Hordaland county in Norway includes two of the top natural attractions in Norway, Hardangervidda and Hardanger fjord, Norway’s largest national park and the world’s third longest fjord, respectively.
The central mountain plateau in Hardangervidda, Norway’s largest national park is 1,300 meters (4,500ft) above sea level. There are many fine hiking trails, one of which leads past the four giant Husedalen waterfalls which run from the Hardanger plateau down to Sørfjord, an arm of the Hardangerfjord. You can stay overnight in nearby Lofthus or Utne.
Hardangervidda is Norway’s largest national park. Photo: Hardangervidda.no
In days gone by, the fjords provided west Norway’s main transport arteries, and Utne was an important junction between east and west. Its economy once centered on the apple, pear and cherry orchards that still cover the slopes of the Sørfjord; but it was also kept afloat by fishing and its charming painted furniture production which you can still enjoy at the Utne Hotel in Norway.
Utne Hotel. Photo: Hardanger.no
The open-air Hardanger Folk Museum sums up Hardanger life over the past centuries with historic houses, boats, shops and a school.
A ferry service connects Utne with Kinsarvik on the east side of Sørfjord, or else Kvanndal, where you can connect with Route 7 to Bergen. Heading northwest on Route 13, you’ll find a beautiful stretch of water, Eidfjord. It cuts far into the dramatic landscape that includes the beautiful Sykkjedalsfossen waterfall.
Feature image (on top): Husedalen waterfalls. Photo: Hardagervidda.no
Top Natural Attractions in Norway, written by Tor Kjolberg
Dilapidated districts in New York are given new life by the Norwegian architect Ole Sondresen. The architect has in a few years left his mark on parts of Ditmas Park, a relatively unknown area in Brooklyn. Along the main street there is a “touch Sondresen” behind the doors of more or less every bar and restaurant. Not least when he was commissioned the task of reusing a landmarked former pencil factory in an unorthodox fashion, his design team left the brick exterior virtually untreated, even refusing to scrub away the graffiti accumulated over time. Read more about the Norwegian architect in New York.
Carpenter-turned-architect Ole Sondresen has demonstrated how his sustainable principles guides his design process in New York. Focusing on a collaborative design culture and intensive interaction with clients, engineers, specialized consultants, contractors and craftsmen, his architect studio strives to achieve one-of-a-kind projects that are built to last.
The new Kickstarter HQ in a nondescript industrial block in Greenpoint, Brooklyn was an unlikely choice when it comes to relocating a powerful digital enterprise.
The new Kickstarter HQ
The new Kickstarter HQ in a nondescript industrial block in Greenpoint, Brooklyn was an unlikely choice when it comes to relocating a powerful digital enterprise. However, the crowd-funding company Kickstarter has not earned its success by following any rule book. And since the building had been gutted by its former owner, Sondresen had the liberty of reinventing many of the interior spaces. He approached the task of adaptively reusing, at least by preservation standards. Rather than bringing the building back in time to its glory days, the architect froze the building in place, treating it as a post-industrial ruin.
The new HQ is located in the Eberhard Faber Pencil Factory Historic District, a complex of eight buildings that was constructed in the 1890s and given landmark status in 2008, a testament to Brooklyn’s industrial age.
Sondresen approached the task of adaptively reusing, at least by preservation standards
Reusing materials
Sondresen’s interest in creating an architecture that speaks of a particular place originated in his study of vernacular Norwegian buildings, as well as extensive travels through Europe, Asia and the United States to explore regional building typologies. In the old pencil factory, he created a structural core that also holds many of the building’s mechanical systems, minimizing piping elsewhere instead of opting for traditional floor plates to offer lateral support. This also allowed the creation of a glass-framed courtyard held up by repurposed steel trusses from the roof. The atrium floods most office spaces with natural light, and allows for green spaces on all three floors. All of the plants in the three-tier garden are local and were chosen to provide food and shelter to migratory songbirds.
Architedct Ole Sondresen from Norway
Sondresen set out to repurpose what was salvageable. In addition to preserving the historic elements, such as original lintels, arches and bollards by the front entrance, he used the roof’s industrial trusses to carve out an interior courtyard at the core of the building, enclosing it in glass on three sides and richly patinated Corten steel on the fourth.
Wood plays a major role
As a former craftsman, wood plays a major role in making the untreated concrete structure appear warm and welcoming. All of it is reclaimed from dilapidated country barns or city demolitions, and a lot of it is left raw and untreated. Most of the furniture used in the variety of meeting spaces are either made of reclaimed materials in collaboration with local artisans or were bought second hand.
Sondresen had the liberty of reinventing many of the interior spaces
“Making the window façade out of trusses required less additional structure to be brought in and fewer removals from the site,” says the sustainably minded Sondresen. “We had an engineer ensure that the trusses could hold up to the wind, and then we turned them upside down and on their side, and hung the window wall off that. It’s all been recycled.
Responsible for the birth of many of our generation’s young makers and creators
With more than $1 billion in pledges from 5.7 million donors to fund 135,000 projects, Kickstarter is responsible for the birth of many of our generation’s young makers and creators. With its focus on local, low-impact, and artisan-made materials, Ole Sondresen Architect’s design perfectly captures the global crowdfunding platform’s ethos.
Arctic Frontiers goes digital 1 – 4 February 2021. Building Bridges was raised as a potential theme early last March, when the administration had an initial meeting to discuss the content of the 2021 conference. The meeting was supposed to take place live in Tromsø on 13 March, but on 12 March as Norway locked down for the first time, the flights were cancelled and a two days’ brainstorming took place. Read more about how Arctic Frontiers in Tromsø, Norway goes digital 2021.
Little did the administration know then that Building Bridges would come to symbolize not only the central theme for Arctic Frontiers 2021, but its own internal mantra planning the digital conference via hundreds of online meetings.
From a live studio in Tromsø Arctic Frontiers will host the plenary discussions through a combination of panel discussions and prerecorded content relevant to the daily themes.
While the format of Arctic Frontiers has changed, the organization remain committed to delivering the full suite of Arctic Frontiers content in robust plenary, science and young programs. If anything, Arctic Frontiers is able to dive deeper into its themes, securing highly respected speakers and reaching a global audience with impactful content and discussions around the most pressing issues facing the Arctic societies.
The year under the banner of Building Bridges consists of four thematic days that bridge both plenary and science topics:
Monday 1 February: Arctic Health and Well-being
Tuesday 2 February: Resilient Arctic Voices
Wednesday 3 February: Oceans and Society
Thursday 4 February: Arctic Economies – Pressures and Responses
Arctic Frontiers will invite a small number of guests to participate live in the studio and welcome other speakers from around the world.
From a live studio in Tromsø Arctic Frontiers will host the plenary discussions through a combination of panel discussions and prerecorded content relevant to the daily themes. With Tromsø as the backdrop, Arctic Frontiers will invite a small number of guests to participate live in the studio and welcome other speakers from around the world.
New executive director The Arctic Frontiers announced transition earlier this year, and the organization’s new Executive Director, Anu Fredrikson, joined the team in Tromsø in the beginning of October. Fredrikson has long experience working with Arctic affairs both from policy and business perspective. Before joining the Arctic Frontiers she held the position of Director of the Arctic Economic Council, an independent business organization working across the Arctic as well as globally. Prior to the Arctic Economic Council, Fredrikson worked as an advisor on political affairs and Arctic policy at the Embassy of Finland in Oslo, Norway.
The organization’s new Executive Director, Anu Fredrikson, joined the team in Tromsø in the beginning of October.
Fredrikson is no stranger to Arctic Frontiers. She has worked with the organization and Arctic Frontiers team in her previous capacities since 2012. “I have witnessed the development of Arctic Frontiers throughout the years and am impressed by the organization’s journey so far. I look very much forward to building upon this foundation in collaboration with the organization’s partners and friends. The Covid-19 pandemic has forced us to think anew, and I see this forced change as an opportunity to renew our concept. Considering the increased attention towards the challenges caused by climate change, the Arctic Frontiers with its convening power and unique scientific strength will continue to be an important platform on the path towards an even more sustainable development in the Arctic” Fredrikson says.
Anu Fredrikson was born and raised in Northern Finland. Having studied and worked in France, USA and Norway, her background further strengthens the already international team working for Arctic Frontiers.
Feature image (on top): Tromsø, Arctic Council
Arctic Frontiers in Tromsø, Norway Goes Digital 2021, a press release from Arctic Frontiers
How huge numbers of millions of years-old giant glendonite crystals did manage to form has been a geological puzzle in Denmark for several years. The answer may be that major volcanic eruptions resulted in episodes of much cooler prehistoric climates than once thought. Read how Danish scientists unravel occurrence of “impossible” crystals.
These uncommon calcium carbonate crystals – that need temperatures lower than 4 degrees Celsius to frame – are formed from the mineral ikaite and found in several millions on the Danish islands of Fur and Mors. They have been dated to 56-54 million years back. “Why we find glendonites from a hot period, when temperatures arrived at the midpoint of over 35 degrees, has for quite some time been a mystery,” says geologist Nicolas Thibault, an associate professor at the University of Copenhagen’s Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management.
Volcanic eruptions may explain-Denmark’s giant mystery crystals
After a detailed chemical analysis of glendonite samples by Thibault and department colleagues Madeleine Vickers, Christian Bjerrum and Christoph Korte, using a technique called clumped isotope thermometry to trace temperatures back millions of years, there might be an answer: the Eocene was perhaps not as uniformly warm as previously thought.
Nicolas Thibault, associate professor at the University of Copenhagen’s Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
The possibility of colder Eocene spells has been advanced already, however the proof has been uncertain up until this point. The new chemical breakdown assists specialists with argueing the case for cooler conditions, with models recommending the glendonites framed in waters under 5 degrees Celsius (41 degrees Fahrenheit) at a profundity of around 300 meters (984 feet).
Sedimentary layers of ash on the island of Fur point to the possibility that volcanic eruptions may well have been responsible for these chillier episodes in the Eocene, localized around specific regions, which would help to explain the cooler waters and the rock record.
“There were presumably an enormous number of volcanic emissions in Greenland, Iceland and Ireland during this period,” says Thibault. These delivered sulphuric corrosive beads into the stratosphere, which might have stayed there for quite a long time, concealing the planet from the sun and reflecting daylight away. It assists with clarifying how provincially cool zones were conceivable, which is the thing that influenced the climate in early Eocene Denmark.
The new study backs the hypothesis that colder Eocene periods are more likely than the alternative – which is that the science is wrong about the sort of temperatures that ikaite-based rock is able to form at.
The presence of volcanic activity is revealed by, among other things, sedimentary layers visible on Fur, where layers of volcanic ash are clearly visible as bands in the coastal bluffs.
Glendonite
Next, the group needs to see comparative examinations completed to perceive how inescapable the cooling found in the Danish Basin really was. Other geological records – including those from the Arctic – recommend this dunk in temperature wasn’t going on everywhere on the globe through the Eocene. As with any discovery about our climate past, the study is going to help scientists map out our climate future.
The study was conducted in collaboration with researchers from England, Switzerland and Norway, and has been published in the scientific journal Nature Communications.
Feature image (on top) Furs and Mors. Photo: University of Copenhagen
Danish Scientists Unravel Occurrence of “Impossible” Crystals, written by Tor Kjolberg
Tourists and even locals can spend a lifetime exploring the rugged terrains of Norway. From its windswept towns to its bustling cities, this Scandinavian destination offers an experience like no other. It is no wonder that in 2019 alone, 1.5 billion people travelled to the country and many of these visitors went on epic road trips to immerse themselves in everything Norwegian. Exploring Norway by Road: Planning The Adventure of a Lifetime. Read on.
The Right Car for Your Epic Norwegian Road Trip Tourists planning a road trip around Norway will spend weeks on the road as the country has an area of 324,220 square kilometers, making it one of the bigger nations in Europe in terms of land area. Exploring the southern portion where its capital Oslo is a part of, will take approximately three weeks by car. This means that you will need to select a reliable and well-reviewed SUV before anything else.
The Lexus GX can be a good partner in your journey
The Lexus GX, for example, can be a good partner in your journey as it has good headlights meant for those foggy mornings and a quietness inside the cabin that will let you enjoy the sights and sounds of Norway while you are driving. If you are travelling light, the Lexus RX is a good option because it makes up for its lack of space by giving you voice assistance and useful safety systems. Saving up on petrol? Since Norway places an importance on sustainability, you can opt for a fuel -efficient SUV like the 2020 Lincoln Nautilus. This beautiful car also has heated seats and mirrors that are perfect for Norway’s colder days.
The Southern Itinerary Norway is so vast that choosing which parts to go to can be difficult but if you would like to see Oslo, you will have to plan for a road trip along the southern part of the country. You can start in the beautiful city of Oslo where snowy hills meet mesmerizing waterfronts and drive to Stavanger, around 550 kilometers away. There are many bomstasjon (toll stations) on the roads going to Stavanger so be sure to add this to your budget. Once you reach Stavanger, one of the country’s largest cities, you can hike to Kjeragbolten or just drive around to see the sights.
You can start driving again the next day or two by following the road to Bergen to enjoy the mountains and the fjord. You can ferry your car in the area’s car ferries for a fee and this on its own will be quite the experience too. Bergen is worth the car ferry as it has a colorful Hanseatic past, a busy waterfront, and lots of fish. After Bergen, head to Geiranger for a bit of kayaking and camping then to Alesund for its amazing sunset. And finally, to Trondheim for its art nouveau architecture.
The Northern Itinerary The northern Norway itinerary is a lot shorter than exploring the southern part of the country. On Day 1, you can drive from Tromsø to Sommarøy through Highway 862. While beautiful mountains and fjords await in the drive itself, Sommarøy’s beauty will be able to compete as it is not called one of the country’s best kept secrets for nothing. Tranquil and beautiful, Sommarøy offers kayak tours in the evening midnight sun and other fun outdoor activities. Once you’ve had your fill of Sommarøy, head to the ferry terminal going to Senja then to Vesterålen Islands.
There are so many places to explore in this picturesque Scandinavian destination, making Norway a fast favorite among those who love the outdoors. If you are already excited about it, make sure that you plan your road trip around Norway soon so you can prepare ahead of time.
Exploring Norway by Road: Planning The Adventure of a Lifetime, written exclusively for Daily Scandinavian by Karoline Gore. Karoline is a freelance writer from Stoke on Trent in the UK who left the corporate grind when she started a family and has never looked back. She enjoys contributing to a range of online publications on the topics that are important to her.
Feature image (on top): Atlantic Road, West Norway Photo by Matt Lamers on Unsplash
Three years ago, the Giri family from Nepal established the Kathmandu Restaurant in Bygdøy Allé in the capital of Oslo. Sakun is the excellent waitress, speaking almost fluently Norwegian. Mother Indira is preparing the delicious dishes while the father Chandra, brother Roshan and sister in law Sonima works to make the restaurant a valuable supplement to the rich culinary delights in the Norwegian capital. Don’t know much about Nepalese food? Another reason to visit the only Nepalese restaurant in Norway.
Sakun tells us that her family has enormous enthusiasm for producing great Nepali food, which is a delightful blend of Indian, Chinese and Tibetan cultures. Nepal is a fascinating place with a cuisine full of complex and satisfying flavors.
the Kathmandu Restaurant in Bygdøy Allé in the capital of Oslo was established three years ago.
Cultural and historical exploration
The simple and pleasurable act of eating becomes an opportunity for both cultural and historical exploration in Khatmandu Restaurant.
For starters we had Nepalese dumplings, called momo. Usually, they are a side dish in Nepal filled with steamed vegetables or meat and encased in fluor-based dough. For us, a combination of steamed and fried dumplings served with delicious strong and spicy dips was the perfect overture.
Nepalese dumplings, called momo
Momo is also a great opportunity to enhance your children’s palette by getting them to try a taste of the dip. Momo is also something that tastes delicious on its own and rarely gets a refusal from a child.
We enjoyed the Gurkha beer, named after the native soldiers recruited for the British army
Lamb and chicken
For main dish we had grilled lamb and chicken. Nepal has used lamb as a source of meat throughout their long history due to its flavorful tender taste and texture. This is a dish that takes its time since the lamb is first slow-cooked in the curry with onions before it is removed, grilled, and sealed with a spicy chili mix. It’s then transferred back to the curry and cooked a bit more.
For main dish we had grilled lamb and chicken
The grilled chicken was juicy and superb. The main dish was accompanied with rice.
Rice is the foundation of many a Nepalese meal
“Rice is the foundation of many a Nepalese meal and is normally eaten twice a day in Nepal,” says Sakun. “Meat alone is never enough to fill your stomach, so we use plenty of rice and little extra!” she adds.
For dessert we were served Gulabjamun and yoghurt. Delicious!
Like in Scandinavia, people are supposed to eat their plates empty. We must admit, we were being so full that we probably not were considered to be the most-polite guests this evening.
A Spanish red wine, called Himalaya is specially made for the Asian cuisine
Beer and wine
Whether you favor beer or wine with your dishes, you’ll find the right accompaniments at Kathmandu restaurant. For starters, we enjoyed the Gurkha beer, named after the native soldiers recruited for the British army. For the main dish we chose a Spanish red wine, called Himalaya, specially made for the Asian cuisine.
Unique Nepalese cuisine
Kathmandu restaurant in Oslo has brought a new taste to the capital. Its unique Nepalese cuisine will have your taste buds dancing and your appetite wanting more. Enjoy the genuine Nepalese atmosphere, and organize your next meal with your partner or friends. There is also a chambre separee to entertain a party up to twenty persons in the restaurant.
The Only Nepalese Restaurant in Norway, reviewed by Tor Kjolberg
After five years, Norwegian singer/songwriter Ane Brun, is back with a new album interpreting serious issues like the state of uncertainty around the planet. This is an empathetic album from the Norwegian singer/songwriter.
Ane Brun has been a musician and a respected voice since she debuted in 2003. She has also been a pioneer for many songwriters and vocalists. This autumn she returns with two original albums – released a month apart, After the Great Storm and How Beaty Holds the Hand of Sorrow.
Relocating to Sweden in the early 2000s, her debut album Spending Time with Morgan (2003) was nominated for a Swedish Independent Music Award. The follow up, A Temporary Dive (2005), went platinum three weeks after its release in Norway and, the same year, she went on to receive the Best Female Artist award at the Norwegian Spellemannprisen (the country’s equivalent to the Grammy’s).
Changing of the Seasons was praised by The New York Times in 2015 as “her best record yet – her most sonically ambitious”.
Ane Brun has been a musician and a respected voice since she debuted in 2003
It turned out that it was her father’s death in 2016 that put an end to Ane Brun’s creative cornucopia. “I could not find the right tools in my toolbox, and I found no solution,” wrote Ane Brun in a press release about this album.
The newly released After the Great Storm is all about the need for empathy and bravery. “I try to encourage and remind anyone who’s in a dark place not to isolate themselves and not disappear into a state of fear – to reach out and show their vulnerability,” she said in an interview with Billboard.
The self-recorded and edited track Trust is a hauntingly gorgeous and cinematic track centered around an atmospheric arrangement of strummed acoustic guitar, shimmering synths and Brun’s gorgeously expressive and plaintive vocals. “It’s a song about letting go of all doubt and just letting yourself fall into the hands of fate, and trust that it’s all going to be alright,” Brun explains in a press note. “It was first written as a romantic song, but as we’re in this state of uncertainty around the planet, I feel it has gained more meaning.”
The newly released After the Great Storm is all about the need for empathy and bravery
A mournful cello is heard in the background on the serious Heavy Falling Like I Wanna Cry. A disgraced song about humanity’s miserable relationship with nature and how we deal with it. The climate issue is picked up again on the last track, We Need a Mother. In this song, Ane Brun shows no mercy: “I am offended by a lack of human decency,” she sings.
Albeit the album is emotional, many of the songs are also very danceable.
An Empathetic Album from Norwegian Singer/Songwriter, written by Tor Kjolberg
While Copenhagen and Aarhus draw visitors to the east and west of Denmark, the island of Funen sits right between, like the country’s green heart. Denmark’s second-largest island is a beautiful place to explore. Experience the historic harbors on the Danish island of Funen.
Nyborg is the first Funen town on the eastern coast, and was first mentioned in 1193 in the history of Denmark. Nyborg Castle, which still exists today, was built to defend the country from the Wends of north Germany and was the meeting place for the monarchy and clergy during the Middle Ages.
Nyborg Castle was built to defend the country from the Wends of north Germany and during the Middle Ages. Photo: Wikipedia
The first Constitution of Denmark was written on Nyborg Castle by Eric V in 1282. However, in 1722, much of Nyborg Castle was demolished to provide building materials for Odense Castle. Part of the original ramparts and moat remains, and the castle has a fine interior of great echoing, empty rooms.
Driving north from Nyborg, you arrive at the small fishing village Kerteminde. The town was first mentioned in writing as a town in 1350, but there has been a settlement there since the Viking Age. In fact, Denmark’s only Viking ship burial, the Ladby Ship, can be found just outside of Kerteminde, where it is also possible to gain an engaging overview of the Viking era in Funen at the Viking Museum at Ladby.
From the Viking Museum, Landby. Photo: Visit Kerteminde
Now, Scandinavians can start shopping on Amazon.se. More than 150 million products across more than 30 categories will certainly tempt Scandinavian customers with free delivery on eligible orders above SEK 229. Thousands of European and local Swedish businesses offer reliable service and Swedes welcome Amazon.
In Europe, Amazon has already launched stores in France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and the U.K.
Spelling mistakes
It did not last long, however, before Swedish media pointed out numerous spelling mistakes and translation errors on the Amazon website. But when Scandinavian shoppers now are able to order products online through Amazon.se instead of having to make purchases via Amazon stores in other countries, we’re convinced Amazon will be forgiven and the errors will be corrected in due time.
“We are thrilled to launch Amazon.se and to be able to offer Swedish customers a selection of more than 150 million products, including tens of thousands of products from local Swedish businesses,” said Alex Ootes, Vice President, European Expansion for Amazon in a press release. “Today is only the start of Amazon.se. We will continue to work hard to earn the trust of Swedish customers by growing our product range, ensuring low prices, and providing a convenient and trusted shopping experience.”
With the launch of Amazon.se, it will be easier for Swedish businesses to sell their products on Amazon, reach more customers and expand
Over 150 million products
Amazon Vice President for European Expansion, Alex Ootes, said in a statement that Amazon.se will feature over 150 million products including tens of thousands from Swedish businesses like Electrolux, Lagerhaus, OBH Nordica, Ellos, BRIO, Bonnierförlagen and Ifö, as well as big brand favorites like ASUS, Mattel, Hasbro, LEGO and Bosch.
However, back to translation problems. Sweden’s Aftonbladet newspaper reported that a greeting card with a giant rooster was translated into words rudely referencing male genitalia. The word “rapeseed” for several products was simply translated as “valdtakt,” which means rape in Swedish. A baking tin was described for use with “feces.”
Ensuring trusted shopping experience
“We will continue to work hard to earn the trust of Swedish customers by growing our product range, ensuring low prices, and providing a convenient and trusted shopping experience,” said Ootes.
With the launch of Amazon.se, it will be easier for Swedish businesses to sell their products on Amazon, reach more customers and expand. Amazon has invested billions of dollars in infrastructure and technical services that help small and medium-sized businesses reach new customers across Sweden and around the world, including simple listing tools that support all seven European Amazon stores, enabling easy expansion within Europe, as well as 24/7 online Selling Partner support.
Amazon has invested billions of dollars in infrastructure and technical services that help small and medium-sized businesses reach new customers across Sweden
“Many products on Amazon Sweden came from auto-translated listings on other Amazon marketplaces, which enabled it to have a deep catalog on day one, but has unfortunately resulted in many wrong, sometimes comical, and even offensive Swedish translations,” wrote Juozas Kaziukenas, founder of e-commerce intelligence firm Marketplace Pulse.
The launch also got off to a bit of a bad start as the Swedish flag on the country selection function was mistakenly shown as Argentina’s.
Committed to constantly improving the customer experience
In response, Amazon issued a statement saying: “We want to thank everyone for highlighting these issues and helping us make the changes and improve Amazon.se. Whilst we are really excited to have launched Amazon.se today with more than 150 million products, it is only day one for us here in Sweden and we are committed to constantly improving the customer experience.”
Ståle Norman Møller is educated industrial designer at the Oslo School of Architecture and Design (2001). Grew up in Trysil and realized early on that he wanted to make a career in making professional sports equipment. Established the company Sweet Protection in 2000 together with local friends, including the snowboard legend Terje Håkonsen. Today, Sweet Protection from Norway is an internationally recognized brand.
In 1998 skateboarding was still prohibited in Norway. The Sweet Protection story started in Trysil, a mountain village in Østerdalen, Norway, when a group of keen river kayakers were missing the proper protection to push even harder at their sport.
Ståle Norman Møller is educated industrial designer at the Oslo School of Architecture and Design (2001). Photo: Wikipedia
Cross-Country Mountain Biking
After making its first paddle-sport helmets, Sweet Protection is today best known for its Dissenter MIPs all-around helmet for cross-country mountain biking. The company has also options for downhill bikers and road cyclists, not to forget the cool urban helmets.
In 2003 Sweet Protection made their first ISPO appearance, and immediately won the Brand New Award for the best newcomer. The products presented had close ties to the initial, homemade gear the boys used when exploring mountains in their youth. The importance of functionality and quality in the outdoors has from the very beginning been a core value of the company, and a cornerstone in the design principles. A seamless flow of feel and function, distinctive in design and style.
Arjan Boldingh, e-commerce manager at Sørrensen Sykler
Until 2005 all helmet production was manufactured in Trysil, Norway. Due to capacity issues Sweet Protection moved the production to Italy, a necessary move to continue to grow. The technical clothing line continued to evolve and, in a period where all free-riders “needed” a one-piece suit; Sweet Protection introduced the most technical version ever made with the Crusader Flightsuit in 2006. Inspired by the Formula 1 race cars a new category within protection was entered with the first version of the Grinder back protector in 2007.
Free-skier and snowboarder
In 2009 Sweet Protection launched a new line called Autonomy made for the free-skier and snowboarder. The same year technical paddle wear was introduced with the best waterproof membrane from Gore-Tex, great comfort and range of movement, it soon became a favorite within the paddle sport community.
In 2012, the company developed a helmet for ski racing where it used all the new technology utilizing the most advanced materials and production processes it possessed. The company wanted to make everything they had learned about helmets since they started 12 years ago and did not take costs into account. The result was the Rooster Corsa.
Sweet Protection continues their growth step by step and bike is becoming a bigger part of the product range. In 2017 Sweet Protection introduces a new single-track bike helmet named the Dissenter and the iconic Falconer helmet for serious road bikers. The Falconer Aero Helmet is a top-of-the-line helmet for fast-paced cycling. With an aerodynamic geometry developed to also provide great ventilation, the result is a quicker and more comfortable ride. The helmet comes equipped with additional Aerocovers™ to lower the aerodynamic drag even further.
According to Møller a good helmet is a combination of protective properties, fit, low weight and low volume. Combining these qualities is always a challenge
Gratitude for Sweet Protection
In the summer of 2019, Sarah Sheehy took a spill off her mountain bike while on a downhill flow. She scraped her head on the side of a cliff and broke her fall face-first on the smooth dirt of Sun Valley’s famed single-track. With her heart racing, her adrenaline pumping, and blood dripping steadily from a gash in her lip, her first thought was of gratitude for her Sweet Protection Dissenter MIPS helmet Her whole body hurt, but her brain was mercifully unharmed.
After a crash like that, she knew it was time to replace her helmet. Helmets are designed to absorb impact, and even if they don’t look particularly damaged, they really only have one good crash in them. She thanked her helmet, disposed of it, and started looking around for her next brain-protector.
The Switcher helmet from Sweet Protection
According to Møller a good helmet is a combination of protective properties, fit, low weight and low volume. Combining these qualities is always a challenge.
Exploring Norway by Road: Planning The Adventure of a Lifetime, written exclusively for Daily Scandinavian by Karoline Gore. Karoline is a freelance writer from Stoke on Trent in the UK who left the corporate grind when she started a family and has never looked back. She enjoys contributing to a range of online publications on the topics that are important to her.
