Top-level meetup: O-ringen in Åre

Right now the Åre valley is hosting the O-ringen, the world's biggest orienteering competition week. The beautiful lush green summer nature is full of activity. It’s a way to celebrate summer!  

”Today the sun is shining and we are shining with it” says Mats Jönsson from the O-ringen competitor services. ”This year we expect more than 15 000 competitors. Åre is a unique place for the event, the participants are actually competing in the mountains today”.

Normally there are participants from about 40 countries annually in the O-ringen, ageing from 5 to 95 years old. The location moves each year in Sweden. In Åre, we are currently hearing a wonderful mixture of Finnish, Japanese, Dutch, Chinese, Portuguese and so on being spoken in the streets and in the exhibitors plaza. "The best thing about the O-ringen is meeting friends from all over," says a young girl (who wishes to remain anonymous).

The competition has been held since 1965 and the name actually comes from the trade union movement for the national team of orienteers. For many years the O-Ringen even had union clinics for participants from other countries. Sweden has by the way a long history of unionising since the late nineteenth century. Nowadays though, the O-ringen vision is all about making active and wise choices for a sustainable future. The website explains that the organisation ”wants to continue to create opportunities for existing and future generations of participants to share community, joy and experiences at the event”.

And there’s such joy and good spirit in the air in Åre. Whole families have come here to participate, and knowledge is transferred from generation to generation. A cross-border community in every sense.

sprend.com wishes all the best of luck with this year's event and we are of course available with any file transfer services needed.