Holmenkollen FIS world cup

Holmenkollen, a neighbourhood in the Vestre Aker borough of Oslo, Norway has been hosting the Holmenkollen Ski Festival for over one hundred years. The festival draws thousands of spectators each year to watch its international ski jumping and cross country ski events.

As a university course, we were highly recommended to attend the festival in order to “gain a deeper understanding and experience of the important role of the nature – and how it has been a central part of the Norwegian culture”. The plan was to visit several of the museums and then to camp next to the race tracks of the ski festival and watch competitions.

I had originally been unable to attend this trip but due to last minute and unforeseen circumstances I managed to catch the majority of the festival though missed the trips to the museums.

Friday

After the failed arrival of a friend, I decided to jump on the first bus I could to Oslo. My phone died along the way and I ended up being lost in Oslo for a good while. Everyone I asked for directions didn’t seem to know where the right tube station was to the festival. Finally I found it and made a friend (Alex) on the metro who allowed me to use their phone and helped me find the rest of my course mates.

We arrived at the festival around eleven at night. I was expecting a few tents here and there but was in utter astonishment to find thousands upon thousands of people camping everywhere. This might I add was just the first night. It was as if I had arrived at Glastonbury; fire pits, fairy iights, music stages, dj sets, dancing and of course completely druken Norwegians filled the area so much so that you could barely see the ground. There were hundreds of fire pits that people had elaborately dug out of the snow. We were told that it is tradition to come at least a full day before to prepare your camping/hang out area. I settled in to our own camp area and managed a half decent night sleep before the big day the next day.

Saturday

When I woke I could hear the voices of what sounded like an army outside the tent. I unzipped the door to witness the most people I think I have ever seen with perhaps the exception of perhaps TinthePark. It was estimated that over 100,000 people turned up on this day alone. Everyone was packed, rammed against the sides of the ski race tracks all the way up into the forest from which the race could barely even be seen. It was hard to move for people and now you could barely even see your own feet for lack of space.

Keen to take in as much as we could, most of us went to check out the ski jump. We fought against the crowds that were all headed in the opposite direction. For the majority, it was seemed that they were all making their way towards the race tracks for the party rather than the skiing. Inside the arena, it was hardly busy at all. The ski jumpers had an audience of what seemed like 1% of the people actually at the festival. These were mostly families as outside the arena was not the most child friendly.

Buying the entrance tickets for the arena was rewarded multiple freebies including real cheese and all the Kvikk Lunsjs (chocolate bars) you could ever want. I was mesmerised by the ski jumpers and the sheer length and size of the jump. We were able to see their jumping techniques up close, they appeared like they were flying and their skis pointing in v formations looked like wings.

After the ski jump it was time to catch the beginning of the race. We witnessed them take off and headed back to camp to experience the atmosphere over there. This was utterly incredible, the jeering, the cheering and the most amount of completely wasted people I have ever seen. It was amazing to see the sheer speed of how fast the racers could travel up hill on skis.

After the mens race was over nearly everyone disappeared even though the competitions were to carry on the next day. We were all quite perplexed that the vast majority were simply there for day drinking. The night was one to remember, highlights included dancing in knee deep snow pits as well as Jed and myself taking over DJ’s station after he was too drunk and had to be put to bed .

Day 3

On this last day there was only a couple of hundred folk. The place was almost deserted and yet still racing going on. We watched some of the females competitions before making the long journey home.

This was an incredible experience I will never forget. The festival demonstrated Norwegians capability to not only survive but thrive in cold conditions and what a norm it was to sleep out in such conditions. I felt privileged to witness such Norwegian pride and some slightly odd drunken traditions. Clearly the nature is of huge importance to the Norwegians, it is the foundations of their culture and identity.