Centrumskolan towards Ungdomsvasan

The Vasaloppet is one of the world's biggest skiing events, and one and a half million people have participated Vasaloppet. The first race started in 1922, but the idea came 400 years earlier, in 1520 by Gustav Vasa. Gustav Vasa was held hostage when Sweden was in union with Denmark. Gustav Eriksson, as his real name was, managed to escape from the Danes, and Vasa fled to Dalarna. The people, who had not believed what Vasa said about the Danes, began to realize that Gustav was right. The city's two best skiers, Lars and Engelbrekt, went skiing to Dalarna. They managed to get him and they took him to Mora, which is now the goal in the competition.

From 1923, women were not allowed to go to Vasaloppet, cause it was considered to be "too hard" for them. But during the 1980s, women were allowed to participate in the race. When you reach about a half of the race it is a tradition that you get blueberry soup and vasa buns. The first Ungdomsvasan was organized in 2008, the distance is 9 kilometers.

The year 2017 was the first time Centrumskolans sixth-graders got to hear that they were joining the Ungdomsvasan. It made the students very happy and excited. They started to train on rollerskis so it could be much more easier to begin practicing with the real skiis. They began to ride real ones on January the 7th of 2018. The first time Centrumskolans sixth graders got to participate in Ungdomsvasan was in 2017, and when they came back they hoped that it would be a tradition.

This year, it is the sixth graders that will run Ungdomsvasan. The PE-teacher David thinks that it will go well for those who are trying their best. All students who participate in Ungdomsvasan can borrow clothes from Swix. When the last sixth-graders were given the opportunity to go, David got in touch with the CEO of Swix. They set up as sponsors which enabled the school to get the clothes.

Principal Rikard Samuelsson is very positive about this.

– I think this is fantastic. The pupils are going to get a big experience in the swedish mountains, and they are going to learn how to ride on skiis and get in good shape, he says.

Written by the youth editorial on Centrumskolan.