a huge proponent of the race. He would tell Leif about the ski event and its importance because it helps others gain some amazing experiences.

I asked Leif if this familial connection played a part in his participating this year. His response was overwhelmingly affirmative, in that he wanted to carry on the Eikevik legacy and the long-standing family tradition. In addition, Leif told me that he wanted to participate as a Ski for Light guide this year because he felt it would help him understand his father and grandfather better. Even though they are gone, Leif believed that having a shared or common experience with them was a rare opportunity that many people don’t get.

As for the guiding experience itself, Leif indicated that he had learned a lot, and admitted he had even more to learn, from long-time guides and skiers. His experience so far has included “lots of communication with my skiing partner, learning to say enough without saying too much and working in constant tandem.” Above all, he’s having a great time in Utah with the other participants.

Big thanks to Leif for taking time to chat with me.

Now, tomorrow or Saturday there will be more posts from the 2010 Ski for Light, maybe some photos and video, too, so keep checking back for more!

Ski for Light 2010

It crept up on me this year and surprised me with a phone call from our traveling CEO who is currently 20 miles outside Provo, Utah at a place called Soldier Hollow. Yep, it’s time, once again, for the annual Ski for Light! This year we’ll have a couple interviews with skiers, guides, board members and more!

To kick things off, I had the opportunity to speak with International President, Dan Rude today. Dan had only arrived in Utah on Wednesday afternoon, so he hadn’t had a chance to ski yet, but he did have the opportunity to meet with a number of participants of this year’s event. In his own words “I’m so impressed with everything they are doing. There are members here from all over the country—from as far away as Washington State, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. These are the friendliest people in the world!”

He told me that the plan for today was to spend some more time with members who are taking part in the 2010 Ski for Light. Then, later tonight, Dan and Sons of Norway CEO Eivind Heiberg are planning to head into Salt Lake City to visit with some members from Leif Erikson lodge 6-083. After spending all day outside with little more than “Hot Chocolate” to keep them warm, it’s probably a good idea for them to head inside and warm up a little.

And speaking of Leifs, after Dan and I got off the phone I had the opportunity to interview a young man named Leif Eikevik. Does the last name sound familiar? For some Sons of Norway members it should—you see Leif is the grandson of Ski for Light founder and former Supreme President Bjarne Eikevik. Check back tomorrow for that interview!

A Family Who Barneløpets Together Sticks Together

This July, my three brothers and their families, my mother, and my husband and I and our kids will gather at a northern Minnesota resort for a three-day family reunion. If this reunion is anything like the last one, the highlight of our time together will be “Norwegian Heritage Night.” Each family will be charged with preparing a lesson or activity on some aspect of Norwegian history or culture. When we did this three years ago, Heritage Night included making woven paper hearts and watching a hilarious video on Norwegian geography that was produced by my brother, starred his two pre-teen kids, and used Norwegian rap (who knew?) for the background soundtrack.

This July, inspired by International President Dan Rude’s “Velkommen” letter in the February issue of Viking, we’re going to make a barneløpet (children’s race) a part of our Heritage Night festivities. My oldest brother Mike, a Colorado resident and avid triathlete with several Hawaiian Ironman races under his belt, happily volunteered to organize it—especially once I told him he’d be off the hook for preparing a history lesson. The plan is to have all 10 grandchildren participate in some kind of relay race, details TBD.

For both my personal planning reasons and for possible use in upcoming issues of Viking magazine, I’d love to hear how you’ve celebrated your Norwegian heritage at family get-togethers. Please email vikingeditor@mspcustomcontent.com.

Norwegian Football

Today we have a post from Colin, Sons of Norway's Cultural Advisor, on Norway's run for the WC (pun intended as either interpretation may be applicable) and some info on Norwegian football.

Last week we blogged about Norway’s national soccer team and their bid to qualify for next year’s World Cup in South Africa. Sadly, with a draw against Macedonia and a loss to the Netherlands, Norway’s chances of making it into the tournament are looking dim.

No one seriously expected Norway to beat the Dutch team – which is consistently ranked as one of the best teams in the world – but the scoreless tie to tiny Macedonia was a major disappointment. You can read analysis of the Macedonia match here and the Dutch game here. The Norwegians will have to win against the tough Scottish team in August and the feisty Icelandic squad in September to keep their World Cup dreams alive.

For some sunnier news then, we’ll turn to Norwegian professional soccer.

Norway’s top-level soccer league, formally called Eliteserien but also known as Tippeligaen, consists of 16 teams from around the country. Over the course of the season, which lasts from spring to autumn, the teams each play each other twice, once at home and once away. As with most soccer leagues, league standing is determined by a point system, where a win is worth three points, a draw is worth one, and a loss is worth zero. At the end of the season, the team with the most points is the winner – which is to say that there isn’t really a post-season or playoff tournament to decide the league champion.

Another major difference between North American professional sports and Norwegian professional soccer is the system of promotion and relegation, common to soccer leagues around the world. At the end of the season, the bottom two teams in the league are kicked out and sent down – relegated - to the next-lowest division, while the top two teams in the lower division are moved up – promoted – to the top league. There are several divisions included in the system, which means that in theory, over the course of years a wealthy team can be relegated to a semi-pro division, while a local amateur team can turn itself into a professional powerhouse. In practice, a small handful of teams have tended to dominate the top league, but it does happen frequently that teams from small towns do well at the top level. A case in point would be Molde FK, hailing from the small city in Møre og Romsdal, which began its current spell in the top league only two years ago and is currently ranked #2, beating out far wealthier teams from Oslo and Bergen.

Here’s a list of the current top-level teams and where they come from:

Tromsø IL: Tromsø
Bodø/Glimt: Bodø
Molde FK: Molde
Aalesunds FK: Ålesund
SK Brann: Bergen
Viking FK: Stavanger
IK Start: Kristiansand
Strømsgodset IF: Drammen
Stabæk Fotball: Bekkestua (Bærum)
Lillestrøm SK: Lillestrøm
Vålerenga: Oslo
Lyn: Oslo
Fredrikstad FK: Fredrikstad
Sandefjord: Sandefjord
Odd Grenland: Skien

World Cup Soccer: Norway's eye is on the prize

With today’s World Cup qualifying match it seems like a good time to blog about Norway’s national pastime, soccer.

As in most of Europe – or most of the rest of the world beyond the States for that matter – soccer is hugely popular in Norway. Not only is the sport popular among children and teenagers, it’s also by far the biggest spectator sport, with dozens of teams throughout the country playing in several professional and semi-pro divisions. The top league, known in Norwegian as Tippeligaen or Eliteserien, is to Norway what the NFL is to America. The country also boasts national squads (men’s, women’s, and youth teams) that compete around the world.

The men’s national team will square off today against Macedonia in a World Cup qualifier, one of several that the team will play before next year’s tournament in South Africa. Currently Norway is ranked 47th out of about 200 national teams, sandwiched between South Korea and Gabon. Only 32 teams will enter the final competition, so Norway needs to do well against Macedonia – and the far more challenging Dutch team which they’ll play next Wednesday – in order to advance.

Things have been looking up for the Norwegian national team in the last few months ever since the return of coach Egil “Drillo” Olsen, who replaced Åge Hareide after a winless 2008 run. Drillo is an iconic figure in Norwegian football and his style of play – emphasizing long passes and fast breaks over more strategic attacks – is extremely controversial. And effective: when Drillo coached the team from 1990 to 1998, he took the team to two World Cups and the European Cup as well. So far this year, Drillo has led the Norwegians to victories against Germany and Finland.

Unfortunately if you live outside of Norway it’s very difficult to watch the matches. Sometimes you can watch the matches online, but you usually have to pay for the privilege, and some international matches aren’t included due to licensing restrictions. If you understand Norwegian you can listen to the games on NRK via net radio, but for some bizarre reason the action is periodically interrupted for commercials and bad music. Fox Soccer Channel has pretty good coverage of the World Cup qualifying rounds (including free video highlights) and you might even catch some Norway games on ESPN 360, especially as we get closer to the World Cup. Sometimes we are reduced to reading the minute-by-minute text updates which you’ll find on the websites of most Norwegian newspapers, our favorite is Bergens Tidene.

Next week we’ll post the results of the games against Macedonia and the Netherlands, then some more information on the Norwegian professional leagues, so keep reading.

Diamenten: Sold!

As you may remember, I posted about the potential e-bay sale of the Diamanten back in November. Well it's official--the sale over and the Diamanten has a new owner.

In the online auction for this notable piece of architecture there were 53 different bids. In the end Tommy Sharif, owner of Sharif's Dekksenter won out with a final bid of NOK 270,000 (about $40,000 USD). Sharif then donated the diamond-shaped cabin to the Ministry of Culture and Church Affairs, who will make it part of the Holmenkollen Ski Museum.

It's nice to see that such a recognizable landmark in the world of skiing will not be lost to time and apathy. To read more about the sale, make sure you check out the April issue of Viking magazine.

Viking Ship Slide Show

Thanks to Charlotte Fluker, the cultural director of the Gateway to Florida lodge, there is a great slide show of last weekend's regatta. There are some great photos of members and Sons of Norway staff. I hope you enjoy it!

And thanks again to Charlotte!

Florida Regatta Weekend: The Videos

I've got treats for the eyes today. That's right, I've got videos from the regatta weekend in St. Augustine, Florida.

First up there are two videos of the regatta, which can be viewed here and here. These were shot by Eivind Heiberg this past Saturday from the shores of the Matanzas inlet. It looks like a lot of fun, and a bit of a challenge, keeping everyone in sync with their rowing.

Next I have a couple videos of the regatta's winning crews. There's video of the men's race winners, as well as the winners of the women's race.

And if that wasn't enough, Eivind also sent me some video from the Knut Erik Jensen concert that was held yesterday. From everything I've heard, the performance was awesome. You definitely don't want to miss out on this five-minute clip of the concert.

I hope you enjoy all the videos, I know I did. It looks like the regatta weekend was an awesome event, which comes as no surprise since those D3 folks are all pretty awesome. From the looks of it, Fraternalism is alive and well down in Florida! Now I've got to figure out a way to get down to Florida for next year's regatta.

Viking Ship Regatta Weekend in Florida

Folks living near the Matanzas inlet down in St. Augustine, Fl, must have been rubbing their eyes and doing a few double-takes as they looked out onto the water this weekend. Normally a quiet waterway, this past weekend it was transformed into a regatta course for four 10th century viking ships! That's right, while celebrating its 35th anniversary this past weekend the Sons of Norway lodge in Jacksonville, FL played host to the annual Viking Ship Regatta.

I had the pleasure of speaking with the Lodge President Marci Larson on Saturday and she filled me in on all the festivities. The anniversary celebration began on Friday with a tour of the San Sebastian winery where everyone had the opprotunity to visit the oak room and be part of an elegant wine tasting. Then, later that evening, there was a VIP reception and dinner on one of the Jacksonville members' yacht, which was attended by Sons of Norway International board members and the captains of each viking ship entered into the regatta.

Next, Marcia told me about everything that was planned for today. The morning schedule was open so attendees could explore the beautiful area around St. Augustine. Then, there was a lunch at the White Lion. Once lunch was finished it was time for the Regatta!

Though the regatta had originally been planned to be held in the waters between Fort Matanzas and the Bridge of Lions, the weather had other ideas. The wind was kicking up too high for safe boating, especially during the rowing portion of the regatta, so it was decided that rather than scuttling this year's event an alternate location would be found. Within an hour or so Marcia and her team had a new location and course ready to go, this time just a couple miles north of the Vilano Bridge. With that, four teams from Sons of Norway lodges in Florida were underway. The teams represented this year were:

• Gateway to Florida
  
• Ft. Lauderdale captained by Eric Iverson
  
• Gulfstream captained by Stu Richardson
  
• Viking World captained by Keith Lavin

It turns out that Fraternal Director Eivind Heiberg and District Three International Director Barbara Berntsen were both rowing on the Viking World's boat, Valhalla. According to Eivind, it was a great experience and a lot of fun, even though his boat came in 4th place. The winner of this year's event was Gateway to Florida, with Gulfstream and Ft. Lauderdale taking 2nd and 3rd places respectively.

After the regatta there was a banquet for everyone who attended this year's event. Over 100 people showed up at the St. Sugustine Rod and Gun club for an exquisite dinner prepared by one of the world's best chef's and good friend to Sons of Norway, Willy Hansen. I've had the pleasure of sampling Willie's culinary magic in the past, so I'm sure the banquet was no less than spectacular.

Then, today, the regatta weekend wrapped up with a concert by famous Norwegian pianist, Knut Erik Jensen. The concert was held at St. Mark's Evangelical Lutheran Church, where Jensen played a number of songs by famous Norwegian musicians, as well as some not so famous. According to those in attendance it was a great concert because Jensen took time to explain the history of the music he was playing and explained the cultural and historical aspects of his performance. From everything I've heard, it was a great concert and a fitting end to Jensens current tour of the U.S.

So, there we have it. The regatta weekend has come to a close. But the fun isn't over yet! Come back tomorrow and check out the video we shot of the event! I'll have all sorts of links to videos from the entire weekend for you!

Until then, have a great Sunday!