Ekstremsportveko

Ekstremsportveko started in 1998 and has become the largest festival of its kind, running for a week in late June in and around Voss, a town whose rivers, cliffs and mountains suit almost every airborne or water-based sport: whitewater kayaking on the Stranda and Raundalselvi, freeride and slopestyle mountain biking, skydiving and wingsuit flying from aircraft over the valley, paragliding and speedriding, base jumping, rafting and climbing, with competitions running simultaneously across the area. Evening concerts in the town centre run alongside. Much of the spectating is free and outdoors, and the atmosphere is closer to a festival than a competition, though the sports involved carry real risk.

History

The festival was founded in Voss in 1998 by Einar Raa Nilsen, Frode Solbakk, Øyvind Kindem and Even Rokne, and has grown into the world's largest extreme sports festival. In 2007 more than 1,000 competitors and 40,000 spectators took part, with more than 600 volunteers running it (Wikipedia, Ekstremsportveko).

What to look for

• The kayak competitions - whitewater events on the rivers around Voss.
• The air sports - skydiving, wingsuit and paragliding over the valley.
• The mountain biking - freeride and slopestyle courses on the slopes.
• The evening concerts - a music programme in the town through the week.

When to go

Late June, the fixed festival week, which is timed for high water in the rivers and long daylight; events run across the valley and the schedule shifts with weather. Air sports are cancelled in wind and cloud.

Things to know

Accommodation in Voss is booked out during the week and prices rise. Events are spread across a wide area, so following them needs transport. Weather cancels air disciplines frequently, and the sports involved have caused serious accidents.

Nearby

Tvindefossen and the Voss gondola are close; the Naeroyfjord and Flam lie north-east.

Key facts