I have to start out by saying there is no way in the world that I think I could survive a Scandinavian winter!! It is not even winter here in Sweden yet, but it's possible that I am slowly freezing to death. It is cold, sometimes snowy, always icy, with the sun down by 3:30 in the afternoon. Dreary and bone chilling and not my cup of tea in the least! It IS beautiful though.....from the window....or a postcard! I can't even imagine the depth of winter here when the sun is only out for a few hours and it is -20C! EEK!
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| Ice Skating rinks throughout the middle of the city! |
That said...I don't know HOW Ola convinced me that I would enjoy going to see a game of Bandy Ball outside at night here. I suppose it was the pure curiosity plus my love of sports that talked my little mind into it. I've never seen, no make that HEARD, of this game. Of course, I HAD to see it first hand; even if it was going to be my first and last ever live game of bandy! I bought another scarf, hat, mittens, etc. and off I went to see this intriguing sport!
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| For Mommy: Me all bundled up & ready to brave the cold! |
The game is kind of like hockey. A few differences are that there are more guys on the rink, the rink is larger, the players don't wear pads, and instead of a puck they play with a little ball. If you're interested, YouTube the rules of the game. It was actually very interesting and very fun to watch! I liked that it was even more fast paced than hockey. Always something going on throughout the game...nonstop action.
Behind the rink was a HUGE pile of ice/snow that the kids were climbing on. Not gonna lie...I wanted to join them. But, the fact that 5 minutes in and I couldn't feel my legs kind of kept me to my senses about playing in ice.
It was fun to see the crowd. The Swedes were just as proud of their team as they were at the soccer game I attended in August. They sang and cheered the whole game through. People brought Thermoses full of Glogg, Irish Coffee (even brought whipped cream!), beers, and foam stands to keep themselves warmed up throughout the game. Here's my half frozen attempt at a quick video. It's a bit shaky and uneven because I was so cold and my mittens did not make it easy to work the camera! But, nonetheless, try to enjoy & hear the cheering :)
I have to admit that I was a weenie. I was absolutely frozen to the core! But, I toughed it out to watch the entire game. It was fun to see that the home team, Hammarby, won 6-1! The ball is so small and the goal is so huge! It really was a fun game. Perhaps I'll coach a Bandy Ball team in Texas?!? :P Doubtful!
Anybody else heard of this sport? What's your favorite sport to watch live? Thinking after all of this time in Europe I will definitely be adding soccer to my DVR list!
Behind the rink was a HUGE pile of ice/snow that the kids were climbing on. Not gonna lie...I wanted to join them. But, the fact that 5 minutes in and I couldn't feel my legs kind of kept me to my senses about playing in ice. 
It was fun to see the crowd. The Swedes were just as proud of their team as they were at the soccer game I attended in August. They sang and cheered the whole game through. People brought Thermoses full of Glogg, Irish Coffee (even brought whipped cream!), beers, and foam stands to keep themselves warmed up throughout the game. Here's my half frozen attempt at a quick video. It's a bit shaky and uneven because I was so cold and my mittens did not make it easy to work the camera! But, nonetheless, try to enjoy & hear the cheering :)
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