This has to be the most often asked question, “Why did you choose your location in Sweden and how did you find your driving lake?”It’s a bit of a long story, but briefly, it took hard work, some mistakes along the way and lots of leg work.
When we started Ice Driver 5 years ago, we had both worked for other companies in Norway and Sweden. We chose Sweden because the road network is far superior to Norway. What looks on the map to be a short drive in Norway NEVER works out that way and once away from the coast, it’s time consuming and can be arduous.
So we chose Sweden and initially assumed the best place to be located was around the Karlstad area, near to where the Swedish WRC runs. The reason for the decision was that at the time, we perceived it as being easy to get to (wrong!) plus, because we’d both worked for other companies at that latitude & area, we assumed that the lakes would be frozen and safe for driving (wrong again!)
With weeks to go before our first season, Ryanair pulled the plug on the main route in and unseasonably mild weather stopped ice forming on the lake. Other providers of Scandinavian driving experiences use forest roads and old airfields as venues when this happens, but our objective was to offer the only event where you would DEFINITELY drive on a frozen lake, not a forest or an airfield, you can do that anywhere. So though we had a potential disaster on our hands, our problem turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
We grabbed a map of Sweden and looked northwards. We had to be able to get our guests there, so an airport and a rail network was needed. Ostersund / Are is the biggest ski resort in Sweden, with an airport and a fast rail network that rarely closes. In fact, although it looks a long way north, the high speed rail and airlines actually make it easier to reach than our original, southerly, location and far far easier than anywhere we’d been in Norway. So that was Problem Number One solved. We then drew a circle 40 minutes drive out from Ostersund and got to work…. That’s when we found the town of Bracke, with Sigge, Dennis, Magnus and all the people who help us each winter. Their Can Do attitude, coupled with having a driving lake just minutes away from our hotel accommodation, has made Ice Driver the success it is.
So four years on, we have a great driving lake, a wonderful local population that make our guests welcome and best of all, a transport infrastructure that allows you to travel by train literally to our doorstep. Just walk downstairs inside Stockholm Airport and climb aboard the train. Chill out, use the on-board WiFi, have a beer, then step off the train, cross over the road and you’re there. No tortuous coach journeys or expeditions, it’s really that simple. If you really are a fan of airlines and jets, we can also pick you up from Ostersund Airport if you prefer, it’s that simple.
Isn’t it funny how things work out in life, sometimes?
