Taking Ski Tracks to the North. The Invention and Reinvention of Norwegian Polar Skiing: Sportisation, Manliness and National Identities

Abstract

This file was dowloaded from the institutional repository Brage NIH -brage.bibsys.no/nih Goksøyr, M. (2013 Norwegian affection for skiing in the polar areas. ? The will to quest and conquer the polar extremes as well as the inland glaciers of Greenland, has been a part of Norwegian polar history, to such a degree that it can be termed a national characteristic. Through primary and secondary literature and other sources, the article discusses the historical background of this cultural practice, and how it has been able to survive into modern times. What is the significance of these modern expeditions which might otherwise be seen as mere repetitions of historic ventures? The article discusses polar skiing in the perspectives of modern sport, national identities and manliness.

Movements

“…The myth of a Norwegian majority-ethnicity is of course gendered. In the making of Norway's proud men on polar expeditions, on the home front during WWII, at the Olympics, and at the expense of Sami claims to the invention of the ski (Broch, 2012;Goksøyr, 2013;Klausen et al, 1995;Skille & Broch, 2019). However, in the late twentieth century, both the public and commercial interests partly reinvented this gendering of skiing.…”

“Super stoked girls” - a discourse analysis of girls’ participation in freeride skiing

“…During the struggle for cultural and political independence in the late 18th century, the pursuit of something uniquely Norwegian arose, where skiing became an iconic national pastime. The sport was common among village people and was bound up in the national folklore with historic and legendary heroic episodes (Goksøyr, 2013). Fridtjof Nansen's skiing expedition to the North Pole was financed by the state because of the prestige it brought to the nation.…”

“…Skiing became such a popular pastime that it came to be considered a central part of the Norwegian national identity. Indeed, there are few, if any other countries where skiing is such a universal element of the cultural identity (Goksøyr, 2013). Today, Norwegians are the foremost consumers of ski-and sports equipment in the world and mountaineering sports are criticized for being excessively consumer-oriented, a departure from the traditionally anti-consumerist culture of outdoor sports (Bischoff & Odden, 2002;Karoliussen, 2017).…”

‘We can!’ – women’s football in the Occupied West Bank

“…For free countries, success in sport is important (Elling et al, 2014;Goksøyr, 2013; von der Lippe, 2010) especially in major competitions and most countries are able to send their best athletes to qualify for the Olympic Games and Football World Cups. Palestinian people from the occupied territories are prevented from doing so, and during both the two Intifadas, all sports activities in their home country were stopped and lives were lost.…”