BALLARD — Ballardite and overall indoor person Kyle Smith has reportedly begun strongly identifying as Nordic after realizing Norway may have a legitimate shot at winning the World Cup.
Smith, who has spent most of his adult life avoiding direct sunlight, outdoor seating, and any vacation destination where “people expect you to swim,” says Norway’s unexpected run has awakened something deep within him.
“I’ve always felt very connected to that part of the world,” said Smith, who clarified that by “that part of the world,” he means the region east of here where he assumes Norway sits. “There’s just something about Norway that feels like home. Sometimes it takes a serious run at the World Cup finals to realize.”
Friends say Smith had never previously mentioned Norway.
“Now all of a sudden he’s saying ‘we’ when talking about Norway,” said longtime friend Matt Frandson. “Last week he thought Oslo was a hiking brand and that Erling Haaland was a town in the Netherlands.”
