There’s never been a more diverse array of materials available from which to make surfboards as there is now. Ice, though, isn’t one of them. Norwegian surfers and filmmakers Inge Wegge and Jørn Ranum hope to change that.
In their newest project, Ice Edge, the pair has the crazy idea to widdle away giant, heavy blocks of ice that are abundant in the winter in Norway and hack them into rideable surfboards. Until that is, they inevitably melt. Sound crazy? Absolutely. Will we watch? You betcha.
“In February-April 2019, the coldest months in the arctic, we are collecting a group of surfers, a local surfboard shaper, a professional ice sculptor and some dedicated filmmakers,” explain Wegge and Ranum on their Indiegogo campaign that’s seeking funds for the feature film. “The surfers are chosen by their creative surfing style, and we will try to explore new shapes, moves and styles on frozen surfboards. We know it will work, but maybe we need to make the boards stronger? Maybe we can make them lighter by adding air bubbles? How long will they last in the water? All these things will be a part of the film.”
In a recent interview with AFP, Wegge explained that the boards he and Ranum have been dabbling with are close to 175 pounds and are only perfect for a tiny window of a few minutes before they’re too brittle.
“The first 20 minutes, they are surfable,” he said. “Then just perfect for two or three minutes – you need the right waves just then – and then (after that they are) too fragile.”
At a time when many surfers and shapers are searching for more sustainable ways to build equipment (and some even going zero waste!), the ice boards Wegge and Ranum are building in Norway are very green. They just don’t last too long.
“The boards will probably be the world’s most eco-friendly boards, made just with water and the cold temperatures outside,” the pair explain. “We will experiment with different techniques, with and without fins, long and short boards, sand on the board to get grip, and maybe LED lights inside them to get some amazing night shots under the Northern Lights.”
Wegge and Ranum are seeking $20,000 to make their film a reality, and if they successfully get a surfer to ride a wave on a surfboard made of ice, well, it’ll be a world’s first you can’t put a price on.
If you care to support a couple of independent filmmakers – crazy as they may be – head here.
