Norwegian Ice Warrior champion sets sights on hat-trick of victories at Ski Dubai

Hallvard Borsheim has again signed up to the snow-based obstacle course challenge in Mall of the Emirates.

A competitor takes his best shot at Ski Dubai’s Ice Warrior Challenge last November, which was won by Hallvard Borsheim … again. Courtesy Ski Dubai

DUBAI // An air-traffic controller and fitness fanatic who has won Dubai’s gruelling winter-themed endurance race for two years running now has his sights set firmly on a hat-trick.

Norwegian expatriate Hallvard Borsheim won the men’s section of the Ice Warrior Challenge at Ski Dubai last November, and in 2012.

Mr Borsheim, 34, has already registered for this year’s event.

“It’s not the most challenging course and most people can manage to do it,” he says.

“It just comes down to cardio and if you can manage to keep your pace throughout.”

The one-day Ice Warrior Challenge is in its fifth year. It involves ice-wall hurdles, rope climbing, tyre jumping and other obstacles.

In the first year, the course took about 20 minutes to complete, while Mr Borsheim finished last year’s event in 9 mins 52 secs.

This year, organisers are planning to spice up the course by installing a 1982 Chevy for participants to navigate around. Last year, 255 people entered the event.

The winner of the female category was another Norwegian, personal trainer Inger Larsen, 29, who recorded a time of 12 mins 31 secs.

Ms Larsen says it is nothing more than coincidence that two Norwegians won the same event.

“I don’t think it’s because we’re from a cold country,” she says.

“I didn’t feel like I had any advantage at all. I think I might have been in Dubai too long. I felt like it was really cold inside Ski Dubai.”

For many years the country has been without an alternative to the hugely popular international challenge known as Tough Mudder, but now some seem to be sprouting.

Last December marked the third Wadi Adventure Race, or War, which is the UAE’s answer to Tough Mudder. And next month there will be a new endurance race, the Dubai Desert Warrior challenge.

Mr Borsheim says he is preparing to also enter that race, which would be much more challenging at about an hour long.

He is no stranger to challenges, having last weekend run up 730 stairs at a Hilton in Dubai in less than three minutes – becoming the winner of an event that raised Dh50,000 for Dubai Autism Centre.

This week, he is competing in the Dubai Fitness Championship, a hugely popular CrossFit competition.

Mr Borsheim started training in cross-country skiing competitions when he was just eight years old, but said it had little in common with the Ice Warrior.

“It’s completely different, really, except maybe the temperature,” he says.

Ice Warrior costs Dh250 an entry and proceeds are donated to Dubai Centre for Special Needs.

Omar El Banna, marketing and sales director for Majid Al Futtaim, which owns Ski Dubai, says the challenge is becoming increasingly popular.

“The event has gone from strength to strength and we encourage everyone to participate,” Mr El Banna says.

“Although a certain level of fitness is required for serious competitors, others can participate simply to experience a unique obstacle course on the snowy hills of Ski Dubai.”

The winners of this year’s event will receive a flight to Amsterdam and two nights’ stay at SnowWorld Landgraaf, the largest ski dome in the world.

Last year, Mr Borsheim won a ski holiday, and Ms Larsen and her husband paid out of their own pockets to join him there.

Ms Larsen says she has also tried – in vain – to encourage her husband, also a personal trainer, to join in the competition this year.

“He feels he’s not in his best shape to do it, so he’s sending me out instead – and then he takes all my prize money.”