Every year when the alpine resort at Voss opens, Hallstein Finne is one of the first in the ski lift.
– Skiing is life itself, says the 81-year-old.
This winter, he is betting on 50-60 days on the ground. There is nothing to say about the style, and it is clear that he is not afraid of high speed.
– There can be a bit of banging and falling, but on the whole I think skiing is only healthy, says Hallstein Finne with a big grin.
It was a newspaper Hordeland who first told about the fit 81-year-old.
We meet him on the slopes at Voss together with his ski mates Kåre Øvsthus (74), Nils Een (75), and Gudny Haugo (78).
COLORFUL VETERANS: Kåre, Nils, Gudny and Hallstein meet to ski and talk about the old days. And a bit about new days too. Photo: Ole Enes Ebbesen / TV 2
– If the weather is OK, I drive every day of the week. At the weekends, there are a little too many people for you to go and swing properly, says Kåre Øvsthus.
Everyone emphasizes the social aspect of driving together and gathers for a coffee or cocoa with cream afterwards.
– I was completely bitten by the bug when I won a race as a ten-year-old and have been driving ever since, says Gudny Haugo, who is betting on having many good years on the slopes ahead of him.
WON HELMET: Gudny won the floral helmet in the veteran NM a few years ago, and has no intention of replacing it anytime soon. Photo: Ole Enes Ebbesen / TV 2
Firkløveret says that there have rarely been such good conditions so early in the season as yesterday. It also means that the facility in Bavallen on Voss has never had as many visitors at Christmas as this year.
– The cold in December means that we have a solid sole. Then there was a lot of snow so we expect to be open until April, says general manager at Voss resort, Anna Stryn.
RECORD CHRISTMAS: Anna Bryn together with ski shop manager Henry Ruud. Photo: Ole Enes Ebbesen / TV 2
She believes the record figures from Christmas will continue beyond 2023.
– There is also little snow in many facilities down in Europe, so why travel somewhere when you can find powder here, advertises Anna Stryn.
Secretary General Camilla Sylling Clausen of the industry association Norwegian Alpine Resorts and Mountain Destinations also reports an unusually good start to this year’s season for the country’s over 200 alpine resorts.
OPTIMIST: Camilla Sylling Clausen, secretary general of Norwegian Alpine Resorts and Mountain Destinations, believes it is heading for the season of the ages for the alpine resorts. Photo: Private
– Christmas has been very good in many places and the larger facilities are reporting record visits to the slopes, says the general secretary.
She also notes that all the snow can tempt people to try so-called off-piste driving.
– Outside of marked, secured and groomed trails, you are completely on your own, and here there is, among other things, the risk of avalanches to think about, says Camilla Sylling Clausen.
She asks people to be careful.
– I tend to say that if you are in doubt as to whether you are going to drive off-piste, there really is no doubt, then you should leave it at that, says the general secretary.
She is impressed by the pensioners at Voss who, year after year, set off on skis.
– I think the health benefits of skiing/snowboarding are underestimated. If you put on a heart rate monitor and compare a day on the slopes with an hour’s training at the gym or on the ski slopes, I think most people will get a very positive surprise, says Camilla Sylling Clausen.
IN FARTA: Nils Een races down the mountainside. Photo: Ole Enes Ebbesen / TV 2
For the pensioners at Voss, skiing is a way of life.
– I cannot imagine a life without skiing. It’s a way of life, says Hallstein Finne.
ONE MORE TRIP: Despite the fact that skiing leads to some injuries and defects, Hallstein is convinced that his health is on the positive side. Photo: Ole Enes Ebbesen / TV 2
