About the Bears - in English
THE CLUB:
Bakken Bears is a men’s basketball team from Aarhus, Denmark. Bakken Bears was formed in 1953 under the name of Aarhus Basketball Forening (ABF), from 1962 Skovbakken Basketball.
The club has been in the top league almost every year since then and won its first title in 1958.
Since then, the club has won a number of domestic titles and is now the most winning sports team in the history of the city of Aarhus.
In the years 2005-2009 Bakken Bears was a part of Aarhus Elite A/S. This is the elite sports organization in Aarhus that includes ia. AGF Football (Soccer). In the last months of 2009 a group of local businessmen, sponsors and fans bought the team.
THE CITY:
Aarhus is the second biggest city in Denmark (population: 300,000). The nearest airport is Aarhus Airport (30 mins from downtown) or Billund Airport (60 mins from downtown).
THE HOME COURT:
Bakken Bears plays its home games at Arena (capacity: 5,001).
The home court is situated in the main sports complex in Aarhus, Atletion which also hosts the city's main soccer stadium seating 20,000 people.
When Bakken Bears hosted Naestved in Game 1 of the league semifinals in March 2009, 4,816 spectators watched the game (a record for basketball in Denmark).
THE PLAYERS:
Bakken Bears is well-known for developing Danish players and adding 1 or 2 non-European players every season.
Bakken Bears has produced more than 40 national team players.
American and Canadian players have gone on to pursue careers in Italy, Croatia, Latvia, Portugal, the Philippines, France, Schwitzerland, Germany, Finland and other countries while the Danish players have continued their careers in countries such as USA, Canada, Germany, Italy, Spain and Norway.
THE INTERNATIONAL GAMES:
Bakken Bears visited the US three times and played college teams such as University of Florida, University of Central Florida, Alabama State University, Texas University, Baylor, etc.
Bakken Bears has participated in FIBA's European tournaments on four occasions.
In 2004/05 Bakken Bears made it to FIBA’s Euro Cup where the team won its group ahead of teams from France, Iceland and Portugal before eventually losing against the Czech team Mlekarna Kunin.
In 2005/06 a huge win against Eiffel Towers was not enough to send the Bears through to the playoffs due to defeats against CAB Madeira.
In 2007/08 Bosnian team Igokea Partizan was too strong and qualified to the second round after a win and a draw.
In 2008/09 Bakken Bears met Belgian team Belgacom Liège who won both games of the two-legged tie in round 1 of the EuroChallenge Qualifying Round.
In 2009/10 the Bears played two games in Chengdu, China against local team Beijing Olympians.
In different tournaments and scrimmage games the Bears has played teams such as FC Barcelona (Spain, 2005), ALBA Berlin (Germany, 2005), New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig (Germany, 2009) and Hagen (Germany), Oostende (Belgium), Den Helder (Holland), Asker Aliens, Kristiansand Pirates and Kongsberg Penguins (Norway), LrNMKY (Finland), Solna Vikings (2003, 2009), Helsingborg and 08 Stockholm (Sweden), Njardvik, Keflavik and IR (Iceland), etc.
THE TOURNAMENTS:
Bakken Bears hosts an elite tournament in Aarhus every year in September. This is a four, six or eight team tournament and the Bears has hosted teams from Iceland, Sweden, Norway, Germany, etc.
For youth teams, Bakken Bears has an international tournament each year in the Easter break.
Links:
Eurobasket, Denmark: http://www.eurobasket.com/den/den.asp
Aarhus: www.aarhus.dk
Visit Aarhus: www.visitaarhus.com
Arena: www.atletion.dk
Aarhus Basketball Festival (youth tournament): www.basketball-festival.dk