– The mood is in the ceiling here, says satisfied Kolbjørn Westberg as FB heads to the LAN party in Hvalerhallen.
31-year-old boy Hvaler has been the initiator behind these events for several years, and this weekend’s LAN is number 34 in the series organized by LANmine – with Kolbjørn being chairman.
– There are just over 100 youngsters who have made the trip, out of a total of 168 places – so there are somewhat fewer than we would have liked, but those here are doing well, Westberg continues.
This is a local network
LAN or LAN parties or computer meetings Describes an event in which participants bring a computer or console to play computer games together.
In general, most LANs focus mainly on gaming and networking. A certain balance is achieved within both creative and game-based competitions. The age of the contestants is usually a mix of young adults at both ends of the teenage scale plus some young adults at the top and bottom.
The largest local network in Norway is The Gathering, which is organized every Easter on the Viking ship in Hamar. The Gathering is also the second largest LAN in the Nordic countries, surpassed only by Dreamhack in Sweden.
source: Hyperion – a Norwegian association of great entertainment centers
– I’m here for socializing
16-year-old Sander Nikolai Wittström-Nielsen originally comes from Türbe, but this weekend took a trip to Hvaler all the way from Skjeberg.
– I’ve been here twice before, and I really enjoy it. It’s a place where you meet new people and talk to people you don’t really know. Although I love to “play,” I’m here mostly for the social aspect, he says.
16-year-old player screens often play Minecraft.
A game where only your creativity sets limits on the type of constructions you can create.
– Now me and some friends are actually “working” to build the whole Glemmen High School, Sander smiles.
What is the background to this particular project?
– The reason is simply that there are too many lines to walk, and through this server we hope the different students in the school can find each other and understand the game together – also with students you didn’t know before, Torpingen explains.
Young people of all ages
Many different games are played on the different screens in the hall.
Here you’ll find everything from Goat simulator, FIFA, Fortnite and Super Smash – just about every PC game you can think of.
– The participants are actually from the age of 12, but we have some who are as young as nine. We have good cooperation with the parents, so there are some who are picked up before dark and brought back the next day, Westberg explains.
-Often, an older brother would take a younger brother with him, so we don’t have to be fussy about age as long as the parents are on the team, he continues.
Besides playing, the “crew” organizes many competitions and theatrical activities.
LANet has also been given the topic Beyblade So competition opportunities for participants are constantly coming up from the start, which was Thursday through Sunday when the local network fills up again.
What exactly is a beyblade?
Beyblades are toys that look like little spinning tops, based on the TV series of the same name that aired on TV a few years ago.
The TV series was once again based on a Japanese manga written by Takao Aoki.
The purpose of these games is to rotate two buses spinning against each other, and the one who maintains the longest spinning speed also wins.
According WikipediaBetween 2000-2005, the games became very popular in most parts of the world, with sales exceeding 100 million units.
– We chose Beyblade as this year’s theme to play on people’s nostalgia. It’s also a great opportunity for participants to socialize and do things that aren’t just on PC. Kjell-Magne Larsen suddenly explains that you’re competing with someone you’ve never met before, and then the conversation begins.
Lots of volunteer work
To get all the logistics, a lot of effort from volunteers is required.
– There are about 40 of us working here this weekend, so there are a lot of people on the move. Among other things, some were in charge of competitions, others for security, we have our own theater staff – we also have our own canteen, which requires its share. We don’t play LAN, Westberg sums up.
LANmine is a voluntary organization, so those who contribute do so on a voluntary basis.
– The setup started a couple of days ago, then there are a few days of good mood, before we tackle the internet at 1pm on a Sunday. Then there is not much left, and we will also start the next lan next year’s winter break, smiling in conclusion.
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