Trefadder in Holmenkollen: a prize with lasting impact
In March 2026, we at Trefadder had the honor of being the official prize provider at the Holmenkollen Ski Festival. Across two intense competition periods, the FIS World Cup Nordic 2026 (March 13–14) and the IBU World Cup Biathlon 2026 (March 19–22), some of the world’s best athletes were celebrated for their performances.
Our contribution was to give the winners a prize that extends far beyond the moment on the podium.
Winners Woodland – from performance to natural legacy
The top six athletes in each discipline received Winners Woodland — a prize that connects sporting achievement with tangible nature conservation.
The prize included:
- A custom-built birdhouse engraved with the athlete’s name, location, and event
- 10 square meters of protected old-growth forest in the athlete’s name
- Physical placement of the birdhouse in the terrain around Holmenkollen
- The book Natural Forests of Norway
The birdhouses will be installed along the trail network in Holmenkollen, and over time, the public will be able to locate them through an interactive map. In this way, achievements are not only remembered, but anchored in nature.
Royal recognition
One of the highlights for us was presenting His Majesty King Harald V with a Trefadder birdhouse, engraved with his royal monogram. This was a great honor and a strong recognition of the work to connect nature conservation with societal engagement.
Fog, elite sport, and powerful moments
The first competition weekend was marked by dense fog, creating an almost mystical atmosphere around the event. Nevertheless, the athletes delivered performances at the highest level, and the audience experienced genuine sporting joy in Holmenkollen’s iconic arena.
It was a powerful moment to see elite athletes lift the prizes on the podium and on live television, and to observe how the media captured and highlighted the unique award that stood out during this year’s event.
A prize with meaning
We are proud that the Holmenkollen Ski Festival 2026 reached out to us to develop a prize that carries both symbolic value and delivers a tangible, positive impact for nature.
