Iceland review - 2014, Qupperneq 71

ICELAND REVIEW 69
brúarárfoss waterfall, South iceland; Sony RX1R 30” f3.2 ISo2000
viCtory
For
snæFell
The town of Stykkishólmur is buzzing with excitement. It’s
a Sunday night in early April and one by one the seats in
the indoor basketball arena are filling up. Extra chairs are
lined up courtside and children claim space on the gym mats at
the back of the room. The women from both sides are warming
up for the big game and as the anticipation builds, pop star Páll
Óskar makes a surprise appearance leading up to tip off.
By 19:15, 600 spectators pack the hall—no small number for
a town of 1,100 inhabitants. Local team Snæfell, named after
the West Iceland mountain on which Snæfellsjökull glacier sits,
is about to make history and their supporters are here to cheer
them on.
By winning against Haukar from Hafnarfjörður in the final
of three playoffs, they’ll earn the title Icelandic Champions in
Women’s Basketball for the first time since the town formed its
The West Iceland town of Stykkishólmur
makes history by winning the Icelandic
Championships in Women’s Basketball
for the first time.
By Zoë robert PHOTOS By PÁll StefÁnSSon