I've long believed that a place is made wonderful by the people who reside in it. So having met and become friends with some Norwegians, both as an undergraduate at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota and more recently at Ski for Light, I knew I was going to really love my visit to Norway this April.
Sure enough, the 12-day trip to Oslo and to the Ridderrenn was a holiday I'll always cherish. I accurately expected the skiing to be sensational, the food to be delicious, and the sight-seeing intriguing. But the hospitality of the Norwegian people was even more genuine and embracing than I had anticipated.
It all started shortly after arriving in Oslo when my friends Andreas and Kari Janne volunteered to give members of the U.S. contingent a tour of Frogner Park, a lovely park in Oslo featuring the famous statues crafted by the great Norwegian sculptor Gustav Vigeland. Once my guide, Glenn Beachy, and I had enjoyed our first day on the trails, we made a point to stop by a trailhead where Ine, a world-class Norwegian skier, was offering tips on skiing technique. Amazingly, Ine was able to watch me ski roughly 200 meters and offer suggestions for me that almost immediately improved my stride. On the day of the 10K race, Glenn was ill and remained in bed nursing himself back to health. In his place a delightful Norwegian physiotherapy student named Anamate volunteered to be my guide. Although the fresh snow and the klister on our skis made the skiing slow, the conversation we had about her travels through the world made the time enjoyable and memorable. Anamate joined me to watch the elite races on Friday, and escorted me to a tour of the Sports and Fitness center where Norwegians with disabilities learn to pursue more active lifestyles.
Back in Oslo a woman with a strong knowledge of Norwegian history, a professional tour guide named Lisen, took the American group to the Viking ship museum, the ski museum, the museum honoring the Norwegian resistance to Nazi occupation and several additional places in the capitol city. And believe it or not, Dave Thomas actually had a couple dates with a delightful Norwegian VIP named Marianne during the trip!
At the 2005 SFL week I had the honor of interviewing Knut Vollebaek, Norway's Ambassador to the U.S. He told me during our conversation that Norway prides itself on having friendship as its chief export. Make no mistake - my 12 days, the experiences described above, and so many more with such wonderful people make it clear to me that friendship is one commodity of which Norway has plenty to share.