Outsider Eerden

Coming from the Netherlands, via Sørlandet and Trøndelag, he landed in Pasvik. A few years later Rolf Eerden rivals for the lead with Harald Tunheim in the Bergebyløpet. Or not? - Harald was the one, who fought with me, he states.

Rolf Eerden deals with dogs just for five years now, and only since two years ago he has his own dogsled-team. Never before he competed in a long distance-race. However he started on the trail and fought with only a gap of seconds for the lead with Harald Tunheim, one of Norway's most experienced mushers. You could think that it took im at the head like an air mattress in the flood.

- Actually my dogs where just running well the whole time, explains the Dutch cabinet maker.

Bergebyløpet is a relatively young sleddograce. It was the third time in the beginning of february that it was carried out. The start was in Skiippagurra in the municipality of Tana.

They say, Rolf Eerdens team would only contain expensed dogs. In the "dog-language" these are the ones, that do not reach the expectations of the musher. Dogs of a "bad quality". But he refuses that:

- I really have a good team. I took some of the dogs from Tor Arne Bjørn, who took the leave of the dogsled-sport in aid of chess and Jazz-dance. And some are from Roger Dahl's kennel, he explains, when he gets confronted with the rumours. I know the dogs now incredibly well, better then some of my neighbours. I know, what they are able to.

You will start in the Finnmarksløpet. What do you expect?

Actually I do not expect anything. Better to say I did not have any time, to think about it. I will lead my team and if everything goes the way it should, it will be okay. We just continue what we did for two years now, he closes and smiles towards the photographers.

A bright and decent guy. A musher, who is worth to be observed in the Finnmarksløpet 2006.

More information about Bergebyløpet is available under: Pasvik Trails hjemmeside.