A Tournament Revived
The Viking Cup, one of Washington’s oldest youth soccer tournaments, made its long‑awaited return to Poulsbo in July 2024. Organized by the North Kitsap Soccer Club, the three‑day event featured boys and girls from the U10 to U19 age groups, with 32 teams taking the field at Strawberry Field and Poulsbo Middle School. Tournament director Seth Hartmann, who has been steering the club’s soccer programs for years, described the revival as a pivotal moment for the community’s young athletes.
Hartmann, who grew up playing on local fields, said the tournament’s comeback is more than a nostalgic gesture. “We want to restore the Viking Cup to its former glory and give our players a high‑energy environment to develop,” he explained. The event’s re‑emergence follows a decade of interruptions, including schedule shifts, pandemic‑related cancellations, and doubts about capacity after a brief re‑appearance in 2016‑17.
Roots and Revival
The Viking Cup first teed off in 1984, founded by Tim and Maxine Burns, who helped embed the tournament into the fabric of North Kitsap youth soccer. At its height, the competition attracted up to 200 teams from across the Pacific Northwest and even Canada, turning the Memorial Day weekend into a regional soccer festival. Changes to the Washington Youth Soccer calendar eventually made the traditional Memorial Day slot untenable, and the tournament was placed on hiatus for nearly a decade.
The recent July 2024 edition honored that legacy by fielding the same 32‑team lineup as the inaugural tournament, a symbolic nod to its origins. Participating clubs included the host North Kitsap Soccer Club, South Kitsap FC, Bremerton FC, and several teams traveling from neighboring regions. The matches showcased not only skill but also the camaraderie that has long defined the event.
Looking Toward 2027
Looking ahead, Hartmann and the North Kitsap Soccer Club are already mapping a path to a full‑scale return in 2027. The goal is to expand the tournament’s footprint, attract more teams, and deepen the developmental pipeline for youth players. “Our vision is to grow the Viking Cup into a marquee event that rivals the biggest youth soccer festivals in the region,” Hartmann said, adding that the club is working closely with local venues and sponsors to ensure a sustainable future.