Way North

Way North

“In normal life, you’re always thinking about something, but when you’re surfing you
don’t think about anything.
You’re reading the water, totally in the here and now. And when the perfect wave
comes and you catch it really well, it’s absolute happiness.”
Aline Bock
The Lofoten Islands are an archipelago located in the heart of Norway, far above the
Arctic Circle.
With its breathtaking landscapes, stunning fjords, and mind-blowing scenery, the
region is home to one of the most beautiful cold water surf spots on Earth.
Since the 1990s, and especially in the last decade, enhanced insulation in the suits
has opened some of the most frigid reaches of the world — Alaska, Antarctica,
Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden — to surfers seeking isolated
adventures, untamed nature, and unexplored waves.
The Lofoten Islands have some of the world’s best conditions for cold-water surfing,
near the white, sandy bay of Unstad, in the northwest. Nestled in a rugged valley, the
tiny hamlet is home to more sheep than people. — population: 14
Off the shore, the sea is some 1,500 feet deep: waves can travel all the way from
Greenland, uninterrupted, building up as they approach the shore and towering
impressively high.
Unstad waves are long and regular, just the way surfers like them. “But the really
special thing is that we’re utterly alone in the water here. It’s just us, our boards, and
the vastness of nature all around us.”