Finland - Winter 1996

Finland in winter. Now why would someone travel to the arctic circle where the temperature is routinely -15C? Speedskating of course. I can't think of any other reason. Well that's not quite true. I have become a great lover of snow and ice. Perhaps there's a bit of Inuit in me.

Helsinki

Helsinki is on the southern coast and has relatively mild weather. Lows are around -5C in midwinter.

Kuopio

Finland is the land of ten thousand lakes and rivers. The city of Kuopio, in the middle-eastern area, is in the heart of the lake region. Situated on a large lake (Kalavessi), it's a nice, clean, modern town with excellent winter sports resources. Cross-country ski trails pass right through town. The ice on the lake approaches one meter thick in February, making XC skiing and skating very safe. There is usually a thick blanket of snow that must be removed for ice skating. It's pretty easy to drive a bulldozer on the ice and create ice trails on the lake.

Image1 - This is none other than Paul O'Blenes the famous Canadian Speedskater and web maven. Call him Paulo.
Image2 - Dutch guys. This was the warm-up race for the "Alternatieve Elfstedentocht" in Rovaniemi. (See below).
Image3 - An old church in Kuopio. There are Protestants and Eastern Orthodox Christians in Finland.
Image4
Image5 - The KKK runs the supermarkets in Finland. Is that such a surprise? Notice the thin layer of snow on the street. That's the way the Fins like it, although they do have accidents when they try to stop too fast.
Image6 - The lake and the start-finish area
Image7 - Look carefully and you'll notice a small windmill on the island in the lake

Rovaniemi

Rovaniemi is a town near the arctic circle and on the River Ounas (Ounasjoki - joki means river). The Dutch had their "Alternatieve Elfstedentocht" there in 1996. (see speedskating for more info) . Rovaniemi is small but it did have a brewpub with quite reasonable beer. There is a natural history museum which shows how the Inuit survive in the arctic. Reindeer are one of their keys to survival. Their houses, tents made from reindeer skins, provide protection against wind and cold. In late-winter, the locals have reindeer races that goes right through town. Reindeer can run surprisingly fast and have great stamina.

Image1 - As part of the winter festival there was an international snow sculpting competition. That snow looks heavy..
Image2 - It's really all made from snow (no hidden wires as far as I know).
Image3 - I took a ride on a dog sled which was a lot of fun. This is the lead dog. You can sense his confidence.
Image4 - One of the pack.
Image5 - The finish of the race...a sprint to the finish after 200km (and 7 hours) of skating -- incredible.
Image6 - The tour-race group..they skated the 200 km for more than ten hours. I did only 100 km in five hours. It's the second 100 km that gets real tough.
Image7 - Each loop on the river was 16 4/6 kilometers.
Image8 - Yes, you can mess yourself up in several ways.
Image9 - These local girls awarded me my medal for the 100k. I think they liked me.
Image10 - souvenirs from the winter festival.

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