(R)OverlanderLand Rover Club Estonia (English)OriginalThe Estonian Land Rover Club (“Eesti Land Roveri Klubi” or “ELRK” in Estonian) was established in 1998 as a non-profit association. In winter 1998, a group of Land Rover owners came up with the idea of establishing a club to unite all the people in Estonia interested in this world-famous marque. The club that was established exactly 50 years after the first Land Rover had been introduced to the markets, was registered on 25 May 1998 as a non-profit association and is thus one of the oldest marque-specific car clubs in Estonia. The club seeks to unite Land Rover owners and enthusiasts from all over Estonia. We wish to inform our members both about the history and the present of the iconic Land Rover. .jpg)
We provide Land Rover owners with information about car maintenance and the availability of spare parts and accessories. Among the members of the club there are independent Land Rover service and repair company owners who help out our members with any problems their vehicles might encounter. .jpg) The ELRK does not focus on heavy off-roading but rather on family-centred tours to the cultural and historical sites of Estonia with some moderate off-roading involved. Thanks to close relations with the owners of off-road parks, the club is able to provide its members with the possibility of learning to drive their Land Rovers properly on rugged and tough terrain. A large proportion of the club’s activities entails informing our club members about how to maintain high standards of road culture and the promotion of nature awareness while camping out or caravanning..jpg) However, that does not mean that club members are not into heavy off-roading. A number of our members have been among winners at famous off-road races and competitions in the Baltic States and Russia - Ladoga and Vepskii Les (both in Russia) to name just a few.
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The majority of the club members are active members of volunteer rescue teams, supporting both local authorities and the Estonian Rescue Service during forest fires, snow storms or floods. We also hold several social events connected with our hobby and try to establish closer connections with similar clubs elsewhere in the world. We have formed especially close relations with similar clubs from Sweden, Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic. During the social events we are introducing and promoting the Land Rover to the general public. .jpg) Our largest event so far has been the celebration of Land Rover’s 60th anniversary and the 10th anniversary of the Estonian Land Rover Club last year. Close to 30 different Land Rovers were on show presented by the Estonian Defence Forces, Estonian Rescue Service and by private collectors and restorers. Among others the oldest Land Rover in Estonia - a Fire Engine Series I 88’’ 1956 - was on display. Multiple activities, among others the a concert, a drawing contest for children, and test drives with old and new Land Rovers filled the whole day at the Alansi Off-road Park some 50 km from Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. And, as usual, the day ended with an anniversary cake, this time for more than 400 people. Given that throughout the years approximately 1000 Land Rovers have been registered in Estonia, the event was visited by nearly half of the Land Rover enthusiasts in Estonia!
Estonia is not by any means a large country. With the territory of only about 45,000 km2 (17,000 sq mi) and about 1,3 million inhabitants it is rather tiny even in comparison with its neighbours. But thankfully we have 4 very distinct seasons in Estonia allowing us to arrange very different events. Winter offers us possibilities for drive-outs in deep snow and ice cold whether. Spring journeys can be enjoyed in light green forests, our summer meetings are held under the hot sun and autumn races can be held in deep mud. Our lub organises 4 regular and traditional events during the year: a winter trip, the birthday party of both Land Rover and of the Club, a summer trip and an autumn event. Our club members travel around a lot and not only in Estonia. The overland expeditions where our members were participating have gone as far as South Africa and also to remote destinations in Northern Russia and the Nordic countries. The latest trip this year went through 17 European countries. At the same time our club has become a “safe heaven” for overlanders from other countries. Land Rovers from as far as Australia have been helped out during their trips whenever they have had troubles or needed to find a place to camp while travelling in Estonia. Estonians are famous for their love of the internet and IT technologies. Hence the majority of the communications takes place in our club’s web forum at www.landrover.ee/foorum. You might want to drop by, register and express yourself in the English speaking corner. There is an extensive gallery of pictures from our events throughout the 11 years of the club history. Here, in Estonia you can still drive off-road quite freely compared to most European countries. We have very few restrictions, so you can enjoy our wild and beautiful nature combined with heavy off-roading. Should your car break down or anything else happen to it, don’t worry. Call us, we can help you find a garage and the spare parts needed (new or used ones). We have very good relations with all the major Land Rover specialists in Estonia. Contact us to come and visit Estonia! Take part in our events or ask for guidelines on how to discover our small but interesting country on your own. Estonian Land Rover Club Postal address: Tallinn, Vilde tee 121B-91, 12613, Estonia Phone: +372 5010599, E-mail: landrover@landroverclub.ee or landrover@4x4.ee URL: http://www.landroverclub.ee Facts at a glance: *Founded on 30.04.1998 *More than 40 official members and around 100 supporting members. *At least 4 regular and traditional events every year. The copyrights of those photos belong to: Kristjan Vaarmann Andri Arula Mairold Metsaviir Ahto Tanner Mari Koger Maryel Raudam Veiko Tasso Text: Kristjan Vaarmann
21.06.2010 top
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