Guess who has an Åland connection?

Mark Levengood. With one foot

in Sweden and one in Finland, it seems only natural that journalist, author and programme host Mark Levengood has also set some roots down in Åland. Namely, his family’s summer place, where he spent all of his childhood summers. In an interview with Levengood in the 28 July 2021 issue of Ålandstidningen magazine, he said: “Summer in Åland is the real summer. The right flowers are in bloom and the granite is just the right colour.”

Ida Zetterström. Ida Zetterström’s interest in motorsports was sparked at an early age - she began competing at 8 years of age. When she was 12, her family moved from Sweden to Åland, and today Ida alternates between living a quiet island life and measuring her speed by hundredths of a second in Super Street Bike. Last year, she became the fastest woman in the world, by finishing with a top speed of 346.9 km/h at 400 metres.

Photo: Maria Östlin

Lill Lindfors. Beloved

singer, comedian and actor Lill Lindfors also associates the eternal summers of her childhood with Åland. In this case, we are referring to her grandparents’ summer paradise Solkulla in the village of Västanträsk. Today, she has her own cottage in Åland and shares her love of the island realm with her daughter, Petronella Wester.

Haddon Sundblom. Santa Claus might live in Rovaniemi, but he actually comes from Åland. At least, when thinking of the classic Coca Cola Santa Claus, with his red suit and bushy white beard. This particular image of Santa Claus is painted by American artist Haddon Sundblom (1899-1976), whose father was actually from the Norrgårds farm in the Åland archipelago municipality of Föglö.

Erik Enge. With a Swedish father and an Ålander mother, born in Stockholm, but raised and still living in Åland, we count this award-winning actor as one of our own. Do you recognise him? You have surely seen Erik starring in the film hit Tigers or Netflix film Black Crab with Noomi Rapace. Han debuted in Ulrika Bengt’s 2011 film Iris, which was filmed in Åland.

Photo: Cina Monn

Picture: Coca-Cola Finland