Nordic heisting
A consequence of leaving your native country is that you gradually fall out of touch with it and its culture. Things that used to be important in your Old Country fade away without you having any idea about it happening. New things pop up, things you’ve never heard of and have no idea of how or why they popped up.
Like Nordic Walking. Yes, technically, Nordic Walking was invented by a Finnish company to sell more poles, but you know, Swedes, Finns, Scandinavians, Swiss, they’re all the same, more or less.
Nordic Walking became an overnight sensation in Europe in the mid-1990’s, according to the Boston Globe and it may well be correct. I’ve just never heard of it before. Never. N-E-V-E-R. When I saw a picture of Nordic Walkers my first reaction was “so they’re mountain hikers with out a mountain. Big deal.” But no, they’re Nordic Walkers.
You can even take a class in Nordic Walking. That’s right, you can take a class in…walking?
Jay Fitzgerald over at HubBlog is as confounded as I am:
Anyway, what’s ‘Nordic walking’? Why, it’s, well, walking with a walking stick. Or actually two walking sticks. But now you get to buy special Nordic-walking ski poles, Nordic-walking shoes, Nordic-walking tight-fitting spandex pants and fleece, and, perhaps, one day, if we’re really lucky, special Nordic-walking hats with cute wool tassels and, perhaps, even Nordic-walking helmets for the little ones. The yuppies are going to lap it up.
Some rival company should strike back with Power Herding - “based on the techniques used by Italian shepherds to traverse rugged mountains!” PowerHerding.com is available. Go for it, people!
(Am I hearing a Brokeback Herding joke?)
