Vasaloppet

The Vasaloppet is an annual race of ski touring being held in Sweden on a course of approximately 90 km between Sälen and Mora with an obligatory traditional style. The race is held first Sunday of March and close to 15 000 skiers take the departure in 10 successive waves. Fastest will finish the race in four hours while the last will arrive after more than twelve hours of race. Throughout the course, the public masses, of the activities are organized and the runners supplied by an army of voluntary. One of the symbols of this race is the bilberry soup, which is distributed to the various points of contrôle.
Around this great race of mass, the Swedes set up one week of competition making it possible to the competitors of all levels to measure itself at shorter distances. During its history, Vasaloppet was cancelled only three times. Each years of the artificial snow is produced and stored in order to compensate for a possible lack of snow. This snow is then stored during the summer and is re-used for the first competition of the Swedish season with Mora in October.

History

The idea of this race emanates from the journalist, Anders Pers, which publishes an article the February 10th 1922 and wishes to commemorate the escape of the king Gustave Ier Vasa in ski vis-a-vis the soldiers danois.
L' call of the journalist is taken again by the national press as of the following day and the whole country is filled with enthusiasm then for this idea. Five weeks later, the first edition was already run. The March 22nd 1922, 119 skiers take part in what was then longest and the most difficult race of ski touring of the world.

Prize list

External bonds

Official site of the race (in Swedish and English)
Photographs of Vasaloppet
Account of the vasaloppet

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