Nordiska Same Mästerskapen

"spring" is gearing up here in the North, the thaw has begun and the streets have become muddy, icy hazards for the elderly and non-elderly alike. i'm really, really not a fan - today i had my first bad fall on the ice, but luckily no one was around to see. on the other hand, there's tons of sunlight, everything is bright and "warm" (+0-7). no hats or mittens for me these days. still, one has to be careful to not go outside for too long in just a sweater, tempting as it may be. this great weather though is perfect for the Nordiska Same Mästerskapen, the Nordic Sami Championships being held this weekend here in Jokkmokk. these are in preparation for the 2008 Arctic Winter Games in 2008 in Alaska, whose purpose is

"Bringing our Circumpolar World closer together. Stengthening and showcasing our Northern Communities and providing our youth an International opportunity to participate and showcase their talent."

this afternoon i went to watch the youth cross-country skiing and reindeer antler lassoing event. the Swedish/Norweigan/Finnish Sami athletes had to ski around the trails near the lake, then lasso some reindeer antlers on posts from a distance, then keep skiing across the lake. lots of tangles and falling! it was interesting though to see everyone wearing fancy ski outfits with the name of their sameby or team on it and their lassoes wrapped around their chests and shoulders as they skiied for the gold. both boys and girls participate in the same events, by the way. i took lots of snaps but haven't had a chance to upload them yet. tonight there is the awards ceremony at the gamla kyrkan, the old octagonal church, not far from where the competitions were being held. tomorrow there's more competitions, including pistol shooting and more lassoing. tonight the town will turn into a big party because everyone loves any chance to get out of the house and have fun with others during the winter....

i'll write more on monday and post lots of photos, too.