I used to be a halfway active person.  Basketball, football (the American kind), even a little track and field.  At one point I even ran a half marathon.  And by run, I mean stumbled slowly across the finish line, but close enough.  Now my activity is limited to skiing (the downhill kind) and walking. A lot.  Both of which work quite well in the winter months.

There were two winter activities in Sweden though that never really caught my attention.  Skiing (the long distance kind) and ice skating (also the long distance kind).  These sports seem to be extremely appealing to your average Swede.  It might be the ease and accessibility.  Sweden does tend to get a bit of snow and ice during the winter, and it is a relatively flat country.  The weather and geography lend themselves well to cross country skiing and long distance ice skating.  And of course, cross country skiing has been around for centuries in the area.  It helps that skis made life and transportation just a little bit easier back in the day. 

Along with the accessibility though, comes the promotion of the sports.  Cross country skiing takes center stage in Sweden every February with Vasaloppet, a 90 kilometer race in Mora, Sweden that is said to follow the same path that Gustav Vasa took in 1520.  Thousands upon thousands of people have completed this race.  I have not.  Please see above for my sporting abilities at this point. 

I quite enjoy sports, but it is hard to watch 90 kilometers of cross country skiing on TV.  Yet there it is, every February, pulling in an incredible TV audience, not to mention the numerous spectators on hand and the skiers themselves.  The whole event has become a sort of folk festival, which may also help to explain the popularity of cross country skiing in the country.

Even long distance ice skating, once again, long a mode of transportation, is incredibly popular.  As soon as the lakes freeze to an acceptable level, countless people can be seen out in the middle of the frozen landscape making the long slow strides that epitomize long distance ice skating.  And, not to be outdone by Vasaloppet, there is a race for those so inclined.  This one is called Vikingarännet and is also held in February, although a week or two before Vasaloppet.  The course follows the frozen waters of Lake Mälaren and goes 80 kilometers from Uppsala to Stockholm.  And once again, I have never even attempted to finish.  Maybe one day.   

So what do you think?  Sound like a good way to spend your February? Any plans to ski 90 kilometers or ice skate 80 kilometers in the coming months?