Several top orienteerers, both present and past, are coming to Kuopio-Jukola from all around the world. One of them is Petter Thoresen from Norway, who has won the World Championship, the Jukola Relay and Tiomila many, many times. He isn’t even sure how many times he has taken part in Jukola. But he remembers the first time very well.

– I was a junior running for Bækkelaget with great stars at that time like Brit Volden, Øyvind Thon and Egil Johansen.  None of them were very impressed by me because my mission at Jukola was mixed: to run fast and have a lot of fun. I hit the wall when running and the same when having fun afterwards. I missed our bus to Helsinki airport, but luckily got a lift with P.O. Bengtsons Pan Önos. Since I got so late to the airport, the only free seats in the plane were in business class. Not bad, but absolutely not deserved! A good laugh, though.

He guesses he has won 5 times in Jukola, and once as a coach in 2000. The first time was in 1988 with Bækkelaget and Øyvind Thon on the last leg, and the rest with legendary Halden.

– Of course it’s special and nice to win with your best friends and also to be the “ankare”, but I guess, after all, it’s all those small stories, the ones that gave us a good laugh, which still make me smile.

The last victory came in 2003 when Mats “the Macine” Haldin gave us the glory on the last leg. I had a “gryning” (dawn) leg when Øystein Kristiansen brought us into a clear lead and much earlier than I expected. So I was at the toilet fully dressed, when I realized the chap was in the finish. I had to sprint down to the changeover to our legendary super-coach, Kjell Puck, undressing at the same time. Reaching there I realized I was the only runner not wearing a headlamp. Running out alone I doubted if I could read the map in the thickest forest and the fear of a big disaster appeared. The relief was great, I must say, discovering I could do it!

Thoresen finds the Jukola Relay the greatest single event in the orienteering world.

– I’m so thankful to all those people that have made all these impressing events through the years. What a great job! You have given me so many nice moments, so much fun and made me meet so many beautiful people.

– In Kuopio-Jukola my team Enga is a bunch of great old farts going to have just fun and have good laughs. I guess our goal, except for making it among top 2-300, is to beat “Ølklubben”, another bunch of even older great farts. And we will! I’ll run the first leg and hope to survive the start – not being a “doormat”. And of course, to outclass Ølklubben right there and then! We’ll meet in Helsinki on Sunday night to have a banquet all together.

This is the first year for ages when Thoresen doesn’t have any direct responsibilities in orienteering as a runner or a coach or for the federations. But as one of the founders of Noname he is involved in Orienteering through his work.

– Orienteering is still my big sport and it gives me a lot of joy. Personally I’ll run Jukola and maybe a competition and two more, and that’s it. My kids are not so keen though, so we mostly go whitewater kayaking or skiing downhill in winter. Luckily they are very active and like the outdoors, so we have a lot of great moments together.

– I guess I’m the type of guy living for the good moments in life and Jukola is a great one, says Thoresen.

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