danskeadventures:

today there was a pretty big event in Aarhus called Kapsejladsen. i’m not sure what the translation is exactly, but the main event is essentially a student boat race. although it’s more just an excuse to start drinking at 8 am and sit outside with your friends all day. the event draws 15-20,000 people, some of whom (ahem, my friends..) camp out the night before to get a good spot on the lake. when i arrived after 10 am the place was already packed and everyone was already drinking. i don’t quite know how to describe Kapsejladsen, but lets just say it included a naked 200 m race, reenactments of star wars and mario, lots of people jumping into the lake, and finally the kayak race itself (which is not just kayaking but first chugging a beer, spinning around ten times, and THEN kayaking). it sounds super silly and ridiculous but the participants train for MONTHS. my roommate was actually dating one of the participants, who apparently practiced chugging beers at least 4 nights a week. but i guess being able to down a beer in less than 5 seconds is the skill of a lifetime.