Harald Ericson

Harald “Sme-Harald” Ericson spent his active skiing career with IFK Umeå since he was 17-years-old. In Umeå he also served in the military. Since his commander in the military was also chairman of his club, he was given the opportunity to improve his skiing abilities, and became Swedish military champion during this time. He later took a job at a sports shop in Umeå, where his rival and friend Gunnar Karlsson was also employed. Later Martin Lundström was also employed in the shop and joined the club. The three of them formed a very successful relay team and were also successful individually. With the club team he won four Swedish relay championships, including three successive titles together with Karlsson and Lundström. Ericson’s first individual Swedish Championship came in 1945, when he managed to beat Nils Karlsson over 30 km by more than a minute. The years 1947 and 1948 were his best as a skier, winning the Swedish Championship over 50 km in 1948 just before the Olympic Winter Games, where he won silver in the same event.

Ericson considered his victory at the Holmenkollen ski festival over the 50 km as his best race, with stronger competition than in St. Moritz. The next few seasons he was struck by injuries and diseases including persistent throat problems. But for the 1952 Winter Olympics, he was well trained, but on the day of the race, was not able to start due to a high fever. Ericson was so disappointed that he went back home and gave away his skis and equipment, deciding to retire. Nevertheless, he competed on some occasions, including another Vasa run, but he had reduced his training after his return to Örträsk. In 1945 he received the VK-gold, a sports prize awarded by a local magazine.