Photos: Fredrik Andersson
Every year at the end of the sled season all of the most passionate riders load up their sleds and hit the road with one destination: Riksgränsen. This unique place is located in North Sweden above the Arctic Circle and next to the Norwegian border. During May and June, this is where you can make the most of the snow that is still left over from winter.
This is the time of year that all the Scandinavian riders hang out in the same area and where you meet a lot of amazing people just having the time of their lives. It’s like an enormous playground with endless possibilities for building jumps, sidehilling on steep slopes, dropping off cliffs and just playing around in snowdrifts. It’s so warm out that you can even ride in a t-shirt in the slushy snow or take a magical ride in the midnight sun. It’s also the place where you’ll get a free goggle tan to show off when you get back home!
A typical day starts with getting up around 9:00 or 10:00 a.m. and eating some sort of breakfast. Then it’s time to get ready for a day of fun. Getting dressed, filling up the sled with fuel and oil, just making sure it’s ready for another day in the snow, and putting together some food and "Swedish fika" (coffee) for the day. All the sleds are parked close to each other, so you always meet others who are going out for a ride. You often end up doing something together, making plans or telling stories from the day before.
There are a few "famous" spots where you usually end up shoveling jumps in the sun with a bunch of sweaty and happy people, listening to music, laughing, making food or just enjoying the sun and company. It truly is the best time of the year. People passing by always stop to say hello and overall it’s just a happy vibe.
Then it’s time for jumping and action, and we’re all involved somehow. You could be the one jumping, filming, just enjoying the show or supporting other riders. Since all riders have different skills, we teach each other and help each other out to get better! It’s an amazing community and you can really push yourself and others to get better no matter what tricks you want to learn!
