After winning the Norwegian Championships in 30 km cross-country in 1930, Trygve Brodahl won a silver medal in the 17 km race at the World Championships in Oslo later in the season. He emerged as a long-distance specialist, placing third in Holmenkollen’s 50 km race in 1934 and won a bronze medal at the World Championships in Vysoké Tatry 1935. His 11th place in the 1936 Olympics was a disappointment. In 1939 he had a good season, winning the national 30 km championships and the 18 km race in Holmenkollen. Brodahl loved to be out in the wilderness and was nicknamed “Skautrollet,” the Forest Troll. He was an eager spokesman for the Finnish sauna, and in 1941 started a firm producing saunas and hot water tanks. His special invention, Brodahl’s sauna, was quite successful. His younger brother Sverre Brodahl was also a top skier and a member of Norway’s 1936 Olympic team.
Norway