On Wednesday, there was a big turnout when it was time for Bygdsiljum Watercross 2023, a fast-growing sport where drivers drive snowmobiles on the water. The goal is to get around the track unscathed as quickly as possible with at least one jump.
The fact that the sport is growing is evident in the number of participants, which doubled from last year's competition. There are divers on site, because although accidents are rare, it is all the more common that the snowmobile needs to be salvaged from the lake bottom.
"It's important to keep up the speed all the time, if you stand still for longer than a few seconds, the scooter stands right up and starts to sink. So far today, six scooters have sunk, so we can perhaps count on as many more, says Jörgen Ågren, organizer and chairman of Bygdsiljums Motor Club.
A growing sport
The sport is growing rapidly in Sweden, Norway and Finland. The winner of today's race is Joachim Olsen from Norway who has been running watercross for a long time.
"It's adrenaline-filled, but the best part is also the friendship. You meet new people all the time with the same interests, but really everything is fun with watercross, it's a nice sport, says Joachim Olsen.
Listen to snowmobile driver Joachim talk more about the race in the clip.