Norwegian TV stars will perform, take fast draw lessons in Mitchell

• Norwegian star

Norwegian TV star Thomas Gullestad, aka “The Finger,” will perform a free show at the Corn Palace at 7 p.m. Tuesday. (Submitted Photo)

Talk about it

A pair of Norwegian television personalities who will be in South Dakota this week plan to stop in Mitchell Tuesday.

One of them will perform a free show of magic and “Norwegian hip-hop” at the Corn Palace.

Esdwsben Selvig, who is called “Danish” and Thomas Gullestad, aka “The Finger,” will arrive in Rapid City today and come to Mitchell Tuesday.

“Dansken og Sendern,” or “Danish and The Finger,” are taping segments for a Norwegian TV show titled “Uncle in America,” which seeks to display the connections between Norwegians and their descendants who came to the United States in the 19th century. They will interview a Faith resident who is related to a famous Norwegian soccer player and will look for other interesting feature ideas during their week in South Dakota.

While they are here, Gullestad will perform a free magic show at the Corn Palace at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

“It’s going to be good fun,” said Selvig. “He is really impressive.”

In addition to Gullestad’s work as a magician and the duo’s work on TV, they are also experienced musicians.

Selvig said they have been playing music together for 15 years. They are the leading hip-hop artists in Norway, he said, and won the Norwegian equivalent of a Grammy.

“I’m sure there will be some music in the show as well,” he said of the Corn Palace performance.

Corn Palace Director Mark Schilling said after discussing the duo’s trip to America, he agreed to let them put on a show at the iconic facility.

It will be another entertainment opportunity for locals and may also bring some Norwegian tourists to Mitchell once the series airs next spring, Schilling said.

“That’s pretty much what we’re looking at,” he said.

Selvig said they hope the series persuades a lot of Norwegians to visit America and to come to South Dakota.

He said part of the series will be an attempt to explore why some Norwegians came here more than a century ago.

More than 110,000 South Dakotans claim Norwegian ancestry, according to the census. Selvig said he and his partner wonder if Norway’s “best” came to the new country. “They actually dared to take the risk,” he said. “Our mission, in a way, is to explore, was it a good idea to immigrate to the States?” He knows what it’s like to come to a different land. Selvig is known as “Danish,” or “The Dane” because he was born in Denmark. His parents moved to Norway when he was a child, and he said he feels “100 percent Norwegian.” But the TV stars are seeking a taste of 100-percent Old West life during their week in South Dakota.

On Wednesday, Bonnie and Troy Bollock, who operate the Powderhorn Ranch Regulators, in rural Mitchell, will host the Norwegians as they learn about the art of the cowboy fast draw.

Selvig and Gullestad will train and compete against club members, according to Bonnie Bollock.

The Powderhorn Ranch Regulators perform at Cabela’s and can draw and fire their weapons in a split second. The Scandinavians will try to match their trigger fingers with the veteran cowboys, Bollock said.

“It should be a hoot,” she said.

Submitted Photo

Norwegian TV star Thomas Gullestad, aka “The Finger,” will perform a free show at the Corn Palace at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Tags: corn palace, life, entertainment, television, norwegian, local, mitchell