Better Late Than Never: Ski VM

Can you tell I'm on a break from norskkurs? So far in the past week, I've blogged several times, balanced four months of three different bank accounts, baked batches of goodies, and watched the most recent Amazing Race episodes. And tomorrow I'm going to Paris for the weekend to see my dad. Apparently I don't do lazy.

And my point is...I'm catching up. What have I been doing for the past two months, if I haven't been blogging? Well, aside from studying and going out for random evenings of overly expensive pilsner and watching re-runs of The Office and taking cross country ski lessons, G and I went to the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, known as Ski VM 'round these parts (VM = verden mesterskap = world (verden) championship (mesterskap)).

Ski VM lasted ten days and began with opening ceremonies in downtown Oslo in late February. In addition to the spectacular competition centered around Holmenkollen on the hills just northwest of downtown, the medal ceremonies and various exhibits and cultural events happened every day in the center of town. We debated over whether to go see a competition since we'd heard that it was sold out, and it was expensive to get any tickets that could be had. Then a friend of ours asked if we wanted to go and - poof - we had tickets to the men's big hill ski jump (menn storbakken).

The result: awesomeness. Talk about a party. You haven't been to a ski competition unless you've been to a ski competition in Norway. For Americans, I'd compare it to going to see the NBA Championships in Chicago in the 1990s with Michael Jordan. Cowbell? Check. The Wave? Check. Enough red, white, and blue (that's Norwegian red, white and blue to you, amerikanene!) to rival Boston Harbor on the 4th of July? Check.

Here are some images from our adventure. Heie Norge!

Opening ceremony in downtown Oslo.

G believes in getting to know art. Like these snow sculptures on Karl Johans gate downtown.

Coolness, huh?

No Ski VM art exhibit in Oslo would be complete without a replica, in snow, of Munch's work.

The train to Holmenkollen from Majorstuen. Sardines doesn't begin to describe it.

Finally through security.

Storbakken!

  How's that for scale? There is tiny little jumper, aiming for the K line (the red line).

Winners' podium: Austria took first, with Norway in second and Slovenia in third.

Snow sculpture at Holmenkollen.

 

 

 

Party party, with cowbell!