notforsale

In a city full of Scandinavians, there must be a passel of Norwegians, and this one’s for you: Chicago’s O’connor Casting Company is casting for Season 8 of “Alt For Norge” (aka “The Great Norway Adventure”), Norway’s Emmy award-winning reality show.

Norwegian-American contestants are flown to Norway to compete in a series of silly, but non-life-threatening stunts. The winner receives $50,000 and meets Norwegian relatives they’ve never heard of. No, you do not have to speak Norwegian, or be 100 percent Norwegian, either. Contestants must simply be “Americans with Norwegian ancestry (even a little bit counts) who are age 18-plus (but there’s no age limit) and have never traveled to Norway.” You can read the rules and apply at http://tinyurl.com/applynorge

“When past contestants describe the experience as ‘life changing,’ ‘epic adventure’ and ‘most meaningful thing I’ve done in my life,’” casting producer Joan O’Connor said, “you know you’re working on something truly spectacular.”

And she’s right. Portlander Tom Torresdal, shown in an old photo, was a contestant on the show a few years ago. “Such an amazing experience,” he said at the end of filming. “I’ve loved every single second that I’ve been here.” He loved it so much, in fact, that he moved to Norway for a while to help build a brewery. Now he’s a brewer at Portland Brewing.

The deadline to apply is Dec. 1, but the casting company recommends applying early. “Act Fast!” the website says, “Early application and video submissions receive immediate attention …”

— Elleda Wilson