Trøndelag has the highest concentration of Winter Olympic gold medalists in the country, and that's no wonder. There's no shortage of beautiful slopes and crazy ski jumps in the region, from Granåsen to Vassfjellet, to Bymarka and Oppdal.
But what about the rest of us who are less 'incredible Olympic athletes' and more 'sports-curious couch potatoes who are sensitive to the cold'? Is there anything a little less conventional happening around here for us?
Definitely! And that's why The List team has compiled a smattering of unique sports experiences in and around the Trondheim region. All of the organisations listed here are welcoming to beginners as well as more experienced members.
So take a look and find your next passion!
1. Capoeira
Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art and dance that has found its way to Trondheim. In capoeira, you ‘play with’ rather than ‘fight’ your opponent. Traditional kicks are mixed with rhythm, gymnastics, song, and music. As a practitioner, you will become strong and flexible while having a lot of fun!
And don't be too intimated to join, the group welcomes all genders and all levels of physical strength and stamina, as capoeira is highly adaptable — they even offer classes in kindergartens sometimes!
So you’re looking for a varied, social, and fun way to exercise the whole body, capoeira is for you! New semesters begin around mid-August every year and classes are usually held at DansiT in Svartlamon.
Find more info on the website of Capoeira Trondheim the group's Facebook page.
2. Disc golf
If you're not that into the idea of organised sports meet-ups but still want to do something active, then don't worry, we've got you covered.
Disc golf — also known as frisbee golf or frolf — is a very chill sport that basically is only as serious as you want it to be. All you need is a frisbee and access to a disc golf course... and lucky for you, there's a bunch of them hiding all around Trondheim, and they're all free to use!
The game is pretty much like golf (we think, we've never played golf) and the aim of it is to throw a frisbee into a 'hole' (the basket-like thing in the image above) in as few throws as possible.
Trondheim is considered one of the best disc golf cities in Norway, with nine courses and three stores that specialise in disc golf equipment. Like we said above, the disc golf courses are free for anyone to use, so you can just take it easy and try it out with a friend with a normal frisbee, or you can get a full kit and join one of the two leagues operating in the city.
For more info check out this website.
3. Ultimate Frisbee
If you like the idea of frisbee-based sports, but want something a bit more intense than disc golf, then you need to try Ultimate Frisbee.
Ultimate Frisbee is a fast-paced, non-contact team sport that is played both outdoors and indoors. The goal is to pass the frisbee to a teammate in the end zone, similar to a touchdown in American football, but the trick is that you can't run while holding the disc.
We've tried it and it's super fun! It's also quite a cool sport because it doesn't have any referees and relies on good-spirited competition, so it has the perfect vibe for people who don't like overly antagonistic or too serious sports.
To find more info check out the website of Trondheim Frisbeeklubb or their Facebook group. They often offer open practices where anyone can join and sometimes go to the pub afterwards, so keep an eye out!
4. Quidditch
NTNUi Quidditch is the oldest quidditch club in Norway and offers three practices a week, in addition to several social events. Quidditch (known in Norwegian as 'rumpeldunk', lol) is based on the famous wizard sport in Harry Potter. But instead of flying around on magical brooms, this muggle version is a full-contact sport that can be described as a combination of handball, rugby, and dodgeball.
The game has the same positions as the fictional version — keepers, chasers, beaters, and seekers — and players 'ride' pipes to represent brooms while trying to score goals and avoid being temporarily knocked out by bludgers. The game is over when the snitch is caught, represented by a tennis ball inside a long sock hanging from the shorts of an impartial player dressed in yellow, and the team with the higher score at that point wins. Teams are always gender-mixed (no more than 4 of the same gender per team) and each game lasts about 25 minutes and is great fun!
Check out NTNUi Quidditch's website for more info!
Also, if you are a student or a faculty member at NTNU or Sintef, you'll have access to the whole of NTNUi, a fantastic organisation that coordinates every possible use of physical agility on this earth (nearly), from cricket to orienteering to African dance classes.
5. Medieval fight club
While all of the sports we've mentioned up until now are amazing, we've kind of saved the best for last.
Bispeliden Historical Medieval Club has developed medieval fighting into a modern martial art with a very low bar for entry. The rules are quite simple (way simpler than offside in football, for example) and revolve around scoring hits on the opponent and knocking them out of the round. But don't worry, the group is really safety-conscious. Blows to the head are not allowed and the main point is just to have some historically-inspired fun!
You can read up more on Bispeliden's website (only in Norwegian right now) but the best way to find events is through their Facebook group which has plenty of information in English. Beginner programmes usually start in September every year and are often held in English. They don't require any equipment or previous experience — though groin and teeth protection is recommended!
If you got any more quirky activities you think we should know of, reach out to us at contact@thelist.no!