"Gary Jacobson" wrote in message .. .

Here's an overview of some of the high points of arguably the worlds
greatest cross country ski race. If you have never done it, then try to make
the pilgrimage.

The start in the middle of nowhere stinks, the traffic jam
right after the start stinks, the long, boring - if skiing
can ever be boring - "transport passages" stink, but it´s
still the greatest ski race with the greatest history, the
greatest sense of tradition, the greatest national attention
and the greatest amount of "there´s something special in
the atmosphere today"!


version of Vasaloppet. I skied it on the 70th anniversary. I hope to ski the
100th at age 77. It is possible I suppose.

Oh yes: two guys did their 50th Vasaloppet/Öppet Spår; the
other was 72 and the other 76 - and his time was 8:52:40!

OTOH a meteorologist has expressed his doubt whether the
race will survive until its 110th anniversary, at least in
the present form and on the present date - "white winters"
willl become rarer and much shorter still...


My buddy is the only nonSwede to ski the race 30 times. After 30 completions the Vasaloppet organization pays your way to and from the race and there is
no entry fee. He says that most all of his company at the special dinner for these multi-timers are Swedish farmers. They appear to "wonder" what he is
doing there as a foreigner.

If he sticks to if a few more years, he will have the
company of a Scotsman (now residing in Sweden) who has
done the race every year since 1978.

BTW your buddy would surely have deserved to be mentioned
by name also:-) (A quick Google search gave no result, but
I found out that 70 such skiers turned up for the Öppet
Spår.)


The video images from the air of the Vasa start are just amazing. Try to get
a video, or tune in via the race website: It'll be broadcasted live.

OTOH Finlandiahiihto got two minutes (and a 30-minute
"human interest" story a week later)...


May I boldly predict a win for Stanislav Rezac this year. That's my hope,
and it is surely a possibility.

Seconded.


1954: First foreign winner
At his fourth attempt the Finnish ski orienteerer won
Vasaloppet. Although he was not one Finland's absolute top
skiers, his staying power and technique meant that Vasaloppet suited him
perfectly. His winning margin was all of 10 minutes!

That would be Pekka Kuvaja. He was a 50km specialist *and*
an orienteerer (not a ski orienteerer; I don´t think the
sport existed way back then.) He´d been second in 1951 and
1952.

1971: First Norwegian victory

All together now: "...and the last Norwegian victory!":-)
Well, in any case, the *only* Norwegian victory. So far...


FWIW, 2004 Öppet Spår: Prince Carl Philip (~25) finishes
in 6:21:52 and breaks the Bernadotte family record of
7:09:45 set by his father King Carl XVI Gustaf in 1987
(at ~40).


Last but not least, 2004: Anders (who got wimpy after his
bout of flu) wonders what he might´ve done from start
group three (which was ridiculously easy to get seeded in
via the Finlandia).


Anders