Bergan's Press Release
Bergans of Norway Sponsors Ellesmere Island Polar Expedition
LONGMONT, Colo. – September XX, 2012 – With a history of supporting polar expeditions dating back to Roald Amundsen’s successful 1911 trip to the South Pole, Bergans of Norway today announced it is sponsoring New Land 2013, an expedition to Canada’s fabled Ellesmere Island, spearheaded by American polar explorer John Huston.
Departing March of next year, Huston and Norwegian Tobias Thorleifsson will co-lead the 4-man expedition team, which also includes Hugh Dale-Harris (Canada) and Kyle O’Donoghue (South Africa). The team will use wind and muscle power to travel 630 miles through one of the last great wildernesses on the planet. Their route will wind up the island’s west coast to more than 82 degrees north and follow in the footsteps of Norwegian explorer Otto Sverdrup who originally discovered and mapped much of the area between 1898 and 1902.
“Norwegians, Americans and Canadians have a rich history of polar expeditions,” said Huston. “I’ve always admired the Norwegians’ quiet confidence and pioneering expeditionary methods. Our goals are to celebrate an unheralded slice of Norway’s exploration history, advocate for climate change education, and create a professional documentary about the journey.”
Ellesmere Island, which is larger than Great Britain, is the northernmost landmass in North America. The Arctic Cordillera mountain system covers most of the island, which is home to Arctic wolves, polar bears, herds of musk oxen and the northernmost settlement on earth. Daily temperatures from March through May range from 23 to -31 degrees Fahrenheit.
Bergans is the official high performance equipment and outwear sponsor of the expedition and is supporting the team with clothing, tents and backpacks for the expedition and training.
“John brings a great love of polar exploration and the Norwegian history behind it,” said Keith Patterson, Bergans USA’s vice president of sales and marketing. “When we learned more about John’s own history, the projects he’s been involved with, the six-degrees of separation connections to our brand, and his friendly, humble manner, we thought he would be the perfect Bergans ambassador and wanted to support him on this expedition.”
In 2009, Huston and his expedition partner Tyler Fish became the first Americans to reach the North Pole unsupported, a 55-day, 478-mile, 100 percent human-powered journey with no resupplies. They have since published an award-winning book about the trip.
In 2005, Huston was the only American member of a recreation of Amundsen’s race to the South Pole against Englishman Robert F. Scott. During the recreation, competing teams used 1911-period clothing, equipment and food like the original teams. The expedition was filmed and aired as a BBC documentary series on the History Channel in North America and the BBC worldwide.
During the 72-day Ellesmere Island expedition next year, the team will document, film and share their experiences through social media and the expedition’s website (www.forwardendeavors.com).
For more information about Bergans of Norway and its products, go to www.bergans.com.
About New Land 2013
In March 2013 John Huston (USA), Tobias Thorleifsson (Norway), Hugh Dale-Harris (Canada), and Kyle O'Donoghue (South Africa) expedition videographer, will traverse 630 miles on Ellesmere Island in the Canadian High Arctic. Powered by wind and muscle, the expedition will travel through one of the last untouched wildernesses on the planet. During the 72-day journey the team will document, film, and share their experiences. The history of exploration on Ellesmere Island combines the celebrated polar traditions of Norway, the United States, and Canada. Ellesmere Island also represents a great responsibility moving forward. www.forwardendeavors.com
About Bergans of Norway
Bergans was established in 1908, when Ole Ferdinand Bergan invented the first anatomical backpack. Today backpacks, functional outdoor clothing and tents are part of the portfolio of Bergans of Norway, as well as the ALLY brand of packable canoes. Adventurers such as South Pole conqueror Roald Amundsen, Mount Everest pioneer Sir Edmund Hillary, and Heroes of our time such as Polar explorers Rune Gjeldnes or Cecilie Skog trust Bergans equipment on their expeditions.
The headquarter of Bergans Fritid AS is situated in Hokksund, Norway, 60 km southwest of Oslo, where 90-plus employees work in development, research, design and sales. Bergans is a market leader in Norway and steadily growing in several export markets in Europe and North America (www.bergans.com).
Expediton website
