During the May bank holiday weekend it was finally time for the Norwegian Championship. 28 eager participants descended on Kvernhallen to battle for the 26 trophies up for grabs across the various classes.

Yours truly got pulled into the NM bubble a little earlier than planned, when Andreas Fjermestad rang me on FaceTime to witness the cup draw. "We were first thinking of doing the draw without a livestream, but then we remembered you're the only one who would have cared, so we just called you directly instead." They insist it wasn't rigged, but Fjermestad "guessed" correctly who would be drawn 4 times in a row, and he "coincidentally" ended up on the opposite side of Magnus Klippen in the bracket.

In the open class, the group stage passed without any major surprises. Sinus Moberg's second place deserves a mention — among other things he beats Amund, and sends tremors through the venue with a 7-0 win over Trond Ove Gangsøy. The biggest shock, however, would come from Gustav Brådland. In a game against Øystein Klippen he fires a Brådland kiosk from center that flies just wide of the top corner. The puck hits the left winger's head, which headers it back towards goal. Øystein can only stand and watch as the puck hits his goalie and drops down into the suplaken.

Gustav celebrates with a dab.

See Gustav's dab in the top right corner here:

After everyone had tucked into homemade horns (the pastry kind) for lunch, it was time for the intermediate round and the playoffs. Sinus carried his fine group-stage form with him and fought his way to a very solid 5th place in A. Waiting for him in the playoffs was Trond Ove Gangsøy, the man he had beaten 7-0 in the group stage. Trond Ove got the chance to show his experience, and he did it with aplomb, winning 4-1 in games.

The table in the A intermediate round.

The most interesting round-of-16 tie was between Amund Risa Fylling and Arne Johannes Holmin. It almost seems as if, after the first game, they decided to play "first to 4 goals". You'd have to search long and hard for a tighter playoff match.

The round of 16 in the A playoffs.

In the quarterfinals Magnus, Vegard and yours truly fought our way through comfortably enough, but it would be very tight between Øystein and Andreas. The latter led 3-1 in games, but Øystein battled his way to a seventh game by winning two sudden deaths in a row. Unfortunately for him, the tank ran a little empty, and Andreas advanced to the semifinal.

The quarterfinals in the A playoffs.

Before the tournament there was a lot of talk about who would finally manage to beat Magnus. I was tipped as a favourite for the job, and I feel that for the most part I delivered. Up until the first game of the semifinal, both Magnus and I were undefeated, and in quite poetic fashion we both lost our first game at the same time, on sudden death, 3-4. I faced Andreas, who had fought his way up from his 6th place in the intermediate round, and Magnus faced Vegard. In the second game both Magnus and I won, but in the third our paths diverged, as I lost and Magnus won.

Even with heroic battling, right-defenseman shots into the top corner (straight down the middle) in the final second, and center dekes to erase deficits, it wasn't enough, and I had to surrender my gold dream in the seventh game. Maybe it was precisely that loss in the third game that proved decisive.

Magnus advances to a final, but not without a real fight from Vegard. The final, however, is not nearly as close. Andreas, who insists this is his second NM final in a row (it is his first NM final ever), becomes an extra in the Magnus show, who pockets his 10th NM gold in a row. No one above, no one beside.

Semifinals and final.

The day ends with a banquet, with puck awards and the annual general meeting. You can't say there were any big surprises in this year's puck awards (Andreas Fjermestad with yet another hjemåspuck). Maybe it was because everyone was looking forward to the next day, when they would get to try out the new team-NM concept.

I won't go into detail about everything that happened on Sunday, but there are a few highlights that must be mentioned.

The duo of Arne Johannes Holmin and Oline Holmin Brunvoll brought in an extra reinforcement in Vegard Klippen right before the tournament started. He turned out to be a good signing, as in the group stage against Brådland and Hetlelid he was subbed on at 3 – 10, and was a major contributor in turning the game around to 13 – 12. Right after, he went for an hour-long run.

Strong comeback by Klippen-Holmin in the Duo NM.

The nightmare continued for Brådland, who in the next game faced me and Fylling. On my board there was a dodgy figure on the right defenseman, so I swapped it with the left defenseman. Gustav reacted by pulling a triple substitution on his own players. He clearly hadn't learned that you shouldn't make substitutions on a defensive dead puck, so the shock was great for him when I scored on the following right-defenseman shot.

See the situation here:

In the veteran class, the start of the tournament was delayed for a while, so the schedule was pretty tight. Holmin fought his way all the way to the final, but with a bus leaving in an hour, and a 30-minute drive to get there, the most important battle would be against the clock. With organisers skipping breaks between games, and Holmin's brilliant play, it looked like he would make it comfortably. He led 2-0 in games, and 5-4 during the final music. In this final music he tries, among other things, a goalie goal, and had several passes to Gangsøy's players. It went as expected. We had to go all the way to a fifth deciding game before the final was done, and Holmin could run out of the venue. I recommend all Jæren juniors to watch this final, because I believe it alone can romanticise Norwegian table hockey.

Sinus Moberg took the win in the junior NM. Benjamin Nygård took silver and Ane Skadsem bronze.

Thanks to the organisers for a brilliantly run NM, and thanks to everyone who helped make the weekend great! See you again next year:)

You can find the results from the tournament here:

Open class

Women

Junior

Veteran

U-13

Duo

Magnus Klippen has dominated Norwegian table hockey for a decade and then some. In this year's Norwegian Championship he has the chance to claim his tenth national gold medal ... and that in a row! Naturally, he is once again the favourite to win. Still, I'd argue the chances have rarely been better that the winning streak comes to an end. Let's take a closer look.

There are several players who could potentially challenge Magnus on a good day, but one stands out in particular: Daniel Nygård. The Bergen league player from Jæren keeps developing at a time when most established Norwegian table hockey players have plateaued. On "home turf" Daniel dominates massively, winning an average of nine out of ten tournaments in the Bergen league. On top of that, he has delivered strong performances in both national and international tournaments. At the Swedish Masters he reached the round of 16 and knocked out Prokuratovs (ranked 29th in the world), and at Jæren Open he pushed Magnus all the way to a seventh game in the semi-final. Only the finest of margins separated the two players that time.

Screenshot from Scorpion. Daniel was inches away from knocking out Magnus at Jæren Open 2026. Can he get his revenge in this year's Norwegian Championship?

This was not a one-off. In general, head-to-head statistics against Magnus can make for gruesome reading, but when we check the numbers between these two, the picture is far more positive: Daniel wins roughly 20 percent of his matches against Magnus. For comparison, the equivalent figure for Andreas Fjermestad is 10 percent.

You also have to take into account that Magnus Klippen has never played fewer tournaments in the run-up. While Daniel has played six tournaments this season, Magnus has only three to his name. The question one might ask is whether Magnus is as motivated as before, and not least: Can he peak his form with so little match practice?

We'll have the answer on Saturday. Magnus is hard to beat, but if anyone can pull it off, Daniel Nygård is the most natural pick.

Watch the Norwegian Championship live on Brent Plast BHK's YouTube channel from Saturday at 09:30.

On 7 March, the attention of Norwegian table hockey returned to Trondheim and Singsaker school. In the music classroom with its characteristic red ceiling beams, 9 players were ready to compose beautiful tones on the board. This illusion was quickly shattered when the homecoming Espen Moe accused Amund Risa Fylling of playing hockey like Arsenal (cynical, center-feint-focused hockey compared to slow long-ball football) already in the first of 27 rounds of the group stage.

Ahead of the tournament, at Hotel Brådland, physics student Daniel Nygård and IT consultant Fylling discussed the many Monte Carlo simulations they had run of the tournament. They had, however, forgotten to include the undersigned in the analyses, so the simulation they paid the most attention to was one performed by Hans Christian Lønne (who registers yet another absence in Trondheim). This simulation showed only one outcome: Amund would win the final against Arne Hetlelid, after Hetlelid had knocked out Nygård in sudden death in game seven of the quarter-final. That this simulation was in reality a prophecy disguised as statistics, no one knew yet.

By all accounts it was a very even field that lined up this Saturday. Many saw the absence of Klippet and Caics as an excellent opportunity to finally win an NBF gold. One of those who had travelled the farthest to achieve this was Nygård. He showed impressive form, proving that 16th place and 767 points at the Swedish Championships 2026 was no fluke, as he won the triple round-robin group stage.

The group stage also contained a happy reunion with Morten Aarflot. Despite a few years away from the board, he delivered left shovels like never before and among other things took a major scalp when he beat Nygård 1-0 on table 1 in round 1. Nygård himself claims, admittedly, that he scored 4 goals in that game (3 bounce-outs and one own goal), but we take nothing away from Aarflot's performance.

The picture below shows how the group stage ended. The Bergen league players Arne Johannes Holmin and Trond Ove Gangsøy must be mentioned specially, as their group stage games contained 6 goals on average.

The group stage standings give HC Lønne's simulation its first victory: Daniel Nygård was to face Arne Hetlelid in the quarter-final. The other quarter-finals are relatively even, but all end 4-2 to the higher-placed player. For a long time it looked like Nygård would follow the same recipe when he went up 3-1 after 4 games.

Then everything turned.

Hetlelid stopped talking and laughing, as we know him, and instead focused all his energy on the board. At the same time, the simulation (read: the prophecy) began to haunt Nygård more and more with each game that passed. Suddenly they were in game 7, as foretold, but even though everyone in the room was waiting for sudden death, Hetlelid settled it in regular time. A disappointed Nygård then left the venue until the final, while Hetlelid got ready for the semi-final.

From here, Amund showed himself as the strongest player of the day when he convincingly defeated the next two home-town hopes. He thereby reclaimed the title from the 2022/23 season and at the same time made sure that no players got their first NBF gold. The undersigned congratulates ARF on the victory, and the other semi-finalists with "the second place" and bronze.

Semi-final between Espen Moe and Arne Hetlelid. In the background you can see the famous Kristiansten fortress.

True to tradition(?) another banquet was celebrated at an Indian restaurant. Amund shared a table with a slightly dejected gang who had just missed out on the podium. Thus the dinner conversation quickly became a nostalgic review of historic table hockey defeats, mental collapses and other traumatic events. Fortunately, Espen Moe eventually came along to lift the mood, and to secure himself a Gangsøy quiz victory. Moe was clearly not full after the cup gold and the tournament silver.

The undersigned would like to thank everyone who participated for a great day of table hockey on behalf of the organizer! After the tournament, the undersigned has received training in Edwall shovels and center feints, and would therefore like to wish you all good luck in the Norwegian Championship! You will need it.

Trondheim Open 2026 podium. From left: Espen Moe, Amund Risa Fylling, Yngve Aasheim and Arne Hetlelid

Disappointed Bergen league players gaze at the podium during the prize ceremony.

Norwegian Championship 2026 (1–3 May)

The next tournament is the Norwegian Championship at Kvernaland. Links to registration are listed below:

Norwegian Championship open class

Norwegian Championship U13

Norwegian Championship Junior

Norwegian Championship Veteran

Norwegian Championship Women

Norwegian Championship Duo (NEW!)

It was a bright and sunny Saturday, August 23rd, when 29 players from Norway, Latvia, Sweden, and the Czech Republic gathered at Frøyland Elementary School for an international tournament. Whether the Czechs had slept well at Hotel Fjermestad is unknown, but they brought energy from morning until night. While it was a pleasure to welcome international stars like Edgars Caics and Eddie Nilsson, the organizers had hoped for more traveling Norwegian players than just D. Nygård, Ø. Klippen, and Brådland.

After a preliminary round with few surprises, and with political discussions and pizza for lunch, the real tournament finally got underway.

The second division was convincingly won by Benjamin Nygård, while only a single point separated 2nd through 7th place. In the playoffs, three Czechs faced off against five local Jærbu players. As expected, B. Nygård and S. Moberg reached the semifinals, joined by Gruncl who eliminated a fellow countryman, and Johansen who, from 7th place in the preliminaries, pulled off a strong 3–2 win against the tournament’s top female player, Skadsem. The Johansen express was now unstoppable: he powered through the semifinals alongside B. Nygård and went on to claim an impressive 3–0 victory in the final. Rising from 7th in the preliminaries to the B-cup champion was nothing short of remarkable.

Sinus secured 3rd place and delivered one of the tournament’s most memorable moments when he celebrated a 7–0 goal in the first bronze match so loudly that the entire venue took notice.

Top three in the second division. From left: Benjamin Nygård, Sondre Efteland Johansen and Sinus Moberg

In the final group, expectations were high for the top trio of M. Klippen, Nilsson, and Caics. In the intermediate stage they had been in a league of their own: the gap of 7 points between 3rd and 4th place was the same as the gap between 4th and 15th. The standout performances in that stage were likely D. Nygård’s strong 4th place and V. Klippen’s disappointing 14th.

All players in the final group advanced to the playoffs. Fylling and A. Fjermestad were the only ones outside the top eight to make it through the quarterfinals. The undersigned (ranked 257th) felt almost on par with Gints Lasmanis (32nd), but the pre-tournament favorite advanced as expected.

It was not until the quarterfinals that the real drama began. The clash between Eddie Nilsson and Øystein Klippen will be remembered as one of the most thrilling and iconic matches ever played in the Frøyland Elementary School auditorium. After five games, the youngest Klippen held a surprising, though by no means undeserved, 3-2 lead. With a bit of luck, he was even up 3-0 in the sixth game. A frustrated Eddie, insisting the puck never bounced his way, nevertheless showed his class by leveling the match at 3-3 and forcing sudden death. Unfortunately for Ø. Klippen and his Brent Plast teammates, Nilsson carried the momentum through sudden death and on into the deciding seventh game. It was so close, but not enough. The other quarterfinals were far less memorable.

E. Nilsson - Ø. Klippen:

3-1, 3-4 (OT), 1-3, 3-2, 0-3, 4-3 (OT), 3-2

In the semi-finals, the mid-ranked Klippen showed true international class when he defeated Nilsson with relative ease. Caics, who had not yet broken a sweat, overcame his fellow Latvian Gints. The feeling in the hall was that Caics had not yet faced any real opposition - perhaps the home players could change that. It was encouraging that almost all participants stayed to watch the finals. Whether this was due to the abundance of cinnamon buns from Kanelsnurren and Hagerup, the cup semi-finals, the impressive big-screen setup, or simply the excitement of the final match, is uncertain - most likely it was a combination.

Unfortunately for the Norwegians and neutral spectators, Caics showed why he is a former world and European champion. He defeated M. Klippen in convincing way, while a slightly disappointed Nilsson had to settle for the bronze medal.

Top 3 in Norway Open 2025. From left: Magnus Klippen, Edgars Caics and Eddie Nilsson

The banquet was celebrated at "Hotel Fjermestad". Thai food and a shot cup were planned here, but the participants got to experience much more. Among other things, friendships were forged between the major clubs Brent Plast and SHC Cheb, with an exchange of club merch from Temu.

Good vibes between SHC Cheb and Brent Plast BHK at the banquet.

The next day, Fylling took a bunch of people and a table hockey board to the Pulpit Rock for the famous Pulpit Rock Sudden Death Tournament (pun intended). How big of a failure it was to forget the goal in the car will be discussed when the next "Hjemåspucken" is handed out.

When the goals were forgotten, we had to improvise. The solution was a Coke can as a goal.

A big thank you to the organizers for a great and professional tournament!

The next tournament is Bergen Open, November 15. Click here to register.

The 2025 Table Hockey World Championships were held in Umeå, Sweden, and became an unforgettable weekend for the Norwegian national team. A huge thank you to the organizers for a highly professional and memorable championship!

Historic medal in the women's category

Norway's women's team. From the left: Ane Skadsem, Kristin Fjermestad, Anne Grethe Gangsøy, Linnea Gangsøy and Mona Gangsøy

The championship kicked off with a bang as the Norwegian women's team took bronze in the team competition – Norway's first ever medal in the women's category. Congratulations to Ane Skadsem, Kristin Fjermestad, Anne Grethe Gangsøy, Linnea Gangsøy and Mona Gangsøy for a brilliant performance and a perfect start to the weekend!

Gold in the super veterans category

Yngve on the podium together with Truls Månsson (left) and Igor Saveljev (right)

Yngve Aasheim claimed Norway's only gold in the super veterans category, repeating his triumph from 2019. With his unique playing style he impressed both the commentators and the viewers, and delivered a final that will be talked about for a long time. The final can be watched here (from 2:41:10):

Individual placements in the open category:

• 13th place – Magnus Klippen

• 33rd place – Andreas Fjermestad

• 56th place – Yngve Aasheim

• 63rd place – Daniel Nygård

• 64th place – Arne Johannes Holmin

• 82nd place – Amund Risa Fylling

• 95th place – Trond Ove Gangsøy

• 105th place – Benjamin Nygård

• 108th place – Ane Skadsem

The World Championships in Umeå delivered both historic moments and solid performances for the Norwegian national team. With gold, bronze and strong individual placements, we have plenty to build on.

Norway Open 23 August

Already on 23 August the season kicks off with Norway Open 2025. Sign up now!

The big highlight of the year in Norwegian table hockey is just around the corner. On Saturday, March 29, the Norwegian Table Hockey Championship will be held in Bergen. Daniel Nygård has teamed up with his previous teacher Øystein Klippen to find the answer to how it all ends.

Foto montage of Norwegian Championship 2025

14. Andreas Fjermestad

If it weren't for the right shuffles, left shuffles, center feints and defense not being good, it could have been a medal. I was probably put out of the picture by losing to Kristin Fjermestad in the second round.

10. Arne Johannes Holmin

There's a bit too much organizing responsibility, and a bit too little whole milk. Still manages to make the top 10.

9. Arne Hetlelid

Fast boards suit Hetlelid perfectly, as he makes a good figure.

8. Andreas Roren

Unexpected comeback. Has maintained his level, but is becoming a little too unsharp defensively.

7. Yngve Aasheim

Amund has done his homework, and came prepared for the return match from Trondheim Open.

6. Trond Ove Gangsøy

Is satisfied with his own performance, and therefore decides to go to the World Championship in Umeå.

5. Vegard Klippen

It rarely works to combine a table hockey trip with a couples' trip, as Vegard experiences.

3. Daniel Nygard

I'm glad I don't have to face Øystein in the playoffs, since we've played so much already.

3. Øystein Klippen

A huge training camp ahead of the Norwegian Championship yielded great results, with sweat, tears, and a best of 21 against Daniel.

2. Amund Risa Fylling

Has put in a lot of effort to perform at this championship, and getting a reward for it. The final will be closer than many expected.

1. Magnus Klippen

Not a serious tip unless Magnus is placed in first place.

Leave your own tip for the 2025 Norwegian Championship in the comments below! More information about the tournament can be found here.

What do you think of Daniel and Øystein's Norwegian Championship predictions?

• Spot on.

• Solid. But there are probably a couple of mistakes here and there.

• Weak. I could have done better myself!

• Horrible! They're way off!

Edgars Caics unsurprisingly took the win at Trondheim Open 2025. The reigning European champion thus claimed his first individual victory on Norwegian soil at his sixth attempt. In the final he faced Yngve Aasheim, who pulled himself together for the playoffs after a somewhat slow start in the group stage. Amund Risa Fylling and Gustav Brådland shared third place. You can find the complete results from the tournament here.

PS: The next table hockey tournament on the programme is the Norwegian Championship, played 28–30 March in Bergen.

Jæren Open is over for this time, and all trophies and medals have been handed out. Congratulations to all the winners! You can find the full tournament results here.

The podium in A: 1. Magnus Klippen, 2. Amund Risa Fylling, 3. Daniel Nygård and Vegard Klippen

The podium in B: 1. Sondre Efteland Johansen, 2. Kristin Fjermestad, 3. Benjamin Nygård

The podium in C: 1. Nicolas Træe, 2. Gudmund Hagerup Røken, 3. Vincent Refshus Hagerup.

Cup winner: Amund Risa Fylling

Best junior: Sinus Moberg

Best female player: Kristin Fjermestad

Best veteran: Arne Hetlelid

PS: The next table hockey tournament on the schedule is Trondheim Open, played on Saturday 22 February.

Tomorrow Norwegian table hockey kicks off again with the venerable Jæren Open. For the occasion, Jærligaen's leading star Andreas Fjermestad has studied the entry list and formed an opinion about Saturday's outcome.

From Jæren Open 2018. In the foreground, Andreas Fjermestad (r.) plays against Espen Moe.

8. Sinus Moberg

Manages to reach the A group ahead of seasoned players like Thorbjørn Hestvaag and Sondre Efteland Johansen. This tournament really shows how much better he has become at table hockey lately. Loses 2-4 to Amund after several games with 10+ goals.

7. Andreas Fjermestad

Andreas has had enormously poor league results lately. Among other things, he managed to finish second to last just a few league nights before the tournament. The poor results continue into Jæren Open as well. Halfway through the tournament Andreas takes off his watch, convinced that the weight difference on his hand must be the reason his left shovel isn't working. This doesn't help either. He barely scrapes into the A group with an 8th place in the group stage. Raises his level somewhat in the intermediate round, but is many points behind Benjamin in 6th. In typical fashion he faces Magnus Klippen in the quarterfinal. Gives up in 3 of 4 games and expects applause from Magnus for completing the last game. Loses 0-4.

6. Benjamin Nygård

Takes points off Magnus, Vegard and Daniel in the intermediate round and is well placed for a top 4 finish for a long time. But then loses to Moberg and a weak Fjermestad in the final games and tumbles down to 6th place. Then faces Vegard Klippen and loses 4-1.

5. Arne Hetlelid

Arne Hetlelid plays enormously well and is only 3 points behind Magnus in second place in the intermediate round. He then faces Daniel in the quarterfinal and sets a new record for the number of Eideskudd in a best of 7. Daniel has made the blunder of choosing a board that is magical for taking Eideskudd on. Unfortunately loses in the seventh game by missing an Eideskudd in the dying seconds, which gives Daniel a goal with a simple Selsengfinte.

"Halfway through the tournament Andreas takes off his watch, convinced that the weight difference on his hand must be the reason his left shovel isn't working. This doesn't help either."

– Andreas Fjermestad

3. Amund Risa Fylling

Amund as usual plays a strong intermediate round and concedes by far the fewest goals. In the quarterfinal he faces Sinus Moberg, who has done enormously well in this tournament. Amund thinks back to the league night before, when Sinus beat him and knocked him out. He loses the first two games, but eventually cracks the code for beating the world's best 8-year-old, and wins the next 4 games. Then faces Daniel Nygård. Amund brings the first game home after very late and cynical play. Daniel exploits this in the following games by scoring the first goal of every game and gives Amund a taste of his own medicine, with very cynical play that would not have made the rest of the Bergen league proud. Amund eventually loses 4-2 to Daniel.

3. Vegard Klippen

Vegard makes a "comeback"! He has finally managed to gather his strength back after being sent out of the Bergen Open by Arne Hetlelid, and is very pleased he doesn't have to face him again. Loses the game against Arne Hetlelid in the intermediate round and therefore loses the three games after that intermediate-round loss. In the quarters he faces Benjamin Nygård, who is in superb form at the moment, but wins comfortably 4-1. In the semifinal he faces his brother Magnus in a furious semifinal. Vegard has summoned all his strength and wins the first two games. Magnus then comes back and wins three games in a row. Vegard then takes the sixth game and leads the last game in the dying seconds. Is openly fuming when Magnus manages to sneak in a lovely garbage goal in the final second. Vegard is openly affected by the goal and unfortunately carries this into the sudden death and concedes a spjass relatively quickly.

2. Daniel Nygård

Daniel has been climbing higher and higher up the standings in the latest Norwegian tournaments. He ends up in fourth place in the intermediate round and faces Arne Hetlelid in a furious semifinal. Daniel wins in 7 games, 4-3. Then faces Magnus and is absolutely delighted to manage to win a game this time.

1. Magnus Klippen

This year's first place in Jæren Open will come as no shock to many. Magnus once again occupies first place in Jæren Open. Magnus puts in a disappointing intermediate round and just barely scrapes second place in a tight table. He runs straight over Andreas Fjermestad in the quarterfinal, but has somewhat more trouble with his brother in the semifinal. In the final he also wins reasonably comfortably. Another NBA victory for the middle brother of the Klippen family!

Who wins Jæren Open 2025

• Amund Risa Fylling

• Vegard Klippen

• Daniel Nygård

• Magnus Klippen

Leave your own prediction for Jæren Open 2025 in the comments below! More information about the tournament can be found here.

It was Jørn Moldvær who was hiding behind the final door of the year. With that, this year's calendar is over, and the podium looks like this:

Congratulations to Daniel Nygård, who wins a table hockey game! Daniel ran away with no fewer than 11 two-pointers in this year's advent calendar. The other winners of individual doors are listed below and can claim free products at the kiosk during Jæren Open on 18 January 2025.

On behalf of NBHF, I wish you a pleasant rest of the holiday season and a happy 2025. Hope to see new and familiar faces at tournaments in the new year!

Christmas Eve is finally here, and the last door is ready to be opened! Bjarte Tjessem was hiding behind yesterday's door. It's a hard name to forget, as he is the only one (as far as I know) to have won the cup and finished last in the tournament in the same weekend (Bergen Open 2018). Simply enormously impressive!

Who is hiding behind the final door?

1. What is/was your favourite combination or trick?

Right shovel.

2. What is your favourite lunch at a table hockey tournament?

Farse burger.

3. Which tournament do/did you most enjoy travelling to?

Jæren.

4. What is your best table hockey moment?

The Norwegian Championship at Jæren 2008.

5. When do you get up in the morning if the tournament starts at 10:00, and you have a 15-minute trip to the venue?

8:30 am.

The world's best 8-year-old, Sinus Moberg, was hiding behind yesterday's door. Two doors remain, so who is hiding behind door number 23?

1. What is/was your favorite combination or trick?

Weekend breakfast.

2. What is your favorite lunch at a table hockey tournament?

Gifflar used to be the standard, at least.

3. Which tournament do/did you like traveling to the most?

Bergen Open.

4. What is your best table hockey moment?

The Cup at Bergen Open😏.

5. When do you get up in the morning if the tournament starts at 10:00 AM, and you have a 15-minute trip to the venue?

If it were up to me, 9 o'clock, but the others have usually whipped me out of bed around 7-ish.

It was former Bergen league player Anders Lægland Ellingsen who was hiding behind door 21. The overall standings now look like this:

Who is behind today's door?

1. What is/was your favourite combination or trick?

Latvia shots in the longest — tastes like candy.

2. What is your favourite lunch at a table hockey tournament?

Grilled burger without cheese.

3. Which tournament do/did you like travelling to the most?

The Norwegian Championship, because then I can compete in several classes.

4. What is your best table hockey moment?

When I beat Magnus 6-5.

5. When do you get up in the morning if the tournament starts at 10:00 am and you have a 15-minute trip to the venue?

I get up at 6:30/7:00, which is my fixed time every day. That gives me plenty of time to relax in front of the TV.

Behind door 20 we found Geir Hjemås, as everyone guessed. Who do we find behind door 21?

1. What is/was your favourite combination or trick?

Can't remember what the trick was called, but countering with a shuffle between the two defencemen was massively effective - feel free to help me out with the naming here, I'm wondering if it was called rokade?

2. What's your favourite lunch at a table hockey tournament?

Baguette - but I was always jealous of Holmin's packs of lefse.

3. Which tournament do/did you enjoy travelling to the most?

Didn't get to do that much travelling, but Bergen Open was awesome! Really fun to get a glimpse of the rest of the scene in Norway and play against new people and new tricks!

4. What's your best table hockey moment?

The best moment was without a doubt when I won bergensligaen. At the same time, I'm still living off having won a trophy in table hockey.

5. When do you get up in the morning if the tournament starts at 10:00 and you have a 15-minute trip to the venue?

15 minutes in the morning before I dash out the door, so I'd get up at 09.30.

Pål Bakken was hiding behind yesterday's door. Christmas Eve is approaching at breakneck speed, but luckily we still have some treats left. Who do we find behind door 20?

1. What is/was your favourite combination or trick?

I can't quite remember what it's called, but it's from the left defenceman to the winger. It's on the opposite side of what Frode usually does, so maybe we could call it a "reverse bulldozer"? Works once in ten tries. The main goal is to spread fear.

2. What is your favourite lunch at a table hockey tournament?

Nothing beats a hot meal followed by something sweet. A lot of people make the mistake of underestimating the latter.

3. Which tournament did/do you most enjoy travelling to?

Jæren is clearly the favourite. There's something about the special table hockey culture there – nice people, a great atmosphere, and hosts who always go that extra mile.

4. What is your best table hockey moment?

That time Hans Østerman asked whether Jørn Moldvær also knew that "fantastic shot" I used against Østerman.

5. When do you get up in the morning if the tournament starts at 10:00, and it's a 15-minute trip to the venue?

Seven thirty. I like to have plenty of time for breakfast and, most importantly, to make sure everything else is out of the system before the tournament starts. Nobody wants to take a dump mid-tournament.

Behind door 18 we found former Malta resident, festival organizer and editor Vegard Flatøy. Who is hiding behind today's door?

1. What is/was your favorite combination or trick?

Reiersen, the left shovel and chaos goals.

2. What is your favorite lunch at a table hockey tournament?

Sodd.

3. Which tournament do/did you most enjoy travelling to?

Ones abroad!

4. What is your best table hockey moment?

Norwegian Championship team winner.

5. When do you get up in the morning if the tournament starts at 10:00 and you have a 15-minute trip to the venue?

09:00.

The author simply had to jump on the calendar bandwagon. So it was Amund Risa Fylling hiding behind door 17. Who is behind today's door?

1. What is/was your favourite combination or trick?

Direct shot from the right back on a wild puck.

2. What is your favourite lunch at a table hockey tournament?

Hot dog.

3. Which tournament do/did you like travelling to the most?

Lambertseter Open. A venerable venue. A short walk to the shopping centre.

4. What is your best table hockey moment?

My first Bergen league title. After eleven second-place finishes, I took the win in a packed and sweaty seminar room.

5. When do you get up in the morning if the tournament starts at 10:00, and you have a 15-minute trip to the venue?

Get up at 08:30. Search for underwear and socks until 08:50. Check the minibar until 08:55. Eat nut mix from the minibar until 09:00. Breakfast until 09:40. Then walk to the venue.

Behind door 16 we found Magnus Klippen. Who is hiding behind today's door?

1. What is/was your favourite combination or trick?

Edwallskyffel.

2. What is your favourite lunch at a table hockey tournament?

Salad with minimal amounts of vegetables, and generous amounts of pasta and meat.

3. Which tournament do/did you like travelling to the most?

Nothing beats the feeling of representing Norway at the European or World Championships.

4. What is your best table hockey moment?

Winning Bergen Open.

5. When do you get up in the morning if the tournament starts at 10:00, and you have a 15-minute trip to the venue?

08:00. I always give myself plenty of time for a good breakfast and preferably a little stroll. I also have to factor in some time to wake up other teammates who don't wake up to the alarm, without mentioning any names 😁

Geir Tonny (GT) Brovold was hiding behind door 15.

Who is hiding behind today's door?

1. What is/was your favourite combination or trick?

Burkgurk.

2. What is your favourite lunch at a table hockey tournament?

Lasagne never fails.

3. Which tournament do/did you like travelling to the most?

Trips to championships quickly become legendary.

4. What is your best table hockey moment?

I think it has to be winning Norwegian Championship gold.

5. When do you get up in the morning if the tournament starts at 10:00, and you have a 15-minute trip to the venue?

Setting the alarm for 08:15.

Behind door 14 we found Andreas Fjermestad. The overall top 10 therefore looks like this after 14 doors:

Who is hiding behind today's door?

1. What is/was your favourite combination or trick?

Boring to say, but I have to go with Spjass because that was the one that decided the results.

2. What is your favourite lunch at a table hockey tournament?

Jim's homemade baguettes. They were at a level you haven't seen before or since.

3. Which tournament do/did you like travelling to the most?

Kvernaland Open.

4. What is your best table hockey moment?

Knocking out Horvath in a best of 7 in a clash that had plenty of verbal and psychological shenanigans in it. Horvath wanted to shake hands after every single game. I wanted to shake hands only after the full 7-game series. You say thanks for the meal. Not for the potatoes, carrots and sauce. All the greatest experiences are tied to best of seven. That's where you get many ups and downs in a short space of time 😊

5. When do you get up in the morning if the tournament starts at 10:00, and you have a 15-minute trip to the venue?

Early. 7 maybe. - either because I'm helping organise it, or because I like to be out very early. Drinking coffee in the back room is half the tournament 😊

Behind door 13 we found Arne Mahatma Solberg. Who is behind today's door?

1. What is/was your favourite combination or trick?

Left shuffle in the heel pit.

2. What is your favourite lunch at a table hockey tournament?

Salad from Coop.

3. Which tournament do/did you like travelling to the most?

Riga Cup.

4. What is your best table hockey moment?

The moment we beat one of the world's best clubs at the club World Championship.

5. When do you get up in the morning if the tournament starts at 10:00, and you have a 15-minute trip to the venue?

Alarm at 07:30. Not awake before 09:15.

Behind door 12 was the eternal youngster Yngve Aasheim. Before Magnus Klippen's total dominance of Norwegian table hockey, Yngve won no fewer than four Norwegian championships in a row (2013-2016). He also made it all the way to the quarter-finals of the 2015 World Championship in Moscow, where he knocked out the Russian top players Alexey Zaharov and Alexey Titov - definitely one of the greatest Norwegian table hockey moments in history!

Many got yesterday's door right. How many will crack today's door?

1. What is/was your favourite combination or trick?

Kiosk!

2. What is your favourite lunch at a table hockey tournament?

Jim's chicken soup

3. Which tournament did/do you most enjoy travelling to?

The tournament at Jæren, with an overnight stay at Svein Hestvaag's place.

4. What is your best table hockey moment?

Many great moments - but my best result was probably in the Øresund Cup.

5. When do you get up in the morning if the tournament starts at 10:00, and you have a 15-minute journey to the venue?

Being the gentleman I am, I get up well in advance, so that both personal hygiene and a proper meal in the company of good friends can be taken care of before the tournament.

Henning Tvedten was hiding behind door 11. That means we are halfway to Christmas, and ready to find out which player is hiding behind door 12.

1. What is/was your favourite combination or trick?

Langspjass / agdur.

2. What is your favourite lunch at a table hockey tournament?

Pasta / pizza.

3. Which tournament do/did you like travelling to the most?

The Swedish Championships.

4. What is your best table hockey moment?

The 2015 World Championships.

5. When do you get up in the morning if the tournament starts at 10:00, and you have a 15-minute trip to the venue?

08:00–08:30, depending a bit on which tournament it is. Need a decent breakfast, plus a bit of a warm-up.

Behind door 10 we found the table hockey legend Tore Lie. At his best he was ranked no. 7 in the world, and with his 34 gold medals in NBHF tournaments he still leads Magnus Klippen in the medal count. We move on to door 11.

1. What is/was your favourite combination or trick?

The Jon spesial. Especially if I manage to lure the defenceman all the way up into the slot and score from a tight angle.

2. What is your favourite lunch at a table hockey tournament?

A packed Byggrynslunsj from Fjordland and chocolate milk. Anything to avoid the farce (Not really).

3. Which tournament do/did you like travelling to the most?

The Norwegian Championship. The Championship is a treat, with a Gangsøy quiz in the car on the way there (I get 0 points due to having no general knowledge).

4. What is your best table hockey moment?

My first win in a best-of and a medal in the B division at the Norwegian Championship. Silver or bronze I think,.. could also have been gold? God knows, can't be bothered going down to the cellar to check the trophy. A great and intense moment it was, in any case.

5. When do you get up in the morning if the tournament starts at 10:00, and you have a 15-minute trip to the venue?

09:30.

Behind door 9 was the eldest Klippen brother — Vegard Klippen. Who is hiding behind door 10?

1. What is/was your favourite combination or trick?

Variants of Gretzky.

2. What is your favourite lunch at a table hockey tournament?

A Swedish lunch with the classic cabbage(?) salad as a starter.

3. Which tournament do/did you most enjoy travelling to?

All the tournaments at Lambertseter Gård.

4. What is your best table hockey moment?

When Julusmoen ordered a McChicken in the middle of the night the day before the World Championship in Helsinki, wearing a chicken costume.

5. When do you get up in the morning if the tournament starts at 10:00 and you have a 15-minute trip to the venue?

8.15

Behind door 8 we found Norway's best female table hockey player — none other than Anne Grethe Gangsøy. Many guessed Øyvind Rønne, who won the Norwegian Championship in 2006. As "the centre feint" pointed out, Øyvind Rønne was not necessarily the correct answer. On top of that, Anne Grethe did not compete in the open class at the 2007 World Championship in Moscow. So it was a tough door, and nobody got it right.

Luckily we're not even halfway to Christmas Eve yet, so plenty of new chances are coming! Who is hiding behind door 9?

1. What is/was your favourite combination or trick?

Sjøløve.

2. What is your favourite lunch at a table hockey tournament?

A meat patty between two slices of bread.

3. Which tournament do/did you most enjoy travelling to?

The Norwegian Championship will always rank highest. Great banquets, the thrashing handed out to Yngve, and the Puck Awards are among the highlights of the year.

4. What is your best table hockey moment?

It has to be either my first European Championship in Riga or the win at Lambertseter Open. I'll go with the former.

5. When do you get up in the morning if the tournament starts at 10:00 and you have a 15-minute trip to the venue?

08.30. That also leaves plenty of time to stop by a shop and pick up what you need (Red Bull, a banana and New Energy). Warming up is part of the fundamentals.

Espen Moe was hiding behind door 7. Who is hiding behind door 8?

1. What is/was your favorite combination or trick?

Right shovel.

2. What is your favorite lunch at a table hockey tournament?

Hamburger.

3. Which tournament do/did you enjoy traveling to the most?

The 2007 World Championship in Moscow.

4. What is your best table hockey moment?

The 2006 Norwegian Championship final in Trondheim.

5. When do you get up in the morning if the tournament starts at 10:00 AM, and you have a 15-minute trip to the venue?

At 8 AM, but time always passes way too fast...😊

Most people answered yesterday's door correctly — namely the Giant from Spjelkavik: Trond Ove Gangsøy. The overall standings therefore look like this:

Which table hockey player is hiding behind door 7?

1. What is/was your favourite combination or trick?

Don't know of anyone else who does this, and I haven't exactly scored loads with it either, but when it comes off it's smooth as can be: a cheeky little feed from the right wing to the center. The winning goal against Yngve the first time I won the veterans' Norwegian championship.

2. What is your favourite lunch at a table hockey tournament?

I don't come to a tournament to eat... 😉

3. Which tournament do/did you like travelling to the most?

I can give you several...

• Kolvereid Open 1999 was my second tournament. I finished fourth.

• Östersund Open. First foreign trophy (won the B division in 2004? 2005?). (And I believe I beat Daniel Wallén in one of the tournaments).

• Grand Lake Open in Colorado. Two third places and one win between 2000 and 2004. (The biggest trophy I've ever won...). 15 hours of straight (and fast) driving from Los Angeles to a tiny village way the hell up in the Rocky Mountains.

We'll go with Grand Lake.

4. What is your best table hockey moment?

Three big ones. Should have said my first NBA tour win — Jæren Open 2013, Frode Hagerup in the final (4-0). (But it was only Frode Hagerup, after all). But there are two that rank above it.

• The third place at the Norwegian championship in 2011, two days after finishing cancer treatment. (Quarter-final win over Øyvind Hansen.)

• But I think I'll go with the quarter-final win over Peder Østlund at Norway Open 2012. 4-2, winning on a reverse Spjass in sudden death in game 6, and with that a third place in the tournament. It is my greatest international individual achievement.

5. When do you get up in the morning if the tournament starts at 10:00, and you have a 15-minute trip to the venue?

08:37.

We headed back to Jæren, and the correct answer was Juvelvegen's finest player: Daniel Nygård. Which table hockey player is hiding behind door 6?

1. What is/was your favourite combination or trick?

Right shovel on the underside of the opponent's left defenceman.

2. What is your favourite lunch at a table hockey tournament?

I like it when there's an organised lunch at the venue. Pizza, the grub on offer, or burgers all work fine.

3. Which tournament do/did you enjoy travelling to the most?

Lots of great tournaments at Jæren. Still, there's something really special about Trondheim Open, since they always use the same venue — and that's where I played my first NBA tournament.

4. What is your best table hockey moment?

Lag-NM 2010.

5. When do you get up in the morning if the tournament starts at 10:00, and you have a 15-minute trip to the venue?

A few years ago it could easily have been 09:30, but these days it's as a rule no later than 08:00.

Finally we got some variation in the answers, and the correct answer was a Trønder living in Eastern Norway: Hallvard Einer Sægrov. Which table hockey player is hiding behind door 5?

1. What is/was your favourite combination or trick?

Standing still shot from the left wing into the nearest cross, especially on boards with a livestream and camera on the left side of the board. Euphoric.

2. What is your favourite lunch at a table hockey tournament?

Any food offered during the tournament, so you can skip the cold trip to the shop, is received with gratitude. We're also trying to phase down the consumption of energy drinks during tournaments, so water would have to be a favourite.

3. Which tournament do/did you like travelling to the most?

There's something special about representing your country together with your countrymen. The World Championships.

4. What is your best table hockey moment?

Seeing little brother Klippen running around the playing hall while screaming and kicking pucks, after winning the semi-final against middle brother in the Bergen Open.

5. When do you get up in the morning if the tournament starts at 10:00, and you have a 15-minute trip to the playing hall?

09:00.

Frode Hagerup Jr., the king of farce, was behind door 3. Which table hockey player is hiding behind door 4?

1. What is/was your favorite combination or trick?

Right shovel to the far corner.

2. What is your favorite lunch at a table hockey tournament?

Pizza.

3. Which tournament do/did you like traveling to the most?

Oslo Open. First as a Christmas tournament, later as an international tournament.

4. What is your best table hockey moment?

Oslo Open, 2006. I beat Stefan Edwall 4-3 and drew 2-2 against Tore Lie. All in all an unbelievably fun tournament, and ditto banquet. I went home at 4 in the morning.

5. When do you get up in the morning if the tournament starts at 10:00, and you have a 15-minute trip to the venue?

Between 7:30 and 8. I like to eat a good breakfast and warm up a bit before the tournament.

Arne Johannes Holmin was hiding behind door 2. Many guessed another Sunnmøre man, namely Andreas Røren. Who is hiding behind door 3?

1. What is/was your favourite combination or trick?

Selsengfinte.

2. What is your favourite lunch at a table hockey tournament?

Red Bull, a banana and New Energy.

3. Which tournament do/did you enjoy travelling to the most?

The Norwegian Championship at Kvernaland in 2008. The only tournament with a marching band and that cowardly rat, Jørn Moldvær.

4. What is your best table hockey moment?

Arne Hetlelid's winning goal and celebration against Tor Morten Salte during the Norwegian Championship in Trondheim in 2006.

5. When do you get up in the morning if the tournament starts at 10:00 and you have a 15-minute trip to the venue?

08:00.

Kjetil Sagen was hiding behind door 1. Who is hiding behind door 2?

1. What is/was your favourite combination or trick?

Here I have to narrow the answer down to my favourite centre feint, which is actually the reverse Spjass, since it feels so good when it goes into the top corner.

2. What is your favourite lunch at a table hockey tournament?

Grandma Klippen's lapskaus (Norwegian stew) is unbeatable. Otherwise there is one particular takkebakst (griddle flatbread) that you can rarely manage without.

3. Which tournament do/did you most enjoy travelling to?

Trondheim Open rarely disappoints.

4. What is your best table hockey moment?

Winning gold at the Norwegian club championship ranks right up there.

5. When do you get up in the morning if the tournament starts at 10:00 am and you have a 15-minute trip to the venue?

08:45.

This year's Christmas calendar is under way! Every day until Christmas we will be asking a table hockey player the same five questions. Can you guess who the player is? Post your guess in the comments. The first person to guess correctly gets 2 points, while everyone else who answers correctly gets 1 point. The daily winner gets to pick a free item from the kiosk at Jæren Open, and the overall winner across all of December walks off with a table hockey board! Maximum one comment per person, and you must be logged in for your answer to count.

Who is hiding behind door number 1?

1. What is/was your favourite combination or trick?

It was euphoric when the right winger heeled it through to the centre forward, who shovelled the puck into the red-checked cage! If I remember correctly, it probably gave me the same feeling as when Kjell in Lunch verbally knocks out his colleague Nico in the battle to avoid work assignments.

2. What is your favourite lunch at a table hockey tournament?

Only competitive drinks and food! For example, I was very conscious of this when I was younger. Sprite, Crispo and wheat buns was a lunch that definitely contained everything necessary, as I saw it "back in the days".

3. Which tournament do/did you most like travelling to?

The Norwegian Championship.

4. What is your best table hockey moment?

I beat Tore Lie 3-1 in the group stage and my mum watched the whole match! I remember Tore Lie declaring: "It's impossible to score against him!". That was in Tore Lie's glory days around the table hockey board, and I don't think he had "switched off" for that match (at least not the last two minutes…) even though he may already have qualified for the A playoffs. I remember bragging about myself to Svein Hestvaag after the match, and he answered me in magical Bergen dialect: "You beat Tore Lie!? The Norwegian champion!?"😎

5. When do you get up in the morning if the tournament starts at 10:00, and you have a 15-minute trip to the venue?

At 06:00 at the latest, so I have a full three hours for breakfast, coffee, showering and various physical and mental preparations! I start the day by visualising different defensive and offensive pressure plays, puck handling and number of touches on the puck, as well as the mental mechanisms around centre fakes. Then I have my first cup of coffee before stretching out my entire body for 25 minutes. After that comes a short shower, finished off with one minute of cold water to maximally wake up the vagus nerve before the tournament! Then it's breakfast, a fresh cup of coffee and last night's sports news on TV. At 08:15 the PCT (personal table hockey coach) arrives and stays for half an hour, where we play for fifteen minutes and discuss for fifteen minutes. Even though the PCT charges the Saturday rate of NOK 2,000 per hour, the chief I pay for that half hour is worth it! Right before I enter the table hockey venue at 09:15, I chug a 0.33-litre box of Red Bull.

In just under a week, it is once again time for Krohnengen Open in Bergen. For the occasion, Daniel Nygård and Øystein Klippen take a look into the crystal ball to give us their prophecies. You can submit your own prediction in the comments section below the article.

Daniel Nygård (r.) plays against Ane Skadsem during Krohnengen Open 2023. Photo: Ewoud van Veen

Daniel Nygård's prophecy

Expected standings at Krohnengen Open 2024, signed Daniel Nygård:

8. Benjamin Nygård

After an intermediate round where several expected top players drop points in all directions, Benjamin Nygård somewhat surprisingly claws his way up to a playoff spot. Unfortunately meets a Vegard Klippen in superb form there, and loses 4-0.

7. Andreas Fjermestad

The disappointment can be heard throughout the venue when Andreas Fjermestad realizes that he faces Magnus Klippen in the quarterfinal, even though he managed to secure seventh place by beating that very man in his final match. He had failed to notice that Vegard held the head-to-head advantage over Magnus. Gives up before the match has even begun, and drives to Os with Amund to sleep.

6. Arne Hetlelid

The slick Bergen league boards are made for Hetlelid, who holds a record-high average of 7 goal involvements per match. He scores almost as many in his own net as in his opponent's — but only almost. Decides 3 matches in the final second with garbage goals, and runs around the venue every single time. Meets Frode Hagerup in the quarterfinal, but that is where the train (the Tesla) stops.

5. Arne Johannes Holmin

With nothing but whole milk and a fast game, Holmin finally figures out the solution to winning more table hockey matches. The method will of course not be revealed by yours truly, but I can hint that it involves, among other things, eating breakfast and not pulling out the scalpel in the final second. Loses to Daniel Nygård in the quarterfinal and blames a lousy board.

3. Daniel Nygård

The player who plays 4 out of 5 tournaments on home turf every season finally draws partial benefit from the home advantage. Tactically places the boards around the venue on prep day, so he can face players on boards that play into their weaknesses. Lands a good position in the group stage, and in the quarterfinal meets the player he has played the most registered table hockey matches against — namely Holmin. With the trauma of the 0-4 from the last Krohnengen Open, where he chose a very slick board, Daniel Nygård this time picks the slowest board he can find, and succeeds with it. Meets Vegard Klippen in a tight semifinal, but the newlywed draws the longest straw.

3. Frode Hagerup

The battle to become the best player on Juvelveien ends in a draw this tournament. Frode plays solidly throughout the tournament, and tips most of the close matches in his favor. Meets Hetlelid in the playoffs on the TV table. The match lives up to its great expectations, with gorgeous and ugly goals in turn. He settles it in the seventh game with a center feint, and gets Hetlelid stomping as hard as only he can. Fortunately we do not have a CD player at this tournament, so the rest of the matches running in parallel can continue as normal. Frode then meets Magnus Klippen in the semifinal, and asks if they should just make it a Bo5. Magnus answers no, and wins 4-0. Since Frode beat Daniel Nygård in their head-to-head meeting and finished above him in the table, he argues that this made him the best player on Juvelveien. A shame there is no bronze final in Norwegian tournaments.

2. Magnus Klippen

Magnus loses his first NBHF final to a Norwegian in 6 years! He seems unbeatable for large parts of the tournament, even after it emerges that he barely slept last night because of an earthquake in the house at Os. It later turns out that this earthquake was in fact Fjermestad snoring on the floor below. Fylling, who shares a bed with Magnus, was not shy about launching into a snoring ballad either, which resulted in a Magnus Klippen who had to finish the night on a sofa in the living room. Not an optimal build-up for the Norwegian champion, who shows that even on his worst days he reaches the final of NBHF tournaments.

1. Vegard Klippen

The former Bergen league player takes the gold home from Bergen! Is best when it counts, and manages to tip most things in his favor. Like Daniel Nygård, he has prepared well, seeing as he was at Fjermestad's home in Fjermestad and stole his anti-snore chin strap, so he could not bring it to Bergen. Vegard reaps enormous benefits from this, and sweeps aside his little brother both mentally and on the board. A fine performance, topped by the fact that he does not show up at the banquet, yet still buys beer for both of Magnus's roommates.

** Amund Risa Fylling

Spends most of his time complaining about how little sleep he got (Magnus, who slept in the living room, tells a different story), and saying "let's go" in half-lousy Spanish. Not his best tournament on his former home turf.

"With nothing but whole milk and a fast game, Holmin finally figures out the solution to winning more table hockey matches". – Daniel Nygård

Øystein Klippen (l.) against Magnus Klippen in the quarterfinal of Krohnengen Open 2023. Photo: Ewoud van Veen.

Øystein Klippen's prediction

The Norwegian Championship finalist from April unfortunately does not take part in this year's edition of Krohnengen Open, but still delivers his prediction:

8. Frode Hagerup

Shows up as usual with steady shovel shots. But in a strong field of players who make sure to both keep the left defenceman high in the track and cover for the bulldozer, it is not worth more than an 8th place this time.

7. Benjamin Nygård

Beat yours truly in the league a couple of weeks earlier and has undoubtedly developed a lot lately. Brings a good defense and a varied, well-executed attacking game. Still lacks a little something to be a medal contender, but I don't think we will have to wait long for that to be the case.

6. Arne Johannes Holmin

Does his thing and harvests a good haul of points in the intermediate round. A bit too much entertainment and a bit too little efficiency means there will be no semifinal.

5. Amund Risa Fylling

One of Norway's most motivated table hockey players. Has clearly shown that he has an enormously high peak level. Among others, Fylling beat M. Klippen in Jærligaen on October 9. At Krohnengen, Fylling has a decent intermediate round, but lacks that little extra in the quarterfinal, so it only amounts to a 5th place.

3. Andreas Fjermestad

Recently passed yours truly in the rankings without doing anything himself (very impressive). Scores heaps of left shovels the way only Fjermestad does. Completely unstoppable when it clicks. Loses to D. Nygård in the semifinal, and to his great frustration concedes a C29 in a highly decisive match. That means a shared 3rd place for Fjermestad.

3. Vegard Klippen

Calls himself a good "intermediate-round player", something he proves in this tournament. Still meets Magnus already in the semifinal, which ends in a very even battle, but a loss for the eldest Klippen brother.

2. Daniel Nygård

Daniel has become a very capable table hockey player, and as his old mentor it is almost touching to see how big a place table hockey has taken in Daniel's life. The first NBHF victory is on the doorstep, but it will not come at Krohnengen, unfortunately.

1. Magnus Klippen

Never disappoints, always delivers. Plays comfortably in the intermediate round, but has to fight hard in the playoffs in both the semi and the final. Norway's clearly best table hockey player of all time takes yet another trophy. Soon more shelves will have to be mounted to make room.

"Daniel has become a very capable table hockey player, and as his old mentor it is almost touching to see how big a place table hockey has taken in Daniel's life." – Øystein Klippen

Are Daniel and Øystein completely off the mark? Leave your own prediction in the comments below.

Registered players

Krohnengen Open 2024

October 19, 2024, 09:00–19:00, Bergenhus