Posts Tagged Sport
Norway beat Brazil in the World Cup
Posted by admin in Photos and videos, Sport on June 25, 2010
Back in 1998 
Footage of that match in Marseille, France, when Norway famously beat Brazil 2-1 after a penalty by Kjetil Rekdal put them in the lead.
About Norwegian football
Football fever is upon us, and regardless of what team you support, it seems football is the conversation topic of choice just now (or should that be the ‘only’ conversation topic?). Anyway… Norway’s not in the World Cup this year, but here a few footie facts you might or might not know about this country:
- The Norwegian national football team played its first international in 1908. Its home ground is Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo. Norway took part in the FIFA World Cup three times in its history, in 1938, 1994 and 1998. They only played in the European Championship once, in 2000.
- The national team’s hour of glory was their beating Brazil in the 1998 World Cup in Marseille, France, after Kjetil Rekdal fired a decisive penalty into the back of the net. They proceeded to the second round, but lost their first match (against Italy) and went out of the competition.
- There are a total of 1,800 football clubs in Norway (amateur and professional), with over 280,000 players.
- Norwegian players to have achieved a degree of fame abroad include John Arne Riise, a Liverpool player for several years before he moved on to play in Italy, Ole Gunnar Solskjær (known as Manchester United’s ‘baby-faced assassin’) and Tore André Flo, who played for Chelsea, among other clubs.
- The Norwegian Premier League (unofficially known as the Eliteserien) is the top competition in Norway.
- Most successful Norwegian clubs in recent years include Brann (Bergen), who won in 2007; Stabæk (Bærum), who came top in 2008; and Rosenborg (Trondheim) who accumulated an impressive 13 consecutive titles between 1992-2004, and also got gold in 2006 and 2009.
- Women football is big in Norway, with some 110,000 registered members. There are 12 clubs playing in the top division, and 12 in the first division.
- Norway hosts the world’s largest football tournament for children and young people, the Norway Cup, every year in August. The tournament, which dates back to 1972, is hugely popular – in 2009 it attracted some 30,000 participants, with 1,371 teams from 49 countries.
Canoe and kayak hire in Østfold
Posted by admin in Nature and the great outdoors on May 20, 2010
With hundreds of lakes and miles of coastline, Østfold is a great place to try kayaking, or canoeing. Whether it’s for a couple of hours after work, or a long weekend outing with friends and/or family, a fun time is guaranteed.
- You can hire canoes and kayaks at Børtevann, east of Sarpsborg, an idyllic, sheltered location ideal for beginners. Canoes are 250Kr for a day (50Kr an hour), kayaks 350Kr for the day (75Kr an hour). Grinerødveien 2, Ise. Tel: 69 16 01 73 or 90 83 33 11, www.kanoutleie.net
- Moss Kajakklubb has canoes and kayaks for hire in Nesparken. You must book in advance as the premises are not manned. They also organise guided tours. From 300Kr a day. Tel: 99 56 12 10, www.moss-kajakklubb.no
- Rømskog Kanoutleie: Rømsjøen is the largest lake in Rømskog, and arguably the prettiest in Østfold. Hire a canoe for the weekend, and explore the area! Canoes are 250Kr for a day (50Kr an hour). Here too you must book in advance. Tel: 95 91 61 75, www.kanoutleie.no
- Aursmark Natur in Kroksund have canoes for hire. From here you are ideally located to paddle on the Halden Canal. They also organise tours. Canoes are 180Kr for the day, 220Kr for 24 hours. They will come and get you if you don’t have your own transport. Kroksund, Ørje. Tel: 69 81 31 47, www.aursmark-natur.com/kano
- Olseng Marina on Ullerøy, Skjeberg, have sea kayaks. Rental is 400Kr a day (150Kr per hour). Ullerøyveien 628. Tel: 69 16 95 95, www.olsengmarina.no
Grenserittet, an exciting cycle race
Posted by admin in Photos and videos, Travel and practical stuff on May 3, 2010
Golfing in Østfold
Fancy a round of golf now that spring’s here. Well you’ve come to the right place. Østfold’s got many greens, so you’re bound to find one that suits you, whether you’re a seasoned player or a new beginner. Here are some of the options:
- Borregaard Golfklubb: Established in 1927, this is one of Norway’s oldest greens, with 9 holes, and an ideal location by the Glomma River. Hagebyveien 52, Sarpsborg. Tel: 69 12 15 00, www.borregaardgk.no
- Skjeberg Golfklubb: One of Norway’s best kept courses, established in 1986. 18 holes by Isesjoen. Off Rv111 (Iseveien) in Sarpsborg. Tel: 69 13 91 00, www.skjeberg-golfklubb.no
- Øya Golfpark: Pay and play, ideal for beginners, 18 holes. Nordbyveien 210, Sarpsborg. Tel: 69 14 95 50, www.oyagolfpark.no
- Østfold Golfsenter: Scandinavia’s largest indoor golf centre. Industriveien, Sarpsborg. Tel: 69 15 60 40, www.golf-senter.no (indoors)
- Evje Golfpark: One of the best golf courses in Norway. Evjetangen 15, Dilling. Tel: 69 26 27 00, www.evjegolf.no
- Onsøy Golfklubb & Golfbane: An 18-hole course of international standard through woods and parkland. Clubhouse and restaurant. Golf tuition arranged. Open all year round, closed Mondays. Golfsvingen 1, Manstad. Tel. 69 33 91 50, www.onsoygk.no
- Hvaler Golfbane, Skjærhalden: On the island of Kirkøy, 9 holes. After driving through the tunnel, take it left past Hvaler Church on Rv 501 towards Sandbrekke Gjestegård. Tel: 90 95 99 00, www.hvalergk.no
- Fredriksten Golfpark: 18 holes within the grounds of the Halden Fortress. Iddeveien 35. Tel: 69 17 65 56, www.haldengk.no
- Askim Golfpark: Two 9 hole-greens, one of which is pay and play, on a varied terrain. Trøgstadveien 67. Tel: 69 88 26 66, www.askimgolf.no
- Mørk Golf: Green card required, 18 holes, 9 holes and a 6-hole green for kids. Mørkveien 797, Spydeberg. Tel: 69 83 33 30, www.morkgolf.no
Unfortunately none of the above websites are in English, but most Norwegian speak good English, so if you ring you should be able to book tee time over the phone.
A few facts about ski jumping
- Olaf Rye, an officer in the Dano-Norwegian army, was the first known ski jumper. In 1809, he hopped 9.5m in front of fellow soldiers in Morgedal, Norway – the first ski jump ever recorded.
- The first international ski jumping competition was held in Husebyrennene, Oslo in 1879, with another Norwegian, Olaf Haugann, setting the first world record for the longest ski jump at 20m.
- The annual event was moved to Holmenkollen, Oslo, in 1892. The first competition there drew a crowd of 10,000, and was won by Svein Sollid from Morgedal in Telemark, Norway, with a 21.5m jump. Holmenkollen has remained the pinnacle of ski jumping venues ever since.
- Ski jumping has been an Olympic discipline since the first Winter Games in Chamonix Mont-Blanc in 1924. The Large Hill competition was included on the Olympic programme for the 1964 Olympic Games in Innsbruck.
- The winner in a ski jumping competition is decided on a scoring system based on distance, style, in-run length and wind conditions. In the individual event, the scores from a skier’s two jumps are combined to determine the winner.
- The first official jumper at the new Holmenkollen ski jump was Norway’s best woman ski jumper, 25-year-old Anette Sagen, who inaugurated the jump on 3 March 2010 with a 106.5m jump.
- The Holmenkolldagen Annual International Ski Jumping Competition, held in March each year, is also known as Norway’s second National Day, and draws tens of thousands to the hills above Oslo, where the ski jump is located. It is the world’s second oldest ski jump competition still in existence.
- The new Holmenkollen ski jump, designed by JDS Architects, cost 1 billion Norwegian kroner to build. The world’s most modern ski jump, it is completely built of steel, and lit up at night by powerful floodlights, hence its nickname, the Holmenkollen Fyr (Holmenkollen Lighthouse). The start house tower, 60m above the ground, affords great views of the Oslofjord in the background (Holmenkollen is located 375m above sea level).
- Ski jumping is a popular sport in Scandinavia and Central Europe (almost all world-class ski jumpers come from those regions, or from Japan), and during the season many events are broadcast live on Norwegian TV.
- The fact that ski jumping is the only sport where women are not allowed in the Olympic Games has become a major bone of contention as the field of elite female competitors has grown.
- Ski flying is an extreme version of ski jumping. The events take place in big hills with a K-spot of at least 185m (607 ft). It’s possible to fly over 200m (660 ft) in all the ski flying hills, and the current world record, set by Norwegian Bjørn Einar Romøren at Planica, Slovenia, in 2005, is 239m (784 ft).
- 145 years after the first ever ski jump took place in Norway, Oslo remains the undisputed capital of ski jumping, and Holmenkollen has become a national icon – over the years the arena has hosted nine different nordic skiing and biathlon world championships, including the 1952 Winter Olympics. The World Ski Championships will take place here in 2011.
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Want to try the Holmenkollen ski jump for yourself? Yes you can… Check this link out www.visitnorway.com/holmenkollen/
Norway and the Winter Olympics
Posted by admin in History and architecture, Sport on February 22, 2010
Day 11 of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, and so far 5 gold medals, 3 silver and 4 bronze. It hasn’t been such a bad year for Norway after all, although some of the big favourites, Petter Northug among them, haven’t scored so well.
Here are, however, a few hugely impressive facts to ponder. It might be small (just about 4.7 million inhabitants), but Norway is the country that has won the most medals in the history of the Winter Olympics. A whopping 290 medals to date (and counting!), well ahead of the US in second position with 237, and the former Soviet Union with 217. So far Norway has won 103 gold medals in the Winter Olympics, again, well ahead of the US and the former Soviet Union (84 and 87 respectively). Well, they do say that Norwegians are ‘born with skis on their feet’… but still!
In terms of gold medals, the best games so far for Norway were Salt Lake City in 2002, when Norway scooped an unbelievable 13 gold medals (out of 25 medals they brought home). But the most successful games overall were the Lillehammer games in 1994, when Norway, which was competing on home turf, beat all other participating countries and topped the table with an impressive 26 medals, of which 10 gold!