Viking Magazine - December 2020 - 20

Behind the Famous Painting
The journey of Inga and the warriors, Torstein and Skjervald, across Norway to deliver
young Prince Haakon to the palace has long been an inspiration for artists. Knud
Bergslien documented the trek in his 1869 painting " Birkebeinerne. " More recently,
the tale was made into the 2016 movie " The Last King. "
Birkebeiner may not beat the mountains
in Norway, but it is not for the faint of
heart, " says Knutson.
While the Birkebeinerrennet in
Norway sticks solely to the classic
cross-country skiing technique with
groomed trails, the American Birkie
offers two options: a 55-kilometer
classic race or a 50-kilometer freestyle
(skate skiing) race.
" Freestyle or skate skiing has certainly
picked up in popularity over the years,
although we are seeing a resurgence
again with the classic technique, "
says Knutson. " Last year, there
were 66% of skiers using
freestyle and 34% using
classic. "
But the American
Birkebeiner
experience-
which has
seen such
elite participants
as Olympians
Kikkan Randall
20 VIKING DECEMBER 2020 sonsofnorway.com
and Jessie Diggins-isn't just about the
race. While it certainly is the crown
jewel event, the whole weekend is a
celebration of cross-country skiing and
Nordic traditions.
From Thursday through Sunday,
there's a little Birkie flavor for everyone,
including a Barkie Birkie Skijor race,
a kids' Barnebirkie, the Junior Birkie
for more experienced young skiiers, a
15-kilometer Prince Haakon race, and
the 29-kilometer Kortelopet, to name
a few. There are also events for nonskiers,
such as the Birkie Giant Ski,
featuring six people racing on a single
set of 25-foot-long skis, as well as the
Inga and Warriors contest, the winners
of which dress in full costume and act
as ambassadors throughout the week,
attending all events, cheering on racers
and reenacting the historic flight of the
warriors and baby prince.
" Everything is an homage to this
bit of Norwegian history, " says
Knutson. " That's what started this
race, this moment in time. There's a
lot of Scandinavian heritage. We've
had trolls walking through downtown
Hayward. We hear of all the Norwegian
celebrations that are taking place in
people's homes. They sort of bring out
their Norwegian heritage and wear it
boldly and proudly during Birkie week. "
A Living Legend
Over the years, more than a quarter
of a million people have participated
in Birkie ski events, with an average of
40,000 skiers and spectators gathering
every year to celebrate Norwegian
culture, whether it's in their roots or not,
and see who will claim the top spots on
the podium. But the year it was founded
in 1973, only 35 people-34 men and
one woman-attempted the feat.
One of those people is Ernie St.
Germaine, who has never missed skiing
a race in the event's history, apart from
View American Birkebeiner Records Next Year
Skiing enthusiasts will soon be able
to view the American Birkebeiner
records dating back to the race's
inception in 1973. The NorwegianAmerican
Historical Association-an
archive in Northfield, Minn., made
up of more than 2,200 historical
collections-recently partnered
with the American Birkebeiner Ski
Foundation to acquire materials such
as photographs and financial records.
" People love ski history, and I
feel like the Birkie is one of the big
things that is still attached to the
Norwegian-American experience in
the U.S., " says Kristina Warner, an
archivist for NAHA, who estimates
that the records will be ready for
the public next summer. " I think it
just makes sense that it's at NAHA
and that we make it accessible for
everyone. " naha.stolaf.edu
SKIING BIRCHLEGS CROSSING THE MOUNTAIN WITH THE ROYAL CHILD (1869) BY KNUD BERGSLIEN (1827-1908) / THE SKI MUSEUM IN HOLMENKOLLEN
http://naha.stolaf.edu http://www.sonsofnorway.com

Viking Magazine - December 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Viking Magazine - December 2020

Contents
Viking Magazine - December 2020 - Cover1
Viking Magazine - December 2020 - Cover2
Viking Magazine - December 2020 - Contents
Viking Magazine - December 2020 - 4
Viking Magazine - December 2020 - 5
Viking Magazine - December 2020 - 6
Viking Magazine - December 2020 - 7
Viking Magazine - December 2020 - 8
Viking Magazine - December 2020 - 9
Viking Magazine - December 2020 - 10
Viking Magazine - December 2020 - 11
Viking Magazine - December 2020 - 12
Viking Magazine - December 2020 - 13
Viking Magazine - December 2020 - 14
Viking Magazine - December 2020 - 15
Viking Magazine - December 2020 - 16
Viking Magazine - December 2020 - 17
Viking Magazine - December 2020 - 18
Viking Magazine - December 2020 - 19
Viking Magazine - December 2020 - 20
Viking Magazine - December 2020 - 21
Viking Magazine - December 2020 - 22
Viking Magazine - December 2020 - 23
Viking Magazine - December 2020 - 24
Viking Magazine - December 2020 - 25
Viking Magazine - December 2020 - 26
Viking Magazine - December 2020 - 27
Viking Magazine - December 2020 - 28
Viking Magazine - December 2020 - 29
Viking Magazine - December 2020 - 30
Viking Magazine - December 2020 - 31
Viking Magazine - December 2020 - 32
Viking Magazine - December 2020 - 33
Viking Magazine - December 2020 - 34
Viking Magazine - December 2020 - 35
Viking Magazine - December 2020 - 36
Viking Magazine - December 2020 - 37
Viking Magazine - December 2020 - 38
Viking Magazine - December 2020 - Cover3
Viking Magazine - December 2020 - Cover4
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