Siitonen Sports Report WrapUp for Jan 2015

Winter Sports are now in full swing around the world and the most exciting
development is Kaisa Mäkäräinen's commanding early lead in the Women's World
Cup biathlon series. She has won three of the first five events held, including the
biathlon pursuit at edition time at Hochfilzen, Austria. A past Finnish Olympic
champion Kaisa is off to an auspicious start with three golds, one silver and one
bronze. In this shoot and ski sport (Ampumahiihto) Kaisa is the World Cup
defending champion from last season. In her season's opener at Ostersund, she was
second to Daria Domratsheva of Belarus by 27.9 seconds on December 5. Next day
she bronzed in the sprint at the same site behind winner Tina Eckhoff of Norway. On


Dec. 7, Kaisa broke into the winner's column in the biathlon pursuit.
Moving on to Hochfilzen on Dec 12, which she won without penalty over Italy's
Karin Oberhof in the 7.5 k sprint by 10.4 seconds. She was surprised by the ease of
her win as she felt shaky from an ongoing bout with the flu. The next day was a
washout for the Finnish women in the team relay as Kaisa was unable to do her
second leg, dropping Finland out of the running in that interrim event. But today was
a different story. Kaisa M. came out like gangbusters in the pursuit still under the
weather, so she slowed down at the end to save her strength and still defeat
Jekatarina Glazynna of Belarus by 13.4 seconds. She only missed one of her shots
from a standing position but was perfect in the rest. She now leads runnerup Daria
Domratsheva by a huge 77 points who was only 8th in today's heat.


Also at this writing, Sweden just defeated Finland in the final of the Men's Floorball
(Salibandy) World Championships at Göteborg for its eighth world title in this
mostly European event now in the tenth year it's been held. Finland has won it twice
and has been runnerup in six of them. Czech Republic defeated Switzerland for the
bronze, 3­2. Finland led its western neighbor, 2­0, after the first period. The
Svenskas tied it up with two goals in the second and won in the third on Henrik
Stenberg's goal at the 47­minute mark. The next world championships will be held in
Latvia in 2016.


On Dec. 12, Riitta­Liisa Roponen won her second World Marathon Cup cross-
country title in a row in free style, edging USA's Holly Brooks by three minutes at
Lavigno, Italy. Olympic champ Iivo Niskanen topped the field in the 15k cross-
country classic style at the Suomi Cup in Jounasjärvi, with Sami Jauhojärvi in
second 19.3 seconds behind. In the women's 10K classic, Krista Parmakoski
prevailed with Iivo's sister Kerttu Niskanen in second 12.4 seconds slower. Iivo
Niskanen dominated the 15k World Cup at Ruka with Jauhojärvi in third. Kerttu
Niskanen won her fifth career World Cup medal by taking the bronze at Davos,
with Norway's Therese Johaug the winner and Marit Björgen third. Niskanen was
58.5 seconds behind Johaug. Anne Kyllönen was eighth and Laura Mononen tenth.
Also, Winter Olympic medallist Enni Rukajärvi silvered in slopestyle snow boarding
at Breckenrdge in the United States. Juha Mikkonen scored a career­best fourth
place in a World Cup XC sprint at Lillehammer, Norway won by the host country's
Patrick Golberg. Finnish star figure skater Kiira Korpi made a successful comeback
after a two-­year injury layoff by winning the Zagreb Open.


In swimming, Jenna Laukkanen set a new Finnish NR of 1:06.24 in the 100m
breaststroke at the Finnish short course championships at Espoo. She broke her old
record by 0.22 seconds. Tanja Kylliäinen established a new Finnish mark of 4:35.91
in the 400m medley at the world short course championships at Qatar where
unfortunately she fell short of making the finals. Finland's Ville Lång won the
Scotland Open in badminton, the first Finnish Grand Prix triumph in the sport since
1992. He defeated Taiwan's Tzu Wei Wang in the final, 17­21, 22­20, 21­16. "My
best career win," said Lång.


Eva Wahström successfully defended her weight division's European boxing title by
narrowly decisioning Kenya's Fatuma Zarika at Kotka, 79­75, 77­76, 79­76. A four-
round preliminary bout unveiled a potential new Finnish sensation, Togo­born
Nordeen Toure who flattened Serbia's Nemansa Krstin in the opening stanza. The
referee never bothered to count as the Serb was out cold. Dubbed the "Togo
Tornado," this middlewight slugger who was raised in Ghana, came to Finland in
2011 and has won all three of his pro bouts by one­round knockouts. Initially
homeless in Finland, living in parks and eating out of garbage cans, Toure is now
under the tutelage of veteran Finnish manager and fight promoter Pekka Mäki.


Suomen Urheiluliitto (SUL), the Finnish Athletics Association, awarded European
Javelin Champion at Zurich Antti Ruuskanen as Finland's 2014 Athlete of the Year
at a gala presentation in Helsinki. Runner Sandra Eriksson, who set new Finnish
steeplechase record during the season was dubbed Women's Athlete of the Year.
Oskari Mörö was named Sprinter of the Year with an NR in the 400m hurdles and
who finished eighth in the event at the European championships at Zurich. Minna
Nikkanen with a new women's pole vault NR,was crowned Jumper of the Year.

12/7 @ 2 p in Berkeley "Finland’s Independence Day Celebration"

Finland’s Independence Day Celebration 2014

You are cordially invited to celebrate the

97th anniversary of Finland’s Independence

Berkeley Finnish Kaleva Hall
1970 Chestnut St., Berkeley, CA
Sun, Dec 7th, 2014 @ 2:00 pm

The program:

• Kalevala-themed music and poetry presentation in Finnish and English
• Heikki Koskinen, Kati Pienimäki Schenker, Tuula Cotter-Tossavainen and Rent Romus, music
• Rent Romus and Sirpa Tuomainen, poems
• Main Address: Mrs. Anja Miller
• Display of Finnish national costumes
  Guests are encouraged to wear their own costumes to the celebration
• Introduction: Scholars & students from Finland & those studying Finnish
• Closing song: Finlandia Hymn in Finnish and English
  Accompanied by Thor Miao
• Refreshments after the program
  Donations welcomed.

Finnish female conductor Susanna Malkki performs 2 pm Sun, 11/30 at SF's Davies Symphony Hall.

Finnish female conductor Susanna Malkki performs 2 pm Sun, 11/30 at SF's Davies Symphony Hall. discounted seats call box office (415) 864-6000. Lodge 21 members plan to meet afterwards for an early supper nearby at the Grove on Hayes St

--riku

Tues, Dec 2 @ 6 p.m. --> Former Finnish Studies Student Tim Jollymore discusses his new book in Berkeley, CA

Former Finnish Studies Student Tim Jollymore discusses his new book, LISTENER IN THE SNOW

on Tues, Dec 2nd at 6 p.m.
at University Press Books
2430 Bancroft Way in Berkeley

Book signing will follow the discussion. “How can we talk about each other with dignity and with truth?” This is the question Tim Jollymore poses in his presentation CHASING THE WINDIGO, a discussion of appropriation and fair use in fiction. Can men write women characters? Women men? Listener In The Snow, Jollymore wonders can non-Native writers use Native materials and write Native characters in fiction? What are the outcomes? 

Can whites write African-American characters? Blacks write whites? Particular to his novel,

Using excerpts from American Indian essay and fiction as well as photographs, Jollymore outlines the difficulties, pitfalls, and positive results of the fair use of Native American lore and custom in contemporary writing as he revisits the text of his novel. 

Please do come & join the discussion on December 2nd. 

Contact me at sirpa@berkeley.edu with questions. 

-- Sirpa Tuomainen

FREE Finnish Film Tonight, "21 Ways to Ruin a Marriage"

FINNISH MOVIE TONIGHT ON UCB CAMPUS

While the fall nights are getting darker and the warmth is starting to flee, come witness the sparks of the unquestioned love flying all around the Dwinelle B4.

Director Johanna Vuoksenmaa’s movie 21 Ways to Ruin a Marriage tells the story of a researcher Sanna Manner, who thinks marriage is an unnatural state for the 21st century people and interviews married couples on their wedding anniversaries to back up her dissertation “X ways to ruin a marriage”.

21 Ways to Ruin a Marriage was also one of the most watched movies of Finland in 2013 and it introduces the new generation of Finnish (comedy) actors like Armi Toivanen, Aku Hirviniemi and Riku Nieminen.

Come and fight for love!

Dwinelle-B4, from 6-8 p.m.

Upcoming UC Berkeley FInnish Studies lectures

Please join us for these guest lectures this fall:

Anu Vaalas 2.10.  Art history "Gallen-Kallela in the Finnish Visual Arts scene"

Kailey Willmore 21.10. Aleksis Kivi, Seven Brothers

Mikael Varjo 30.10. Proverbs and references to death in Finnish popular music (in the lyrics of Viikate)

Sirpa Tuomainen 4.11. Finns in the Bay Area

Welcome!

Bi Annual UFKB&S Grand Lodge Convention was a great success.

The UFKB&S Grand Lodge Convention in Seattle this past September was a great success.

Seattle President Lynn Wirta organized an excellent music program for the closing dinner with a band, kantele players, and a choir with sing-a-long in Finnish. All meetings were held at the Finnish Lutheran Church, where a concluding service was held in Finnish followed by traditional Finnish breakfast foods on the following Sunday.

Our Berkeley Lodge 21 brought six members to the Grand Lodge invention this year, more than have attended out of town conferences in many years, held in Seattle Sept 18-20. Grand Lodge President Alison Kastama presided over various committee reports and included reports from all three states to continue the Finnish traditions in their respective cities. Delegates also discussed such issues as Scholarships, the Vjellyesviesti Sanomat, Bylaws & Procedures, etc.

Newly elected Junior Vice President Gina Hansen (of Berkeley) agreed to organize and create an organization website explain the purpose of the lodge, a description of respective lodges, and a joint calendar so members can plan visits to attend events hosted by other lodges. The name suggested by Trustee Paul Koski (of Aberdeen) was www.finnishkalevalodges.com. Design work is continuing to be completed as calendar items and news tweets are currently being added to the site.

Those parties interested in joining the Berkeley Lodge can go to http://finnishhall.com/ufkbas21_join.html.

CONCERT: Kippis plays the ____ in Sacramento THIS THURSDAY!!!

www.kippisband.com

NEW KIPPIS SHOW THIS WEEK!!!

with Cody Bowers, BRI, Infinite Vastness, & Special Guests

THIS THURS, July 31, 2014 

at The Press Club

2030 P St; Sacramento, CA 95816

Doors open at 6:45. Show starts at 7 p.m. 21+. $11/Advance or $13/Door

To order tickets, go to https://tickets.aftonshows.com/Kippis2

Siitonen's Sports Report and July 2014 Sports So Far

The 2014 National Hockey League Championships concluded on June 13 with the Los Angeles Kings winning the Stanley Cup over the New York Rangers, 5 games to 1 in L.A. But it took the Kings a double overtime for the new NHL champs's 3-2 final victory. It's the second time in three years that the Kings have hoisted the venerated Stanley Cup.

In the June issue we were stuck admidships in the World Hockey Championships in Minsk, Belarus, at press time with Finland having lost its first two games. But lo and behold, the Finnish Lions came back to roar into the finals before it was all over. Along the way, they lost to Russia, 4-2, in the early rounds; blanked Germany, 4-0 with Pekka Rinne as goalie; took host Belarus, 2-0; Switzerland, 3-2, on Iiro Pakarinen's OT gold; fell to USA, 3-1; and proceeded into the championship rounds by edging Kazahkstan, 5-4; then dumped mighty Canada in the quarterfinals, 3-2; goose-egged the Czech Republic in the semis, 3-0, with Jori Lehtola and Jaakko Immonen providing goals, with Rinne again superbly guarding the cage. Undefeated Russia had vanquished Sweden in its semis so the Suomi guys ended up facing their large Eastern neighbor again, You may remember Finland had eliminated Russia in their Winter Olympics game at Sochi, where it bronzed, But its luck didn't hold at Minsk. The Ivans took the title over the Jussis, 5-2. Yet silver isn't that shabby an award, either! The Swedes aced the Czechs for the bronze.

In some important record setting, Finland's Fredrik Smulter, 31, set a WR of 400 kilograms on the bench press in the World Weightlifting Championships in Denmark in the Men's 120-kilo class. No one had ever pressed 400 kilos before! Runner-up Jonathan Lee tried but failed and had to settle for 380. Anniina Laitinen set a Finnish women's NR in 55.05 in the outdoor 400-meter run which she won at Ghent, Belgium. Sandra Eriksson, who had already qualified for the 3000m Steeplechase at the European Championships at Zurich, set a new NR in this specialty at the Lahti Elite Games of 9:34.71. Sandra also had the old record which she ran at the Finnish-Swedish Dual Meet in 9:38.38 last year. She also qualified for the 1500-meter run at Zurich by winning at that distance at the Flanders Cup in Belgium with a PB of 4:15.75.

Finland vanquished Canada, 6-2, in the finals of the World Roller Hockey Championships in the Czech Republic. It's called rullakiekko in Finnish and it's played on inline roller skates. Kasperi Lehiköinen, 22, defeated Mateusz Bubowski in the finals of the Lithuanian Badminton Open, 18-21, 21-9, 21-13, inVilna. Badminton is called sulkapallo in Finnish. Kasperi had won the Norwegian Open last November. Sanna Kämäräinen set another personal best in the discus of 58.05-meters, winning at a track meet in Bedford, England. Her indoor best is 60.07 from this past winter's Finnish championships. Juuso Väisänen won the European Cup for the third straight time in FIFA's aerobics.
In the Diamond League's opening meet at Shanghai  Ihab Abdeirahma, 25, set an Egyptian and African record in the javelin with a best throw of 89.21 for a PB and the longest throw seen in the world the past three seasons. He has a Finnish coach, Petteri Piironen. Reigning World siver medallist Tero Pitkämäki could only attain sixth place with 81.36. But Pitkämäki made up for lost ground at the Oslo Diamond League, winning it with 84.18, just a shade farther than Kenyan Julius Yep's 84.17. Czech Republic's Viterzslav Vesely was third with 83.53. Our best wishes go to Tero Pitkämäki and his life partner champion heptathlete Niina Kelo on the recent birth of a son, their first child. Finland used to be a shotput nation with Arsi Harju its last Olympic champion. Its most promising newcomer in several years is Arttu Kangas,19,with an oudoor PB of 19.58. His best indoor shot was 19.56. As defending Kaleva Games national champion, we're looking forward to Arttu throwing 20 meters and more this season. The June issue of the National Masters News reports on the success of two older age group Finns at the Boston Marathon on April 21. Finland's Urpo Naumanen won the masters men's 65-69 age category in 3:02:22 while Keijo Talvasalo of Thornhill, Ontario was tops in the M75-79 division  in 3:41:04.

The Nyström sisters, Emilia and Erika, earned their third medal, a bronze, at the European Beach Volleyball Championships at Baden, Austria. They also have a Euro silver to their credit. They lost in the semis to another sister team, Doris and Stephanie Schwager of Austria: 4-21, 21-15, 15-8. The Nyström's won their 2014 bronze by defeating Madeleine Meppelink and Marleen van Iersel of Holland. (No scoring available.) Since beach volleyball isn't always played on beaches, American sportswriters have begun calling it "sand volleyball." The UC-Berkeley varsity women's regular volleyball team played several games of sand volleyball with other colleges in the late spring this year.  

David Erkkilä, an old San Francisco friend, avid sports fan, and FAR subscriber, sent me some coverage of Finnish-American athletes I knew nothing about: J. J. Koski, San Ramon Valley junior wide receiver, was voted Most Valuable Player of the NIKE Football Training Camp for Northern California at Chabot College in Hayward. He also ran a 200-meter sprint in 22.13 seconds for the third fastest in the area. Also from David: Lonnie Kauppila, former Stanford University shortstop, now playing second base for Clinton, Iowa, in the Class A Midwest League, had his team come from behind with a score of 1-17, to win the game, 20-17. Besides playing second base, Lonnie pitched one inning for the first time since the eighth grade.  

Kiitos, 
David. 

Since Good Sports has little contact with accomplishments by Finnish-American and Finnish-Canadian athletes, we encourage FAR readers to send us such information you might run across. About your children, grandchildren, maybe? Contact: harry.siitonen@yahoo.com.

Jussi-Winning "Kerron Sinulle Kaiken" ("Open Up to Me") debuts at LGBTQ Frameline Film Fest in SF Weds, 6/25 at 9:15 pm at Castro Theatre -- Advanced Tix Recommended - Director Simo Halinen in Attendance

Open Up to Me
Kerron Sinulle Kaiken

DIRECTOR: Simo Halinen

Purchase Online

• Wednesday, June 25, 9:15 PM
  Castro Theatre
  Buy Tickets
  

Expected to attend: Director Simo Halinen

Since her transition from man to woman, Maarit lives a life apart from other people—distant from her estranged wife and daughter and marooned in a dead-end cleaning job far beneath what her education merits. When by chance she meets a handsome, married soccer coach named Sami, her carefully constructed solitude begins to crumble.

Open Up to Me Trailer from Corinth Films on Vimeo,  also available at http://vimeo.com/84790702

While Maarit is sure of herself and her new life, Sami may not be able to handle what society might think of her as a transgender woman. Complicating matters are Sami’s wife, Julia; Teo, a teenage soccer player he coaches; and Maarit’s daughter, Pinja—all of whom have their own agendas. Maarit finds herself at the center of a web of relationships in which everyone is heartbreakingly and fallibly human. At the same time, the ghost of her old life threatens to endanger the precarious balance of her new one.
Part psychodrama and part coming-of-age tale, Open Up to Me is spare and unfussy. It features superb acting from Leea Klemola, who won a Jussi (Finland’s highest film award) for her work in the lead role. As Maarit, she equally embodies vulnerability and determination as a woman who is anxious for her life to finally begin.

— Mordecai Stayton