Scandinavia has one of the harshest climates on Earth; a cold, inhospitable land that bred generations of hardy Viking warriors who worshipped hammer-wielding Norse gods. Centuries of freezing weather have made the Nords a little… off, in certain regards. They’re a fun-loving people to be sure, and staying entertained in such a cold, harsh place takes a lot of creativity.

But flying Jeeps just seems a wee bit crazy. Yet the art of climbing a steep, sandy slope is a popular pastime in Norway, where this video comes to us from. And yes, many of these brutes are powered by modern LSx engines.

When we say Jeep of course, we mean little more than the shell that many racers choose to use. These are by and large mostly custom-built chassis cradling powerful V8 engines for the Formula Off-Road series. What better motor to propel a lightweight, custom off-roader up a steep incline and into the air than an LSx V8? Sure there are plenty of 350 small blocks, and even Ford engines in use, but we saw more than a few carbureted LSx engines in the mix, as powerplants of all kinds are welcome in the Formula Off-Road series. This is a skill sport that relies more on the driver’s ability to scale sandy cliffs than on raw brute force (though that certainly helps.)

And what a sport it is! These guys have balls of steel, driving full speed up these ridiculous courses that require twisting and turning and often enough result in a long, end-over-end tumble down to the bottom of the hill. We can tell you with certainty that these sand climbers ain’t cheap to fix. But it sure does look fun, doesn’t it?