Norway's greatest tradition: watching people crash homemade boats down a ski jump.
Season 1 • Episode 21
LatestA look back at «Ta sjansen»: For many years, people took the chance of ending up fully in the water with self-built bikes and boats. This episode features some of the more memorable moments from Holmenkollen.
«Ta sjansen» was a popular Norwegian TV show broadcast on NRK from 1983 to 2002. It was a light-hearted, annual summer event filmed outdoors at the Homenkollen ski jump in Oslo. The show featured contestants competing in two main types of humorous and often chaotic challenges: Homemade boats racing down a steep ramp into the water, and creative bicycles racing on floating docks. Participants often wore silly costumes and built wildly imaginative contraptions, making the spectacle part game show, part variety show, and part slapstick comedy. «Ta sjansen» was known for its fun, festive atmosphere, and it became a beloved summer tradition in Norway. Though not officially competitive, winners were awarded prizes, and the emphasis was always on entertainment rather than serious sportsmanship.
Practical Effects
Gloriously janky homemade contraptions built to sink.
Production
Filmed at an actual Olympic ski jump. Chaos ensues.
Creator
René Stokvis
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
«Ta sjansen» became a defining Norwegian summer ritual, with families gathering annually to watch strangers fail magnificently.
The show filmed at Holmenkollen, the same ski jump used in the 1952 Winter Olympics—now repurposed for organized aquatic chaos.
NO
