The case in summary: Over 20,000 spectators are expected at the Holmenkollen ski festival this weekend. Organisers, police and districts in Oslo west ask parents to talk to the young people to avoid drunken parties. Parents are encouraged to tell young people about the importance of wearing warm clothes, looking after each other, making agreements about unforeseen situations, behaving properly and limiting alcohol consumption. The police will have a strong presence throughout the event, including on the subway. They will also use scooters and drones. The districts will also be visible with outdoor contacts, and SaLTo west will assist with outreach work in the evening. The organizer of the ski festival, Stefan Marx, emphasizes that this will be a folk festival for the whole family, and that there will be activities for all ages. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. Over 20,000 spectators are expected at Holmenkollen this weekend. It is not just skiing that attracts the public. The folk festival is also attractive. A party that in recent years has been associated with drunkenness. But the Kollen drink has a long history. – I found an article from 1901, that the festival from 1900 was out of control. That’s why they had to deploy five extra constables to keep order, says Stefan Marx. He has managed the Holmenkollen Ski Festival since 2020. General manager of the Holmenkollen Ski Festival, Stefan Marx. Photo: Terje Pedersen / NTB Together with the police, the districts of Vestre Aker, Nordre Aker, Frogner and Ullern, the ski festival will put an end to the noise. This year, they are asking parents to come to the field before the party: – They must tell the young people that they must wear warm clothes. And that they should bring folk customs and preferably not too much alcohol, says Marx. In 2018, the ski festival consisted of fights, electric shocks, queues and drunkenness. The organizer and the police want to avoid the same situations. Will use snowmobiles and drones The police also encourage parents to talk to the young people before they make the trip to the ski party. In addition, they have a clear message: – Hopefully, parents won’t get a phone call from us, but if they do, they must get their act together and actually come up and pick up their youth, says police chief Erlend Frigaard. – We actually wrote some child protection notices last year on the basis that some parents did not make the trip. The police will have a strong presence throughout the event. – We want police all the way from Nationaltheatret station, so that we can weed out people who are unable to take care of themselves already on the subway. Otherwise, we have scooter capacity and drones, says Frigaard. Are you going to go to Holmenkollen? Yes, there is always a good atmosphere! Yes, since the organizers have taken action. No, sport is funnest on TV! Show result Talk to the young people In a letter sent out to secondary schools and upper secondary schools in west Oslo, parents are encouraged to have a chat with the young people about, among other things: Take care of each other when you are out in the fields and at larger events. Make an agreement on what can be done if something unforeseen happens. Proper clothing, wear warm winter clothes and shoes according to the conditions. Alcohol use and intoxication The districts will also be visible with outdoor contacts. Salto west will assist with outreach work in the evenings. – We are going to have ten employees out who work in outreach and prevention, says Isabel Espinoza, coordinator for SaLto west. The letter has been sent out to parents based on experiences from previous events. – Parents are the foremost and most important preventive measures for their children and for children in general, says Espinoza. Ruter puts in a direct subway from Majorstuen to Holmenkollen, so that everyone gets to their seats. Photo: Ruter Scandal event The worst was in 2018, when around 100,000 showed up in the field. Ambulance personnel and volunteers treated over 100 alcohol-related injuries. Marit Bjørgen reacted to the drunken party. “Chaos in Kollen” became a matter for national politicians. Oslo and the organizers even got a sneer from the Swedes. After 2018, several measures were put in place to prevent the noise from recurring. But the Kollen drunk came back. Last year, several young people were expelled from the site. And parents refused to pick up their children. – Parents must have that conversation with their children about how to keep themselves safe. And then they must be on alert. If something happens, they can go up and collect their young people, says mayor Anne Lindboe (H). – As mayor and doctor, I am concerned about the combination of high blood alcohol levels and low temperatures and long days, because it can be dangerous for our young people, says mayor of Oslo, Anne Lindboe (H). Photo: Tom Balgaard/news Folkefest for the whole family – We have a 132-year-old tradition of organizing this party. We want to hear the Kollen roar and then we want the young people to behave nicely too, says Stefan Marx. He clarifies that this will be a folk festival for the whole family. Among other things, Fantorangen comes together with news Super on Sunday: – We also have a separate zone with a DJ, where we bring the marka party into the arena. There will be something for everyone, in nice and safe surroundings, he concludes.
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Want to avoid a drunken party in Kollen – asks parents to come to the track before the folk festival – Stor-Oslo
