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ÅREEXTREMEWEEK
ÅRE EXTREME WEEK A breathtaking challenge
Text: Lina Åsberg Photo: Darren Hamlin, Matti Rapila Andersson & Martin Olson
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Åre Extreme Week is a race as beautiful as it is hard, and from this year on, Addnature will be a proud sponsor. I had a chat with the competition’s Staffan Björklund on Åre Extreme’s history, its plans and how you should prepare for one of the biggest challenges of your life.
TELL US ABOUT ÅRE EXTREME!
– Åre Extreme is one of the world’s oldest multi-sport competitions. We’ve been around since 1997 and the competition was founded by James Venimore and Eric Ahlström. James is from New Zealand, where the sport began, and he was inspired by the Coast-to-Coast race where you start on the beach, run inland over NZ’s central mountain range, then down the other side. He decided Sweden needed something similar.
In the beginning, we had around 200-300 competitors, the biggest year we had 800! The plan is to grow the event to around 3000 competitors. There are a whopping 18 different competition classes so there’s something at Åre Extreme for everyone – whether you’re a multi-sport beginner or a grizzled veteran.
This year we’re trying something new and are adding some extra days to the event. So many competitors arrive early and hang around afterwards soaking up the atmosphere that we thought it made sense to stick around too! Åre Extreme Week is about enjoying the beauty that Åre has to offer as well as the race itself: you can meet old friends, make new ones, and go outside your comfort zone.
WHAT DO YOU DO AT ÅRE EXTREME?
– Åre Extreme consists of trail running, paddling and mountain biking. The trail running and mountain bike sections take place on tough terrain on the mountain of Åreskutan.
In the toughest competition classes, the paddling takes place on the Indalsälven river with a ‘surfski’ kayak. The surfski is designed to be able to ride waves like a surfboard and is easy to right if you capsize.
There are competition classes with kayaking on the Åre lake on much calmer water, rather than taking on a river with a surfski. There are also competition classes with no water element at all. The surfski or kayaking part of the competition is, for many, the most challenging part. Some of our participants want to meet that challenge head-on and some would rather keep their feet on dry-ish land.
This year, some ex-members of the national canoeing team will be taking part, so the competition will be extra fierce.
WHAT MAKES THIS COMPETITION SO SPECIAL?
– Åre Extreme isn’t just a competition; it’s an experience. Åre is breathtaking during the summer months, when the days are long, and the nature is at its best and brightest. For one whole week, Åre is filled with people who are wild at heart and who love the outdoors – it’s a blissful time with like-minded nature lovers and unforgettable adventures.
WHAT TYPE OF PEOPLE SIGN UP FOR ÅRE EXTREME?
– It’s a mixed crowd, but I think it’s safe to say that they’re all brought together by some type of interest in the outdoors, whether that’s kayaking, biking or trail running. No matter what discipline, it’s people who like to get off the beaten path. One of our participants is a PE teacher who’s been coming for 20 years now. He competes because it’s fun, he likes to move, loves the outdoors and he also enjoys the preparation before the race.
ANY ADVICE FOR FIRST-TIMERS?
– It’s always a good idea to arrive a few days before the competition starts so you can check out the trails, rivers, and lakes before competition day. We always mark the trails a few days before the competition so people can do a reccy. We also recommend that you join and complete one of our pre-race series called Åre Extreme Race tour (see infobox).
WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE PLANS?
– A lot’s going on right now, and the competition is going through a big transformation. Some big news this year is our collaboration with Addnature. Having Addnature as one of our main partners allows us to reach a bigger audience, and we also hope that our participants will find out more about Addnature’s huge range. We’ll be launching a collaboration with C More, who’ll be following one of Addnature’s brand ambassadors as they do the race for the first time. It’s fun and exciting to collaborate with the media like this and get the race more exposure; hopefully we’ll get more entrants once people get a glimpse of life at Åre Extreme. The biggest plans right now, however, have to do with the concept of the competition itself. Our new slogan is Adventure, Nature, Music & Good Times. The plan is to add music and entertainment to Åre Extreme Week, so it becomes a hybrid of a music festival and a sports competition. Our vision is to offer our participants a week-long mixture of tough adventures and relaxing concert experiences – a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts.
Where: Åre.
Whatisit: Trail running, MTB and kayak – or surfski. When: Åre Extreme Week lasts from the 29th of June until the 3rd of July, Åre Extreme Challenge is on the 2nd of June.
WHEN AND WHERE ARE ÅRE EXTREME’S PRERACES?
Isaberg (April), Stockholm (May) and Falun (June)
HOW DO I PREPARE?
Join a multisport club to meet like-minded people to train with. Arrive at the site a few days before your race to try out the trails or join one of Åre Extreme’s pre-races.
WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE PLANS?
The festival is collaborating with C More and Addnature and plans to become a combined outdoor and music festival.
