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'Lawnmower man' completes epic journey
www.thelocal.se ^ | 11/15/2007 | Paul O'Mahony

Posted on 11/15/2007 4:54:44 PM PST by WesternCulture

Truck driver Kjell Fundin has done what no man has ever done before by traveling almost the entire length of Sweden on a lawnmower. On Thursday morning the intrepid 59-year-old from Sundsvall made history as he drove his trusty machine into Ystad town centre.

Covering a distance of 1,700 kilometres (1,060 miles), the lawnmower man took 46 days to complete the journey from Haparanda to the southern town.

The idea for the journey came about after a well-known radio show host travelled the same route on a motorcycle during the summer. Distinctly unimpressed, Fundin decided to pop off an e-mail to RIX FM's Gert Fylking.

"I had a big mouth and said that if he could ride a motorcycle then I could drive a lawnmower. He then sorted out all the sponsorship and here I am," Fundin told Norrbottens-Kuriren at the beginning of his momentous journey.

Travelling on his STIHL Viking at a speed of 10 kilometres per hour, the lawnmower man motored slowly down through the country, meeting crowds of well-wishers wherever he went, not all of them human.

"I was driving so slowly that cows had time to come over to the fence, shake their heads and go away again before I had even passed," he told Aftonbladet.

(Excerpt) Read more at thelocal.se ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: gardenequipment; lawn; lawnmover; lawns; quest; records; scandinavia; sweden; trek; trucker; truckers

1 posted on 11/15/2007 4:54:46 PM PST by WesternCulture
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To: WesternCulture

Although I think Kjell and his ol’ STIHL Viking have made quite an achievement, I’d say still daring to travel across the US the old fashioned way is also worthy of some attention:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1924939/posts

Cheers to both of the believers!


2 posted on 11/15/2007 4:55:12 PM PST by WesternCulture
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To: WesternCulture

He should have had a racing mower (I’m not making that up!) shipped from the US. He could’ve made the trip in two days, easy.


3 posted on 11/15/2007 5:14:34 PM PST by Hunton Peck (In a righteous country, there would be no such thing as a political career.)
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To: WesternCulture
Now Hank might want to trek across Texas.


4 posted on 11/15/2007 5:22:58 PM PST by USFRIENDINVICTORIA
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To: Hunton Peck

Somewhere, I have an old magazine (from the 1980s) featuring a guy from either Sweden or the US who replaced his lawn mover engine with a Ford or Chevy V8.


5 posted on 11/15/2007 5:35:21 PM PST by WesternCulture
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To: WesternCulture
"I don't think so, Tim."


6 posted on 11/15/2007 5:38:02 PM PST by Lancey Howard
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To: Lancey Howard

I don’t know Tim.


7 posted on 11/15/2007 5:47:06 PM PST by WesternCulture
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To: USFRIENDINVICTORIA

That might be rough with diminished glutes...


8 posted on 11/15/2007 5:50:25 PM PST by chasio649
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To: WesternCulture

Ha! I just checked your FR homepage and see that you are in Sweden. You may be one of a tiny handful of freepers who doesn’t get that reference. Sorry about that.


9 posted on 11/15/2007 5:51:34 PM PST by Lancey Howard
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To: Lancey Howard

So, do you wish to keep me in the dark or what..


10 posted on 11/15/2007 5:53:41 PM PST by WesternCulture
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To: WesternCulture

Gee, my dream come true...


11 posted on 11/15/2007 5:55:25 PM PST by Bookwoman
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To: WesternCulture

http://www.tv.com/home-improvement/show/635/summary.html


12 posted on 11/15/2007 5:55:27 PM PST by Lancey Howard
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To: Lancey Howard

Thank’s for educating me, Tim.


13 posted on 11/15/2007 5:57:22 PM PST by WesternCulture
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To: WesternCulture

I don’t know Tim.


14 posted on 11/15/2007 5:58:27 PM PST by Lancey Howard
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To: Lancey Howard

I do now.


15 posted on 11/15/2007 6:00:02 PM PST by WesternCulture
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To: WesternCulture

Here’s how they do it in the States: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akaanteVCs4


16 posted on 11/15/2007 6:06:29 PM PST by Rb ver. 2.0 (The WOT will end when pork products are weaponized)
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To: Rb ver. 2.0

Great!!

- I swear we Swedes one day will be able to compete, if only we manage to get out of the garage:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPNY593uVmQ

Skål!


17 posted on 11/15/2007 6:29:26 PM PST by WesternCulture
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To: WesternCulture

LOL!


18 posted on 11/16/2007 4:35:16 AM PST by Rb ver. 2.0 (The WOT will end when pork products are weaponized)
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To: chasio649

LOL — one of Hank’s two embarassing problems.


19 posted on 11/16/2007 8:18:28 AM PST by USFRIENDINVICTORIA
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