PRESS RELEASE

Swim festival promotes environment in the fjords of Norway

Worried about extreme weather and rising sea levels? 10-12 August 2007, Sognefjord Swim Festival is set to show how to take on challenges, have fun and promote environmental awareness all in one.

Following last year.s international success, Norway.s Sognefjord Swim Festival is being arranged once again, and this time the environment is in focus. Since its launch in 2005, Sognefjord Swim Festival has drawn attention to the natural wonders of the 204 km long Norwegian fjord. It is the most spectacular swimming pool in the world; a perfect arena for fairytale adventures, sporting challenges and family activities. This year, the festival aims to promote its key activities of swimming and kayaking as leisure activities with a minimal pollution factor and maximum pleasure factor.

Switch to your body engine

This unique fjord festival is based around the brand new concept of fjord swimming, an activity where a swimmer, accompanied by a kayak buddy, swims along or across a fjord. Fjord swimming is both rewarding and healthy, and moreover, it uses only one kind of engine . the human body.

Interest in fjord swimming and kayaking has grown dramatically in recent years, both in Norway and abroad. The number of participants in the Sognefjord Swim Festival.s main event, the Sognefjord Challenge, has trebled since the 3.7 km fjord crossing was first undertaken in 2004. .We expect this trend to continue,. says festival manager, Sarah Jane Hails. .Participants from Norway, Finland, the UK and Germany have already signed up for this year.s Sognefjord Challenge. It seems everyone wants to have a go at swimming a fjord this year,. says Hails, who took on the challenge herself in 2004 and became the first woman to successfully swim across the deepest fjord in the world. Swimmers of all ages keen to test their strength in a narrower fjord can also try completing the Mini Challenge, a 400-metre crossing of the Esefjord, or .easy fjord., as local swimmers call it, located by the famous tourist village of Balestrand.

Explore local places and activities

Sognefjord Swim Festival encourages fjord dwellers and visitors to actively explore the Norwegian fjords. The three day event spans three picturesque villages: Balestrand, Leikanger and Feios i Vik. To get around, boat shuttles and cruises will operate between the arenas. .We want to encourage people to explore the local area in a social and more environmentally friendly way. We want to offer an alternative to road congestion and pollution caused by the excessive use of cars as a means of travel. Fjord transport for the entire festival weekend is included in this year.s festival pass,. informs Hails.

Enjoy the taste of local produce

Throughout the festival weekend, local food will be available. Products on offer will range from organic fruit ice cream from Feios, smoked salmon from Sværefjorden, grilled meat from Vik and raspberries from Balestrand. .We hope that people who attend the festival will take note of the environmental benefits of choosing local food products, . explains local researcher and festival volunteer, Idun Husabø Anderssen. .By choosing local products, you discover the goodness of quality, organic food products. One also reduces the need for and cost of transportation, and by supporting local farmers and small businesses, local business and community confidence increases, which in turn helps to turn the tide on de-population in rural fjord areas such as Sogn, . explains Anderssen.

Learn more about the environment

To promote environmental awareness, the organisers of this year.s Sognefjord Swim Festival have also invited national weather presenter and local lass Eli Kari Gjengedal with Professor Torbjørn Dale from the University College Sogndal to talk about aspects of fjord weather, marine life and climate change. On Friday 10 August, the informal lectures will be held at Feios, a dreamy fjord village where the sun lingers until late on a summer.s eve; the perfect setting for an informative and inspiring start to Sognefjord Swim Festival 2007.

Festival Facts

• Sognefjord Swim Festival is a festival promoting fjord exploration, community cooperation and outdoor activities. The festival attracts high-profile international participants. This year epic swimmer .King of the Channel. Kevin Murphy will attend the event.
• 2007 is the third year running the festival will be held. This year.s dates are 10.12 August.
• Festival activities span three different arenas along the Sognefjord: Balestrand, Leikanger and Feios in Vik.
• Saturday 11 August: Sognefjord Challenge, the 3.7 km fjord crossing from Borlaug to Leikanger: intended for strong, open water swimmers: A maximum limit of 30 swimmers has been set for safety reasons. Registration deadline: 7 July.
• Sunday 12 August: less demanding fjord swimming and family activities in Balestrand: relay races and a crossing of the 400-meter wide Esefjord for adults and children from 8 years of age.
• New in 2007: Kayak Challenge, Friday 10 August. Kayakers will cross the Sognefjord from the north to the south, at a point where the fjord is 6 km wide,

For further press information and a detailed festival programme, please visit www.fjordswim.no

For high solution pictures, please visit: http://www.fjordswim.no/nn.php/press/images-2007

Press contact:
Simone Stibbe
press@fjordswim.no
+47 90594822