Surfing used to be a bit of a warm-water activity. Then people realized that waves were good in places with cold water, too, and they started wearing woolen sweaters and covering themselves in grease or whatever. Then, of course, the wetsuit came along and the whole game changed. Now, all these years later, wetsuits are incredibly warm and incredibly flexible, so surfing and looking for perfect waves has taken a firm hold in all sorts of far-flung locales. One in particular is the Lofoten Islands, which have been the focus of exploration in recent years.
Sitting within the Arctic Circle, the Lofoten archipelago consist of seven main islands. Fjords and narrow straits trace their way in between the islands, creating some of the most stunning scenery found anywhere in the world.
Ryan Callinan, Jack Freestone, Luana Silva, Anna Gudauskas, and Chris Burkard journeyed to the Arctic Circle in Billabong’s latest Adventure Division film, Hávamál. They explored the Scandinavian peninsula and ventured deep into Norway’s countryside of mountains, fjords and glaciers, and yes, they scored some insanely good waves in the process.
“The surfers were greeted by raw, pumping conditions upon touchdown in Unstad – the birthplace of Norwegian surfing in the Lofoten Islands. Now just a remote fishing zone with only 15 full-time inhabitants, it was once a critical region for the Nordic Vikings,” reads the video description. “Led by veteran Scandinavian traveler and outdoor photographer/filmmaker, Chris Burkard, along with the two pioneers of the Norwegian surf community, Tommi and Marion, the crew had all the working knowledge required for a successful trip.”
