Reykjavík Grapevine - 20.05.2016, Qupperneq 62

On a recent weekend in May, the
South Iceland town of Hella was
temporarily transformed into a
haven for crosskart fans, as the
annual FIA NEZ (North European
Zone) competition roared into
town. The sandy, almost desert-like
conditions make Hella the perfect
place for the sport, and a jubilee it
was: 3,500 people showed up over
the course of the two-day event.
About two dozen crosskart
drivers took part in the contest,
all of them very passionate. They
were each willing to spend any-
thing from 3 to 13 million ISK on
a car. However, the car does not
maketh the man. As volunteer
coordinator Sigurjón Haukur Ein-
arsson assured us, an experienced
driver is far more crucial to a suc-
cessful outcome than a pricey car.
"The driver is definitely more than
half of it," Sigurjón explained. "If
you have a good driver with a bad
car, and he runs well, then he will
finish in the top five."
Although crosskart might seem
like a very dangerous sport to by-
standers, Sigurjón reassured us:
“Inside the car is the safest place
to be, because of all the protec-
tion.” Each year, he told us, regu-
lations are reviewed to make sure
the sport is as safe as possible.
Icelandic driver Snorri Þór Ár-
nason couldn't agree more. His fa-
ther was also a driver, so he's been
around the sport from a young
age. "I'm starting my fourth year
now, with about six races each
year," he said. He took second
place at the NEZ competition in
Norway last year, but this year the
prize was to be his: Snorri walked
away from Hella the winner of the
weekend's event.
And the cherry on the sundae?
It was all for a good cause—the
80 volunteers behind the event
also collected money for Iceland’s
search and rescue organisation.
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Desert Monsters
The sand was flying at Hella’s
NEZ offroad contest
Words JÓHANNA PÉTURSDÓTTIR
Photos ART BICNICK
Distance
from Rvk
87 km
How to get to Hella:
Drive route 1
to South Iceland.
Höfðabakki 9 - 110 Reykjavík - www.mimir.is - Tel: 580 1800
Höfðabakki 9 Entrance to
Mímir-símenntun
Höfðabakki 9, 110 Reykjavík
Bus line no. 6 from city centre and
bus line no. 12 from Breiðholt
Öldugata 23, 101 Reykjavík
Vesturlandsvegur
Learn Icelandic this summer
Location: Öldugata 23, 101 Reykjavík
Registration:
www.mimir.is
or at the office at
Höfðabakki 9, 110 Reykjavík
Morning and evening classes in July and August
Level 1-3 and online course level 4
62 The Reykjavík GrapevineIssue 6 — 2016TRAVEL