Whilenmushers begin the grueling Iditarod Sled Dog Race in Alaska today (anlong distance race comprising more than 1,000 miles that takes from 8nto 15 days to travel), today marks the Vasaloppet cross-country skinrace in Sweden.
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nThisnis the oldest, longest, and biggest cross-country ski race in thenworld!
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Aroundn15,000 people will ski the 90 kilometers (almost 56 miles) betweennthe village of Salen and the town of Mora. There has been a wholenweek’s worth of races leading up to the big race, and this year anrecord-breaking 66,000 people are registered to participate in allneight of the races together.
Aroundn15,000 people will ski the 90 kilometers (almost 56 miles) betweennthe village of Salen and the town of Mora. There has been a wholenweek’s worth of races leading up to the big race, and this year anrecord-breaking 66,000 people are registered to participate in allneight of the races together.n
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nThat’sna lot of cross-country skiers!
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nThisnevent got its start in 1922—but it is held in honor of an eventnthat occurred in 1520! In that year a 24-year-old nobleman namednGustav Ericsson Vasa urged the men of Mora to stand with him innopposition to the Danish king, who was called Christian II. Vasanwanted to drive Christian II out of Sweden and have a Swedish kingninstead.
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nChristiannII should not have been surprised that this young nobleman wanted tonthrow him out of Sweden. After all, most of the Swedish nobilitynopposed the king. So Christian II invited them to come tonreconciliation dinner—in other words, to some peace talks. And thennChristian II surprised his guests by having them all killed!
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nAnmassacre isn’t very Christian, is it?
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nThenpeople who were killed included Vasa’s parents. And so he ran and hidnfrom the king’s soldiers, and tried to drum up support from hisnfellow countrymen. The men of Mora didn’t want to fight against thenking, though. So Vasa went on toward the village of Salen.
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Thennthe townspeople heard that Christian II was going to raise taxesnagain. They changed their mind about Vasa’s proposition and decidednto fight the king. Two brothers were sent out on skis to chase downnVasa in Salen and bring him back to Mora to lead the revolution.
Thennthe townspeople heard that Christian II was going to raise taxesnagain. They changed their mind about Vasa’s proposition and decidednto fight the king. Two brothers were sent out on skis to chase downnVasa in Salen and bring him back to Mora to lead the revolution.n
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nLongnstory short, Vasa and his Swedish soldiers were able to defeat thenDanish king. Gustav Vasa was crowned the new king! Sweden has been annindependent nation ever since.
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nToncelebrate this ski run by King Vasa, people ski the same basic routenbetween the two towns. But the Swedish people are not the only onesnwho show up to participate in this race. Although the winners of thenrace for the first three decades were all Swedish, since 1954 therenhave been Finnish, Norwegian, German, Austrian, and Swiss winners. Anfew other countries have been represented with one win apiece,nincluding one woman from the U.S. I don’t think that there has been ansingle Danish winner in the entire history of the race!
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nAlsonon this date:
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nUnity Day in Sudan
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nThe Iditarod begins
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nNational Anthem Day
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