-
2/22/12 3:54 PM
Sauvakävely - the original 1997 publication
Read more »
Recent blogs
MARKO KANTANEVA Studies
Marko Kantaneva wrote down the very first notes about “walking with the poles” already during 1991-1993, when he was a physical education teacher in an upper comprehensive school and a high school at Punkaharju. When he started studying physical education at Suomen Urheiluopisto in 1994, he really commenced developing Nordic Walking as a healthy fitness exercise for all. During 1994-97 Marko wrote, on the basis of his practical experiments, degree work and his coaching knowledge, a piece about Nordic Walking, called Sauvakävely, which was published in 1997. During that year the very first Nordic Walking poles were produced and marketed literally according to the Marko´s piece. Accordingly, Nordic Walking as a fitness exercise was systematically launched on both national and international level. For international scene the term Nordic Walking was introduced in 1999. In the year 2000 an organization for the fitness exercise was established. It was called the International Nordic Walking Association (INWA). Marko became a board member and, naturally, the association’s Master Coach. His role was to prepare INWA’s educational material and the manuals. As a result of this new material along with Marko´s original concept, Nordic Walking made its international breakthrough in 2003. During 2004 Marko left INWA and began researching and developing Nordic Walking as an independent professional once again. In 2005 Marko began to call his Nordic Walking method as “Original Nordic Walking”, when he published his book Sauvakävely – Nordic Walking in Finnish, German (Das Original), English and Estonian. To promote the exercise Marko has been the Chairman of the Board of the World Original Nordic Walking Federation (ONWF) since 2010, giving his strong voluntary input to the work of this nonprofit organization. How and why was Nordic Walking born? Nordic Walking was not born by accident. It was born after extended period of experiments and experiences. It was first researched and written about by a professional coach, Marko Kantaneva. His piece, Sauvakävely, included the first description of the exercise, the instructions to do it, the anatomical and physiological reasons to do it, and the specifications of the poles needed. With the help of this information Nordic Walking appeared on the market, along with appropriate poles in 1997. Before that year the exercise didn’t even exist, as far as education and specific equipment was concerned. So, as we see, Nordic Walking was born during 1994-97. When it was officially launched in Finland, in September 1997, it was literally based on Marko´s piece Sauvakävely. The finished manuscript was handed to the publisher already in April 1997, so Nordic Walking activities were already carried out during the spring and summer of 1997. The first official training of Nordic Walking training was given by Marko Kantaneva to the instructors of Suomen Latu (the Finnish Central Association for Recreational Sports and Outdoor Activities) in the autumn of 1997. Sauvakävely = Original Nordic Walking has a copyright status Marko Kantaneva´s piece Sauvakävely was given a copyright status by the Copyright Council of the Finnish Ministry of Education in 2009 (statement 2009/16). According to the statement it can be said that the piece constitutes the original source for Nordic Walking. Accordingly, it was officially born in 1997. Nordic Walking success is based on what? The success of Nordic Walking is based in the designer’s knowledge of how little time there is for training nowadays and how poorly motivated people are, even while their physical condition is getting poorer and poorer. Nordic Walking is designed to motivate people for a comprehensive workout – it can be started from one’s front door. It systematically strains the whole body, placing adequately heavy burden on both the respiratory and circulatory systems. As a bonus, one can use the poles for gymnastics exercises, stretching the joints, tendons and muscles before and after a walk. Marko Kantaneva´s, list of publications 1- Kantaneva M. SAUVAKÄVELY. Suomen Latu ry, Suomalainen ryhtiliike ry, Latu&Polku - special edition - week. 36/1997.
|
Author and creator of the Original Nordic Walking