Lauritz Bergendahl (30 January 1887 – 15 April 1964) was a Norwegian

Nordic skier Nordic skiing encompasses the various types of skiing in which the toe of the ski boot is fixed to the binding in a manner that allows the heel to rise off the ski, unlike alpine skiing, where the boot is attached to the ski from toe to heel. Rec ...

who won both the

Nordic combined Nordic combined is a winter sport in which athletes compete in cross-country skiing (sport), cross-country skiing and ski jumping. The Nordic combined at the Winter Olympics has been held since the first 1924 Winter Olympics, Winter Olympics in ...

and the 50 km

cross-country skiing Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing whereby skiers traverse snow-covered terrain without use of ski lifts or other assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreational activity; however, some still use it as a m ...

events at the

Holmenkollen ski festival The Holmenkollen Ski Festival ( or ) is a traditional annual Nordic skiing event in Holmenkollen, Oslo, Norway. The full official name of the event is Holmenkollen FIS World Cup Nordic. History It takes place in March and has been arranged every ...

in 1910, 1912, 1913, 1914, and 1915. Bergendahl's Holmenkollen 50 km cross-country skiing victories have only been exceeded by one skier (

Thorleif Haug Thorleif Haug (28 September 1894 – 12 December 1934) was a Norwegian skier who competed in nordic combined and cross-country. At the 1924 Olympics he won all three Nordic skiing events (18 km, 50 km and combined). He was also awarde ...

) while his Holmenkollen Nordic combined victories have been matched by three others (

Johan Grøttumsbråten Johan Hagbart Pedersen Grøttumsbraaten (24 February 1899 – 24 January 1983) was a Norway, Norwegian skier who competed in Nordic combined and cross-country skiing (sport), cross-country. Dominating both events in the 1920s and early 1930s, he ...

, Rauno Miettinen, and Bjarte Engen Vik). Bergendahl earned the Holmenkollen medal in 1910 while his nephew

Lars Lars is a common male name in Scandinavian countries. Origin ''Lars'' means "from the city of Laurentum". Lars is derived from the Latin name Laurentius, which means "from Laurentum" or "crowned with laurel", and is therefore related to the name ...

earned the honor in 1939. Lauritz Bergendahl was the first skiing star, Nordic or alpine, anywhere. He was called simply the "ski king". Between 1910 and 1915, he won the 50 km race at Holmenkollen five times. Born in 1888, he was nearly lost to skiing through religious revivalism, but his other vocation was too strong. His stardom arose from the lack of national heroes in the aftermath of independence and the poor calibre of politicians. Bergendahl was probably the first sporting figure, anywhere, faut de mieux, to do duty as national icon. He was the first skier to train methodically. He systematically developed both speed and stamina. He was a pioneer of tempo training. In particular, he was interested in coordination of sticks and skis. He was a pioneer in adapting the Finnish double heave on the sticks as part of an innovative tactical adjustment of technique to terrain. He was the founder of modern Nordic skiing, and the analytical system of coaching. By trade he was a forester, like most of the early Nordic skiers, mainly because of the strength and suppleness developed in wielding axe and saw. The first free heel toe binding to go into production was the Selmer's "Bergendahl" binding. Norway 1913 In an obituary of Bergendahl in Aftenposten on 17 April 1965, the signature "Am" wrote, among other things: ''No one has shaped the Holmenkoll race like Lauritz Bergendahl, no one! In 1915 he won everything there was to win: 50 km, 15 km, the King's Cup for combined races and the Ladies' Cup for the best mare. He set other records, including winning the 5-mile five years in a row. He won five King's Cups in Holmenkollen. In all, he won ten king's cups, but he did not become Olympic or world champion, because there were no such races at the time.'' At Sørkedalen school, King Olav unveiled a memorial to Bergendahl in 1977, made by Nic. Schiøll. In Stavanger there is Lauritz Bergendahls gate, in an area where several of the streets are named after sports figures. Lauritz Bergendahl is buried at Grefsen cemetery in Oslo. Oslo, Norway, February 13, 1952: Norwegian skiing champion Lauritz Bergendal carries the Olympic torch on the final stage of the relay, just before the lighting of the flame to begin the sixth Olympiad.

References

Holmenkollen medalists
- click Holmenkollmedaljen for downloadable pdf file
Holmenkollen winners since 1892
- click Vinnere for downloadable pdf file *https://dev.lokalhistoriewiki.no/wiki/Lauritz_Bergendahl *Two Planks and a Passion: The Dramatic History of Skiing By Roland Huntford {{DEFAULTSORT:Bergendahl, Lauritz 1887 births 1964 deaths Holmenkollen medalists Holmenkollen Ski Festival winners Norwegian male cross-country skiers Norwegian male Nordic combined skiers Norwegian foresters