Norse legends hit Newport
B.W. COOK
The Vikings landed in Newport Beach for a January conference at the
Balboa Bay Club and Resort.
The Vikings, an organization founded in Los Angeles in the
mid-20th century days of business growth, evolved into the Orange
County community with help from the late Hans Prager, founder of the
Ritz Restaurant in Newport Beach.
Prager, who was trained at Scandia Restaurant in Los Angeles,
under the tutelage of Ken Hansen, transported the Vikings’ concept to
Orange County, where local business leaders have been meeting for
decades, working for a variety of worthwhile community needs.
The early days of the Vikings included a who’s who of L.A. movers
and shakers, including media stars Dick Whittinghill and Jerry
Dunphy, football star Tom Harmon, Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater,
Sheriff Peter Pitchess and a Hollywood contingent that included
Broderick Crawford, Nipsey Russell, and even one very important
participant named Elizabeth Taylor.
It is reported that Taylor, a regular customer of Scandia
Restaurant, came up to Hansen one evening while dining and told him
that she wanted to be a member of the Vikings. This was back in the
1960s, and no women were involved with the all-male charity. Hansen
made Taylor a member and apparently not one complaint was heard from
the Vikings.
The Orange County Vikings were born in the booming 1980s. Quickly,
the membership roster grew, originally including Borge Nelsen, Norm
Anderson, Todd Chisem and Peter Jensen. Last week, some 60
distinguished members of the Vikings converged upon the Balboa Bay
Club for their first luncheon meeting of 2004 to share friendship,
plenty of stories and to make plans for charitable efforts in the
year ahead.
There was much more than just a little mid-week fun at the event,
as former Gov. George Deukmejian addressed the assemblage with some
serious politics. Deukmejian analyzed challenges facing the term of
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, particularly the budget crisis and the
cutbacks in store for Californians.
Deukmejian pulled no punches as he investigated such hot-button
political issues as the taxation of Indian gaming, funds from the
California lottery earmarked for California education, immigration
law and social services.
On a lighter note, the Vikings congratulated themselves on their
annual Christmas drive that’s well known for providing generous gift
baskets to local families in need. The Vikings are also known for
their assistance to handicapped children, including an annual fishing
trip sponsored and designed for children with special needs.
The Orange County Vikings, also known as the Noble Vikings, have
only one requirement for membership -- a donation of $200 or more to
the Vikings’ Christmas Basket Stuffing Drive. Each year, the
organization packs more than 1,500 baskets filled with food and
necessities for Orange County families. During the year ahead, the
Vikings are planning a special monthly event. To become a part of
this tradition, and to find out more about the Vikings, visit their
website at https://www. noblevikings.com.
* THE CROWD appears Thursdays and Saturdays.
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