Steve sent the "close to the last" group itinerary — it's now fully reflected on the Itinerary page: real flight numbers, exact times for Anundshög and the water park, the final Stockholm game against GT-76/Djurgården, and a new team-building afternoon at Prison Island on Sunday.
Two things worth flagging directly. First, Thursday night is a genuine either/or for the girls: skate with the VIK girls' F16 team (ages 12–15), or head to Skultuna for the Fire Night Run — not both. If your daughter wants to race, she can skip that practice. Let Shane know ASAP — final lists are due to Sweden by September 30. Second, the real Fire Night Run pricing: about $60 to enter the 5K or 10K, about $10 for the 2K Minneloppet. Even if you're not racing, Skultuna's brass factory and bistro are open all evening and it's a genuinely cute town to just go see.
Also: Nell Aldrich has set up a photo-sharing app for the trip — details coming soon once it's ready to share.
Two things: pack a bit more than the old checklist assumes — the trip runs a day or two longer than when that list was made, so bring extra underwear and shirts (hotel laundry is available, at a price). And good news on the ice: VIK's Youth Director has confirmed a hockey practice for everyone on one night between Wednesday and Friday — we're just working out which night. For whoever isn't skating that evening, the days are now set: Wednesday is the Gustav Vasa Knight tour of Västerås Castle, Thursday is the Fire Night Run, and Friday we watch Västerås SK take on Tillberga in the pro season opener before our kids play their own first bandy game Saturday.
"Swedes get to the rink 1.5 hours early for practice — dryland, a run, drills explained before hitting the ice. It's sometimes a shock for our kids used to 20 minutes and a tune box, but they've always loved the experience."
The Skultuna Fire Night Run is confirmed for Thursday, October 15. Entry is about $56.50, plus $10 if you want a post-race wrap dinner — a full team's cost runs about $262.50. RSVP to Shane Peterson by October 1 so he can lock in the team headcount; the event sells out and our held spots are released after that date.
We are one month out from Sweden. Hotels are blocked (Plaza Hotel in Västerås; Scandic Gamla Stan in Stockholm), all of our bandy practices and games are booked, and I'm working through the last of our tours and activities with Västerås Hockey Klubb. I have great volunteers set up for the trip — thank you for stepping up.
"I put this trip together to make sure the parents have things to do rather than sit in a rink for the week."
The necessary-equipment list is out — bandy stick, broomball/lacrosse gloves, a roller hockey girdle, walking skate guards, and a mandatory neck guard. A preliminary day-by-day itinerary went out alongside it for the first time, covering flights, hotels, and the general shape of the week in Västerås and Stockholm.