Turf insider January 2022

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Round winners

Congratulations to the winners of round 138: féarglas from Scotland won her third back to back Gold medal, C3PO. from Åland, Finland combined his first Silver with a Country and a Region medal. KRALJICA from Skåne, Sweden added a second Bronze to her medals.

Well done mates!

Bonanza 2022

Registration for Bonanza 2022 in Västervik will open up on January 24.There is an offer for discounted accommodation for the Bonanza weekend, read more about it here.

24 h WINTER Event in Umeå 5-6th of March 2022

It is not too late to sign up for a once in a life time Turf event: Umeå Turf association has combined their classical Winter event with the exclusive Event 24, only held twice before during summer time. Read about it and sign up here.

Turf Awards 2021

It is time to nominate turfers for Turf Awards 2021. From January 10th, you can nominate turfers that you think should be awarded the Turf Awards 2021. The nomination period ends on February 28th. Voting for the nominees will take place on April 1-30. Winners of the Turf Awards 2021 will be presented at the Bonanza Banquet on May 21 in Västervik.

Information in English: Here

Information in Swedish: Here

Link to nomination form / länk till nomineringsformulär: Nomination form


I hope you all will participate and nominate your fellow turfers for big and small special moments that happened during 2021.

Turf year 2021

To sum up the Turf year 2021, I asked around a bit for Best of 2021 Turf Moments and here are some stories from Finland, Scotland and Sweden.

Bikingbookworm from Turku, Finland:

"The highlight of my otherwise quite boring Turf-year was a trip to Lapland in July, with beautiful views from several different zones. Among others I managed to take Finland's northernmost zone in Nuorgam (EUNorthPoint), as well as (mainland) Finland's most westerly zone at the Three-Country Cairn. It felt like some sort of a bonus to have three zones from different countries next to each other and get two more regions in one go. And of course I couldn't resist taking a swim around the cairn :)"

FiFVO from Scotland, UK:

"My best 2021 turf moment was going out one evening about 11 pm when it was snowing. It was lovely walking through the drifting flakes, it was so quiet and I didn’t even need a torch to go round Linlithgow loch."

ESOCNora from Scotland, UK:

"I had a lovely walk with my partner in Craigellachie Nature Reserve outside Aviemore on holiday in October. Every time we spotted a good place for a zone, there was one there, like a trail of breadcrumbs. In the end, the summit zone motivated us to get all the way to the top, not long before dusk."

I’ve also had so much enjoyment out of meeting other Turfers, whether by chance for a few minutes or for a social. It’s made working from home and being absorbed in parenting a bit less lonely.

northstar from Greater London, UK:

"I started turfing in 2020 during one of the early lockdowns when it was always touch and go whether we'd scrape together enough players each round to award a London region winner. It has been great to see things come to life here again in ’21 with more locals now overturning old stats, tourists appearing, and new region winners. London is great for its mix of zones but my favourites are always those where you emerge from the streets onto the Thames and the air and light changes.

One highlight has been maintaining my league placement despite some pretty tough opposition!, but my fave 2021 Turfing moment was an evening spent in Greenwich watching the sun go down in the park before heading to the Borealis light/sound art installation at the Old Royal Naval College. We'd take turns to casually saunter a few metres over and take the GreenwichUNI zone, sit back to experience a London version of the Northern Lights, and then when the block time elapsed, repeat to swap it back."

canon from Östergötland, Sweden:

”I am trying to take all zones in some municipalities in Sweden and Boxholm was trickier than I thought. In the town of Malexander I had to blow up the canoe and paddle to the zone Lövönbadvik while the thunder was approaching and it was getting windy. Everything went well, the zone taken and the canoe packed in to the car and the bike was unloaded for a bike ride to the water zone

..... Malexswim. On the way there, the thunder delivered some rain right over me and a heavy shower soaked me through and through. No point then to change into my swimsuit, so I threw myself into the lake with clothes and everything! Dripping wet but so heavenly happy that I after all took the last zone in Boxholm municipality :)”

Tålamodet from Stockholm, Sweden:

”This summer I took the train shuttle to Nynäsham, biked 10 kilometers towards the Draget canal, but had to walk a few km in the woods, changed into a swimsuit, put valuables in a "swimming buoy" and swam across the canal. It was a maximum of three meters across but quite poor visibility. I was afraid of being hit by a boat during my swim, but made it. I next walked one km to the zone 24cm. At the zone, I realized I had forgotten to bring the water bottle across the canal so I was really thirsty. It was a glorious sunny day. Then the same way back. I had jumped over Vinsberget on the way and to get 100 percent Nynäsham I cycled there and walked up the mountain.”

LeiLar from Umeå, Sweden has a loooong story about a lovely boat ride during summer:

”A new zone ... At Holmögadd! There were probably many turfers who almost choked on their coffee that day. Especially those whose goal it is to take all zones in Umeå municipality. It is like a half-day excursion by motorboat or a full day by sailboat to get to the zone. No regular traffic to that island.

But Umeå turfer Pike has a friend who has a fast, open aluminum boat and he promised to drive us out to where the zone is, so one Sunday morning (new round start actually) we went out there: Pike's friend, Pike, Cykeltalibanen, mathet and me. The first bit out to Holmsund was really nice, good weather and calm waters. We felt like princes! My only disappointment was that we would not have time to get out and take the zone before the new round started. My goal is to eventually take all zones in Umeå municipality at least three (3) times.

When we left Holmsund and the protective beaches behind us, however, the situation in the boat became completely different. Heavy waves that really made up for an interesting boat trip. Sometimes the boat hung freely in the air, sometimes it landed with a strong thump on the water. It felt like the spine compressed at each landing. So it went on for about two hours, but in the end we were able to get ashore, our bodies fairly bruised, but alive.

We had expected a yellow zone but strangely enough, Bont still owned the zone even though it was a few minutes to one (new round starts at noon in Sweden). Bont and viðvarandi had previously gone out there and as the first turfers taken the zone. We stepped into the zone and got our first take. Happiness! And after a few minutes the zone turned wonderfully yellow and we could take it again. More happiness! After a much-needed coffee break, we were able to take the zone once more. Total happiness!

This was followed by a two-hour total body massage of the third degree before we were back on the mainland again. And after a week, the bruises on my left arm had almost disappeared. I had convulsively held on to the railing so as not to be thrown overboard. But what does one not do for a zone !?

So to date, seven turfers have taken this zone: Bont and viðvarandi - Pike, Cykeltalibanen, mattet and I - and later also liggisten (translates into ”the recliner” - he has a recumbent bike) who got there in his own sailboat.

The Holmögadd zone was created on 9/5 2021 and is unlikely to receive many visits from turfers. Although I would not be very surprised if ZoneBanger eventually announces that he colored it purple.”

Personally my fave Turf moment of 2021 is taking the World Heritage zone Hufeisen in Berlin and with that take finally recieving the German Explorer medal.

And finally ollals from Sweden shares his tale of how Turf helped him back after surgery. I don't think he is alone in using Turf as a useful tool in recovery after illness.

”I am presently in rehab after surgery. One part of the rehabilitation is to walk for 30 – 90 minutes every day. Turf makes this fun. The medal for taking at least five zones every day encourage you to do your walking each day and not miss a single day. Due to my illness, I started late with the Daily, but the 10 and 30 day-medal is taken and the 60 day medal is not far away. One of the many advantages with Turf is that you can move at your own speed, including when you walk very slowly. I certainly have to move slowly for a while. I noticed that Turf has developed a version for companies. Maybe Turf is something for the rehabilitation at hospitals and a complement to walking indoors and using stand still bikes. I will promote Turf in my rehab group.”

Did you know...

...that during 2021 23,240 new zones were created in 39 countries.

...that zone #100.000 was created 2021-12-18 07:00:00. It was the zone Bergheimer in the municipality of Cologne in the region of North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany.


Turfa lugnt/Safe turfing!

//Munin

...if you want to contribute to future Turf Insiders, send your story to insider@turfgame.com :)