spark (kick-sled)
David Dermott
in Swedish/Norwegian is sparkstötting, or putkukelkka in Finnish)
This one is imported by Crossled in Ontario "http://www.crossled.com"
It is made in Tynset, Norway. My other one is made in Finland
by ESLA and is imported by Kicksled Canada in Rawdon Quebec
(1-800-532-3177).
The Norwegian model is $50 cheaper ($200 vs $250). The frame is steel
tubing vs wood. But the Norwegian one doesn't fold up as quickly (for
storage and transporting) as the ESLA.
I have put on many more Km on my spark than on my skis in the last 3
winters. Mostly on frozen lakes, but sometimes snow-packed back roads
are good. It's only very rare I can use them on town streets here, but
they should be great in Alberta, where back streets aren't salted.
I'm hoping I can rent or borrow a spark in some of the small towns
in which I will be staying in Norway in March. It's a very convenient
way to get around in towns. The locals use them like bicycles.
I rented one in Rřros in 1996, and I've seen a note that they can
be rented in Geilo.
PS The World Championships, SPARK-VM, are being held in Multia,
Finland Mar 13-14! There is also a 100 km race, Victor Balck Memorial,
but I don't know where or when.
PS2 There is also an importer in the US, Viking Imports
"http://www.vikingkicksled.com/"
--
David Dermott , Wolfville Ridge, Nova Scotia, Canada
email: nstn...@fox.nstn.ca
WWW pages: http://fox.nstn.ca/~nstn1181/
John Magne Trane
|> I just bought my second spark or kick-sled. (Full name
|> in Swedish/Norwegian is sparkstötting, or putkukelkka in Finnish)
|>
|> This one is imported by Crossled in Ontario "http://www.crossled.com"
|> It is made in Tynset, Norway. My other one is made in Finland
|> by ESLA and is imported by Kicksled Canada in Rawdon Quebec
|> (1-800-532-3177).
|>
|> The Norwegian model is $50 cheaper ($200 vs $250). The frame is steel
|> tubing vs wood. But the Norwegian one doesn't fold up as quickly (for
|> storage and transporting) as the ESLA.
I think my old Rapp is easy to fold up (or down rather, to do the do or
die downhill on the stomach with), but I haven't seen an ESLA one.
The great thing about sparks for those grown up with them is the
'sparketog', the spark train, where you put the sparks after one another
and then set out down the steepest, longest hill you can find and try to
take the sharp turn at the bottom.
Sometimes we made it.
8< >8
|> PS2 There is also an importer in the US, Viking Imports
|> "http://www.vikingkicksled.com/"
Strange that they put the word viking in there. Prolly to sell better,
but I have a hard time imagining HarjawalduR Sparkustřttur and his men
going to war in a pig snout formation across the ice, but hey ;)
They might have had their shields on the seats to protect the vital
area, who knows.
|> --
|> David Dermott , Wolfville Ridge, Nova Scotia, Canada
|> email: nstn...@fox.nstn.ca
|> WWW pages: http://fox.nstn.ca/~nstn1181/
Good to see the sparks actually used in America (yes, I know you're
.ca...) as our USAmerican relatives didn't believe us when they
visited us in the summer.
Cheers!
JMT
--
__ John Magne Trane joh...@stud.cs.uit.no
[]_.-' (Q_,._ Confucius say:
`(*)[27]___(*)Z> Man running after cars will soon get exhausted.
Ari Joro
> PS The World Championships, SPARK-VM, are being held in Multia,
> Finland Mar 13-14! There is also a 100 km race, Victor Balck Memorial,
> but I don't know where or when.
The World Championships:
http://www.jyu.fi/~antleht/mm/mm_eng.html
21.3. Viktor Balck 100 km:
http://www.hut.fi/~akuusist/kepo/keponakka.html
--
A.J.
David Dermott
now available at:
"http://fox.nstn.ca/~nstn1181/ski/99/index.html"