Norman = Sportsman

This is going to sound like a stereotype, but it’s so pervasiveve, I think I can safely claim that to be a Norman (or norwoman) is to be a sportsman.

In all the years I’ve lived with and loved the Swedes, I have had no idea that just across the border, were these gnarly Norwegians! Based on my experiences during the short while we’ve lived here, I am convinced they, not the Swedes, were the true Vikings and that the bold blood of those 8^th century plundering seafarers is still pumping through Norwegian veins today. This video pretty much says it all http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6TDvJfeg_A.

However, I will elaborate so as to further validate my daring declaration. On a recent sunny Sunday, we decided to go on a hike. While we were waiting for the subway, I noticed that 99% of the people on the platform were wearing hiking boots and trekking attire.

(OK, so I started writing this post in the fall, but it’s still true. The only difference is that the Sunday subways are now crowded to capacity with people carrying their cross country skis and poles). Truly, only a society that prioritizes outdoor adventures would invest in a subway route up a mountainside.

An American colleague of Niklas’ who also recently moved here (well, it was recent last fall when I drafted this…) told us of a hike that he’d read about in a brochure that was described as “meandering and enjoyable”. While he was huffing and puffing up and down an arduous trail, climbing over rocks and roots, he was continuously passed by runners young and old and even several obviously pregnant women!

I told this story to the Cheetah, but instead of saying “these Norwegians are so sports driven”, I strategically substituted “Scandinavians” trying to be diplomatic (sensitive about the quasi-rivalry between the two lands) and she corrected me saying, “actually, it’s these Norwegians!” Apparently, she and her family (all athletic Swedes) had gone cross country skiing last winter on a trail marked medium in difficulty when in fact, it was so strenuous that even they found it exhausting!

Kids are indoctrinated into Norwegian nature from the early school years on. Linnea and Mattias’ class at school, for example, participated in a “Nature School” program where they spent an entire school day once a week, for four weeks, out in the woods—regardless of the weather! They were told to dress “appropriately” and bring a “sitteplatte”—a lightweight, foldable, foam sitting pad which they used to sit on while eating lunch out on the trail. There they learned about the different plants, trees, wildlife and ecosystems of the forest—not from a book, but first hand, out in the woods, for four days! All three kids are currently in cross country ski school one school day a week with their class. The outdoor nature and adventure part of the Norwegian culture is so important, the school dedicates tremendous time and resources to making sure the kids have some practicle experience with it.

Another indication of the Norwegian intense interest in sport/nature is the pervasive number of sports shops. You will find some variety of cycle, soccer, ski, sailing, fishing, boating, all purpose sport, x-treme sport, etc. shops in every neighborhood. When I received the school notice about buying the sitteplatte, I took off on my bike with no idea where I was headed, but sooner or later, I knew I’d run into a sport shop and sure enough, I did. When I asked about this contraption, they referred me across the street to their sister store which sold them. Apparently, I was in a ski store which is strictly dedicated to that sport and the sitteplattes were sold in the fishing, hiking, camping shop 20 steps away.

Now that it’s cold, you could spend a fortune on all the special kinds of gloves needed for the various winter sports and weather conditions.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but it seems like sport and nature could very well be Norwegians highest priorities–pretty positive ones if you ask me.

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