Vasaloppet facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Vasaloppet |
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Jørgen Aukland, Norway, winning the 2013 men's event
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| Status | Active |
| Genre | Sports event |
| Date(s) | First Sunday in March |
| Frequency | Annually |
| Location(s) | Sälen–Mora |
| Country | Sweden |
| Years active | 103 |
| Inaugurated | 1922 |
| Founder | Anders Pers |
| Participants | 15,800 |
| Attendance | 70,200 (2015) |
| Budget | SEK 120 million (2012) |
| Activity | Cross-country skiing |
| Organised by |
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| Sponsor | |
The Vasaloppet (which means 'the Vasa race' in Swedish) is a super long ski race. It happens every year on the first Sunday of March. The race is about 90 kilometers (56 miles) long. It starts in a village called Berga, near Sälen, and finishes in the town of Mora, both in Sweden.
This race is the oldest cross-country ski race in the world. It also has the most people taking part!
The Vasaloppet was inspired by a famous journey. King Gustav Vasa once skied from Mora to Sälen. He was escaping from King Christian II's soldiers in the winter of 1520–1521. This happened at the start of Sweden's fight for freedom. The modern race began in 1922. Since 1979, it has been part of the Worldloppet Ski Federation events.
Contents
The Story Behind the Race
In 1520, a young nobleman named Gustav Ericsson Vasa was in danger. He was running away from the soldiers of King Christian II. King Christian ruled Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. Many Swedish nobles did not like King Christian. They even called him Christian the Tyrant.
King Christian invited many Swedish nobles to a party in Stockholm. But it was a trick. He had them killed, including Gustav's parents. This terrible event was called the Stockholm Bloodbath.
Gustav fled through a region called Dalarna. He was scared for his life if the king's soldiers found him. He spoke to the men of Mora and asked them to fight against King Christian. But the men refused. So, Gustav started skiing west towards Norway to find safety.
However, the men in Mora soon changed their minds. They heard that the Danish rulers planned to raise taxes. Now they wanted to join the fight with Gustav as their leader! They sent their two best skiers, Lars and Engelbrekt, to find him. They caught up with Gustav in Sälen.
On June 6, 1523, Gustav Vasa became the King of Sweden. He had defeated the Danish king Christian. Sweden became an independent country that day.
Even though Gustav traveled from Mora to Sälen, the modern race goes the other way. It finishes in Mora.
History of the Vasaloppet
The idea for the race was first shared in a newspaper on February 10, 1922. Anders Pers from Mora wrote about it. A few weeks later, on March 5, 1922, the IFK Mora sports club decided to hold a trial race. A newspaper called Dagens Nyheter gave money to support the race.
The very first race took place on March 19, 1922. There were 136 people who signed up, and 119 actually started the race. The first winner was 22-year-old Ernst Alm. He finished in 7 hours, 32 minutes, and 49 seconds. He is still the youngest person ever to win the race.
In 2004, about 15,500 skiers took part in the main race. More than 40,000 people joined one of the seven different races held that week. Vasaloppet is now part of the Ski Classics long-distance cup.
In 1986, Sweden's Prime Minister Olof Palme was sadly killed just two days before the race. People thought about canceling the race that year. But it went ahead as planned. The 10,000 participants had a moment of silence before starting.
Women in the Race
Women have been officially recognized as winners in Vasaloppet since 1997. Before that, from 1922–23 and 1981–96, women could race but didn't get awards. The first woman to ever participate was Margit Nordin in 1923. She finished in 10 hours, 9 minutes, and 42 seconds. A newspaper wrote that she received "an incredible ovation."
For many years after the first race, there were big arguments about women racing. Most officials, mainly men, thought it was bad for women's health to compete. So, women were banned from 1924 until 1980. Some people even said that allowing women would make the race seem less tough.
But some women still raced during the ban! They dressed up as men. In 1978, two women, Birgitta Westhed and Britt Dohsé, even got help from a professional make-up artist. They used wigs, moustaches, and beards to change their look. Westhed was even interviewed on TV during the race. This helped bring attention to women wanting to participate.
The Vasaloppet Motto
The motto of Vasaloppet is I fäders spår för framtids segrar. This means 'In our fathers' tracks for future victories'. You can see it written on a big arch over the finish line in Mora.
At the very first race, the finish line was just a white board. But for the second race, a grander arch with the motto was built. In 1986, the arch became a permanent landmark in Mora.
Kranskulla and Kransmas
A special tradition of the race is choosing a kranskulla. This is a woman who has the honor of placing a laurel wreath around the neck of the winner. She wears a traditional folk costume from Dalarna.
When the women's race, Tjejvasan, started in 1988, a male kransmas was also chosen. Both the kranskulla and kransmas act as ambassadors for the race throughout the year.
About the Race
How it's Organized
The Vasaloppet is run by a non-profit group called Vasaloppsföreningen Sälen-Mora. It was started in 1992 and is owned by two local sports clubs, IFK Mora and Sälens IF. About 35 people work year-round to plan and prepare for the events.
Food and Drink Stations
Since 1958, a special blåbärssoppa (bilberry soup) is served at stations along the course. Bilberry is a type of berry, similar to a blueberry. About 50,000 liters of this soup are served during the Vasaloppet week! Sports drinks and special "Vasaloppet buns" are also offered. Coffee is served at the Eldris station.
For many years, the word blåbär was printed on the skiers' number tags. This word also means "rookie" or "beginner" in Swedish. So, the skiers were sometimes jokingly called blåbär!
Vasaloppet Stations
- Berga by, 0 km (0 mi)
- Smågan, 11 km (7 mi)
- Mångsbodarna, 24 km (15 mi)
- Risberg, 35 km (22 mi)
- Evertsberg, 47 km (29 mi)
- Oxberg, 62 km (39 mi)
- Hökberg, 71 km (44 mi)
- Eldris, 81 km (50 mi)
- Mora, 90 km (56 mi)
The Rope
"The Rope" is a series of ropes placed across the ski track at certain times. These ropes stop skiers who are too slow to finish the race before the finish line closes. The ropes are at seven stations: Smågan, Mångsbodarna, Risberg, Evertsberg, Oxberg, Hökberg, and Eldris.
The race starts at 8:00 a.m. The finish area closes at 8:15 p.m. There are lights from Eldris to the finish line. But skiers should not be skiing in the dark before that point.
World Cup Race
Since 1978, Vasaloppet has been part of the Worldloppet Ski Federation. This is a series of long-distance cross-country ski races. In 2006, Vasaloppet was even part of the FIS Cross-Country World Cup. Many top World Cup skiers joined the men's 90 km race.
However, the Vasaloppet is much longer than typical World Cup races. So, it was still mostly won by long-distance specialists. The women's World Cup Vasaloppet was a 45 km race held the day before.
Vasaloppet Week
The week before the main Vasaloppet race is called Vasaloppet week. Many other races take place during this time:
- Kortvasan (a shorter 30 km (19 mi) race)
- Tjejvasan (a 30 km (19 mi) race just for ladies)
- Halvvasan (a half-distance 45 km (28 mi) race)
- Ungdomsvasan (a race for young people aged 9–16, 3–9 km (2–6 mi))
- Öppet spår (a non-competitive 90 km (56 mi) race)
- Stafettvasan (a 90 km (56 mi) relay race)
- Nattvasan (a 90 km (56 mi) night race for two-person teams)
- Vasaloppet (the original 90 km (56 mi) race)
Race Statistics
Multiple Winners
Men Nils 'Mora-Nisse' Karlsson has won the most times, with 9 victories! Other skiers with many wins include Janne Stefansson (7), Jan Ottosson (4), and Arthur Häggblad (4).
Women Sofia Lind has won the women's race 4 times.
Race Times
The fastest winning time ever is 3 hours, 28 minutes, and 18 seconds. This record was set by Tord Asle Gjerdalen of Norway in 2021. Only 11 winners have finished the race in less than four hours.
The average winning time has gotten faster over the years. This shows how training and equipment have improved.
Winners' Countries
Sweden has produced the most winners, with 74 titles. This is about 90% of all the races! Norway has had seven winners. Finland and Austria have each had two winners. Other countries like East Germany, the Soviet Union, France, Switzerland, and Estonia have each had one winner.
Sweden won every race until 1954. That's when Pekka Kuvaja from Finland won.
Winners
Men
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Women
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Sister Races Around the World
The Vasaloppet has inspired similar races in other countries:
- Vasaloppet USA, held every February in Mora, Minnesota, USA.
- Vasaloppet Japan, held in Asahikawa, Hokkaido, since 1981.
- Chinese Vasaloppet, held in Changchun since 2003.
- Botniavasan, Finland, since 2006.
- Vasaloppet de la Sergerie, Jonquière, Quebec, Canada, since 2007.
- Cykelvasan, a summer cycling race that uses the same course as the ski race.
Famous Participants
Vasaloppet is seen as a special challenge for many Swedes. Besides the winners, some well-known people who have finished the race include:
- Alice Bah Kuhnke, a former government minister
- Carl XVI Gustaf, the King of Sweden (he has finished 3 times!)
- Carl Philip, a Prince of Sweden
- Magdalena Forsberg, a former biathlon champion
- Peter Forsberg, a famous ice hockey player
- Frederik X, the King of Denmark
- Marcus Grönholm, a rally car driver
- Mark Levengood, a journalist and writer
- Ueli Maurer, a Swiss defense minister
- Pippa Middleton, a well-known socialite
- James William Middleton, a businessman
- Arild Monsen, a cross-country skier
- Rickard Olsson, a TV and radio host
- Anja Pärson, an alpine skier
- Åsa Romson, a politician
- Olaf Tufte, a competition rower
- Frida Wallberg, a boxer
- Måns Zelmerlöw, a Eurovision song contest winner
See Also
In Spanish: Vasaloppet para niños
