Nor Fucking Way
Words by Dan Jude
Not the hippest place on earth, most of us over here would probably consider the coolest thing about Norway to be its icy climate. But there’s a new breeze blowing through the land of the Vikings, thanks to the booming popularity of ‘Russ’, a 3-week all-you-can-drink, all-you-can-fuck celebration of juvenescence.
Fast becoming a Norwegian rite of passage, this binge-fest takes place at the end of high school. With all rules and restrictions going out the window, buses full of horny teens descend on the Norwegian wilderness to indulge in a debauched bender in which excessive drinking, drug-taking and casual-sex are the norm.
Travelling around the country in buses and vans saved-for and customised during the final year of school, the oversexed kids dress in coloured boiler suits corresponding to the subjects they’ve majored in. The outfits are then finished off by a ‘Russ hat’, a peaked cap strung with ‘knots’ or charms that are awarded when special tasks or dares have been completed. Same sex kiss: one knot. Tea-bagging: 2 knots. Orgy: 5 knots. You get the picture. It’s debauched, it’s lustful, it’s electrifying. And it confirms our suspicions that it’s Belgium that really sucks.
The Norwegian Way is packed full of photographs taken between 2003 and 2007 by Norwegian photographer Jørn Tomter, who beautifully captures the decadence and depravity of the tour in pictorial form. His aim? To create something that will ‘in time become an artefact - a record of a tradition and time forgotten.’ Artefacts aside, the 130-page book wonderfully encapsulates the spirit of youth and the joys of freedom, but more than anything, it’s a book that will make you want to be nineteen, horny and Norwegian. Like all these fuckers.
The Norwegian Way is published by Generation Yacht. www.thenorwegianway.net
Posted Thu, December 04, 2008
Comments on Nor Fucking Way
Is this a book review? or a social commentry? Is ‘’The Norwegian Way’ the name of a book? Has this just been launched? When? Where? What is the publishers name? Any promo pictures? It seems Dan Jude did not have this ‘piece’ of dribble edited by anyone...............Oh dear… Peaches, you better get onto this asap, before your mag turns into a dribble rag. Seems you put some effort into it, so you better get the advice.
Posted by: ChloeM | 08/12/2008 at 03:20
I didn’t know that ‘casual-sex’ was hyphenated. Also someone read Lady Chatterley’s Lover because they thought that a banned book was cool, got turned onto DH Lawrence, and thought that just listing adjectives was totally the best way to write…
I’m 19, a private-school educated English Lit student and therefore probably exactly your target audience. All I ask is that you’re not so scene. Please, God.
Posted by: chris | 10/12/2008 at 09:30
Obviously it’s not a review, no where in the article did he say whether he liked or disliked the book. It was simply to inform people about it. I found the subject matter to be interesting. It’s like the Norwegian equivalent to the American past time of going to cancun for spring break.
Posted by: Lucy Bagley | 22/12/2008 at 09:11
‘The Norwegian Way [...], the 130-page book[,] wonderfully encapsulates the spirit of youth and the joys of freedom, but more than anything, it’s a book that will make you want to be nineteen, horny and Norwegian. Like all these fuckers.’
I don’t mind people liking the writing, but when it’s prefaced by someone being plain wrong, I tend to discount their opinion. Sorry (I really don’t actually want to be a dick about it, but you’re just entirely incorrect in what you said).
Posted by: chris | 22/12/2008 at 18:12
“Obviously it’s not a review, no where in the article did he say whether he liked or disliked the book. It was simply to inform people about it.”
Then it might have been useful to, you know, mention the publisher, price, date of publication, etc. It’s not a review, it’s not informative, it’s just pointless.
Posted by: Moletta | 11/01/2009 at 16:36
Type your comment into this area and click submit ....
Posted by: thetent | 09/02/2009 at 13:59
PACK YOUR BAGS WE’RE HITTING UP NORWAY
Posted by: Kristen | 01/04/2009 at 04:05