Kjell Kristian Rike

12.07.1944 - 19.05.2008

One of Norway's two best sports commentators passed away today. Whether you watch skiing, or other sports, or nothing at all, if you're Norwegian - you've still heard his voice hundreds of times. The Olympics, World Championships, and biathlon during winter was not as much fun if a certain two guys, Kjell Kristian Rike and Jon Herwig Carlsen, weren't commentating.

There are some voices that strike you, and this is one of them. That deep, grandfatherly voice weighed up perfectly with Carlsen's sometimes childish optimism - "they will win, they're only two minutes behind with one kilometer to go!", countered with "well, we'll see..". Last winter they didn't commentate the regular skiing and it somehow wasn't that interesting. It took me a few minutes each time to find out why it wasn't fun, what was missing. It was those two guys, and somehow it wasn't the same. I found myself migrating to biathlon instead.

Personally, what I'm feeling right now is "Noooooo! I'll never want to watch winter sports again! What's the point?" It's like a big part of it has just disappeared. I grew up hearing his voice when the tv was on during weekends, before I was old enough to know what it was all about. It was like the 'pings' during the Saturday football matches from England - whenever I hear those sounds, it takes me right back. I'm three years old again, on the floor playing while my dad is watching tv. Waiting for the evening to come, so I can watch cartoons and eat my candy.

I'll truly miss his voice, and the energy between those two partners. I have a feeling next winter won't be the same.