It was Vyborg (a former Finnish city now part of Russia) that pioneered the game and played internationally as early as 1899. They had great skaters. Helsinki tried the sport around the same time as Vyborg, but it took almost a decade before it really caught on. Helsinki hosted an international winter sports competition that featured bandy in 1907. The tournament also featured teams from Sweden and St. Petersburg. The Finnish Football Federation, which also governed bandy in the country, was established in May.