“I fäders spår för framtids segrar”

This motto, inscribed in Swedish on a banner hanging over the finish line greets the winner of the Vasaloppet - a Swedish skiing tradition since 1922 and, to this day, the oldest and largest cross country ski race in the world.

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In our fathers’ tracks for future victories. It’s a phrase deep with meaning. Of course, a victory is imminent for the first racer to see the banner, as they will shortly receive the customary laurel from a kranskulla dressed in the customary folk costumes of the Dalarna provence of Sweden. But, the phrase takes on a much deeper meaning: it honors the spirit of that founding father of the race, King Gustav, and the entire country of Sweden as a whole.

To understand the depth of meaning of this phrase, and indeed the entire concept of the race, it is necessary to return to the year 1520. Gustav Ericksson Vasa was a young nobleman who, like most of the noble class in Sweden, was dissatisfied with the rule of Christian II, King of Denmark, Norway and Sweden. The Danish were the dominant group in this loose union of Scandinavian countries, wielding most of the power. Sweden had resisted Christian II for as long as possible, yet Danish soldiers made a successful conquest of Sweden on their third attempt in 1520.

Gustav had crossed paths with King Christian in 1518. In perhaps a moment of naïveté following a Swedish victory, it was determined that the leaders would meet for negotiations and to insure King Christian’s safety, that six Swedes would be held as hostages for as long as negotiations continued. Sten Sture of Sweden showed up, King Christian did not. Gustav and the five other hostages were on their way to Copenhagen, where the King would attempt to get the men to change their loyalties. The five others did but Gustav refused and escaped, sparking a life where he was constantly fleeing Danish loyal to King Christian.

When Christian finally became King of Sweden, he invited many from the Swedish noble class to the coronation as an overture towards smoothing over relations. Yet after a few days of celebration, in a scene perhaps out of a George R. R. Martin novel, the doors were locked, guards swooped in and many Swedes were killed (including Gustav’s parents) in what would be known as the Stockholm Bloodbath.

It is here where the story takes on a certain legendary quality, not unlike Pheidippides’ exploits at the Battle of Marathon: Gustav had made his way to Dalarna to avoid loyalists to the King and, convinced of the need for revolution, attempted to gather men to form an army. When he was rebuffed, he was faced with no other choice but to continue to flee to Norway from Mora, on skis. The townspeople, experiencing increased tyranny from Christian II, suddenly had a change of heart and sent two skiers on the journey to retrieve Gustav. The skiers, Lars and Engelbrekt, caught up with him at Sälen.

In this painting by Johan Gustaf Sandberg, Gustav addresses a group of men in Mora, Sweden

The rest of the story likely won’t surprise you: Gustav returned, lead a rebellion that deposed King Christian, and became King of Sweden in 1523, dissolving the Kalmar Union and ensuring continued Swedish independence.

The origin story of the Vasaloppet lives on in Swedish national folklore, the race captures the spirit of the country exemplified by King Gustav, both in the past and in the future. It was a visionary Swedish politician from Mora, Anders Pers, who published the idea for the race in his newspaper Westmanlands Läns Tidning. That caught the attention of the local sports club, IFK Mora, to sponsor a trial race. Out of 119 racers, it was a 22 year-old who took home the title - Ernst Alm from the Norsjö Sports Club finished the 90 kilometers in just over seven-and-a-half hours.

Ernst Alm wears the laurel following his win in the inaugural race

Today the race usually attracts more than 15,000 participants with over 70,000 spectators to view the race festivities, and is undoubtedly a national source of pride for its citizens. Retracing Gustav’s route, only in reverse order, from Sälen to Mora, unique traditions can be found everywhere: most especially the blåbärssoppa, a Scandinavian blueberry soup, that is served to competitors at checkpoints on the course. The race is considered a rite of passage for Swedes, an important part of Swedish culture - so much so that the race was still staged after the prime minister was assassinated in 1986 two days prior.

In many ways, this exemplifies the spirit of the race and the motto that awaits the winner on that banner in Mora. There will be ups and downs, and challenges ahead but that, on Vasaloppet race day, Swedes come together to honor the past, celebrate the present, and dream about the glories that await in the future.