London Calling: Stories from Vikings fans traveling to the game
September 26, 2013 at 1:47AM
We've heard from lots of Vikings fans who will be watching the team in London on Sunday. We'll run some of their stories this week.
Tom Carothers, RICHFIELD
What size is your group? I'm going with my wife and about 10 friends. My purple kilt — purchased in Scotland three years ago — is packed. All told, our group just kept on growing. It initially started as four people with a plan on going to Oktoberfest in Munich — then the Vikes announced the London game. Of the four of us, two are Vikes fans and two are Steelers fans, who rank the Vikes as their second-favorite team.
Who's your favorite current Vikings player? Even though he's a Hawkeye (I went to ISU), Chad Greenway … although Blair Walsh is a solid No. 2.
How big a hole is this going to blow in your budget? It's a major expenditure. I worked a lot of freelance, and we used up a good bit of the wife's signing bonus at her new job. But, not really anything more than what we had planned to spend on this year's vacation.
What London landmarks are you going to try to see? The wife and I are driving out to Stonehenge before the rest of the group arrives. We're going to see Fulham FC play on Saturday and seeing "Phantom of the Opera" on Friday.
Dayna Myos, Brooklyn Center
Why are you going to the game? A couple of years ago a group of us decided we wanted to go to a Vikings away game each year. It start in Kansas City, then Seattle and this year London (and Dallas, too). Of the group, only Carrie Ginder will be able to make this trip to London.
Who's your favorite Vikings player? AP, Jared Allen and Blair Walsh.
What London landmarks are you going to try to see? Both of us have been to London before so we've done most of the touristy stuff already. We are both obsessed with Princess Kate and want to go back to Westminster after watching the wedding. We are going to go to the Downtown Abbey house and hopefully get to a soccer game
How big a hole is this going to blow in your budget? YOLOAIDPFD is our motto and the explanation of why we do the things we do. It means: "You only live once, and I don't pay for day care." We actually have bracelets that say it.
Karisa and Iselin Lundberg, London
Karisa is a Minnesota native; Iselin is from Norway.
Why are you going to the game? My wife and I are huge Minnesota Vikings fans that religiously follow from abroad. Because we live in London we don't often get the chance to travel back to Minnesota to see them play. So, when the Vikings announced they were playing at Wembley, we knew we had to do whatever we could to get tickets.
Who's your favorite current Vikings player? We're really big fans of Harrison Smith. The plays [he makes] every week are incredible.
How big a hole is this going to blow in your budget? Since we already live in London the cost isn't really too high. We bought our tickets via Ticketmaster, not a resale site, so the prices weren't inflated.
Josh Kobow, Bloomington
Why are you going to the game? My wife and I are celebrating our five-year anniversary. We've always wanted to go to London and figured the Vikings being in town was a nice motivation to make the trip.
Who's your favorite Vikings player? Blair Walsh (and obviously Adrian Peterson).
How big a hole is this going to blow in your budget? London is very expensive. I'm expecting a crater.
What London landmarks are you going to try to see? The Shard, Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, the Doctor Who Experience in Cardiff.
Are you unhappy the team had to give up a home game to play in London? Somebody had to give up a home game. I wish it was the Steelers, but we could do without ONE game in the "Inflatable Toilet." #GoodRiddance
COMPILED BY COLLEEN KELLY
about the writer
Widely known that Minnesota sports fans are among the most suffering in the nation, this holiday season has the chance to become special, given the recent success of the Vikings, Wolves, Lynx and Wild.
