Posts Tagged Sport
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!
Swimming pools in Østfold
Fancy a swim? Maybe you’ve decided to get in shape this year. Or you’re just looking for something to keep the kids busy this weekend. Anyway, here is a list of the main swimming pools in Østfold.
- Sarpsborg Superland. Excellent option for families, with 4 swimming pools, sauna, steam room, waterslides, and more. Bjørnstadveien 20, just off the E6. Tel: 69 10 15 00, www.superland.no. Prices: 90Kr during the week, 110Kr weekends and holidays (adults). Children up to 2 go free. Family packages and annual membership available. Discounts for OAPs, youth etc. Open 7 days a week, times vary, check website for more info.
- Remmen Svømmehall, Halden. Swimming pool on the campus of Østfold University College (Høgskolen i Østfold). Tel: 69 17 45 00. Prices: 50Kr adults, 25Kr children, under-3s free. Opening times: 5pm to 8pm Mon, Wed and Fri, 3pm to 7pm Tues and Thu, Sat 10am-3pm. Swimming time up to an hour after closing time.
- Østfoldbadet, Askim. Another good option for families (see former entry on this blog). Askim town centre. Tel: 69 81 99 00, www.ostfoldbadet.no. Prices: 115Kr adult, 85Kr 2-12, youth and OAPs 95 (+ 15Kr weekends). Open 7 days a week, times vary, check website for more info.
- Kongstenhallen, Fredrikstad. The outdoor swimming complex (Olympic pool, 2 extra pools, slide and 10m diving board) is always packed on hot summer days, and for a reason. The indoor pool is nothing special, but cheap. Just outside Gamlebyen at Trosvikveien 12. Tel: 69 95 82 98. Prices: 45Kr adults, 30Kr children (indoor swimming pool), 50Kr and 40Kr outdoors. Open 7 days a week, times vary, ring for info.
- Mossehallen, Moss. Slightly tired-looking pool in need of renovation, but the only option in Moss. One 25 x 12,5m pool, but nothing specifically for children. Kafeteria on site. Tel: 69 24 33 42. Prices: 60Kr and 30Kr. Closed Sundays, times vary, ring for more info.
Østfold in Pictures: Ice-skating on Gamlebyen’s moat
Posted by admin in Photos and videos on January 12, 2010
Keeping safe on the ice
Posted by admin in Nature and the great outdoors, Sport on January 12, 2010
With so many frozen lakes and ponds everywhere this time of year, the thought of venturing on the ice is a tempting one. Particularly if you like ice-skating as much as I do! But safety has to be a priority, if you don’t want an ice-skating session with the family to turn into a bad memory, or worse, a tragedy. So remember the basic ice safety rules.
- Don’t venture on ice that’s less than 10cm (4 inches) thick.
- Don’t skate alone. You should always have someone with you in case of an accident.
- Children should not be allowed to skate on a pond unsupervised.
- Do not congregate in one area, particularly if there are a few of you in your party.
- Ice thickness is not consistent. Water currents, particularly around narrow spots, bridges, inlets and outlets, are always suspect for thin ice.
- Beware of ice around partially submerged objects, such as trees and logs.
- Stay away from cracks, seams, pressure ridges, slushy areas and darker areas that signify thinner ice.
- Don’t skate in the dark. Skate only during the day when the light is good and you can see your surroundings.
- You should carry a rope and some ice picks with you at all times on the ice.
- It’s a good idea to pack a change of clothes to take with you, in case you do fall through.
Østfold in Pictures: Cross-country skiing, Fredrikstad
Posted by admin in Nature and the great outdoors, Photos and videos on January 3, 2010
Norwegian wooden skis
Posted by admin in Photos and videos, Sport on December 22, 2009
Did you know? Wooden skis were common in Norway until the 1970s.