Bostad, Norway - The water is icy cold, it's windy and it's drizzling out, but the intrepid group dives in: far from California's sunny beaches, die-hard surfers flock here year-round to catch the Arctic's cool waves.
Situated at the same latitude as northern Siberia and Alaska, Unstad Beach in Norway's idyllic Lofoten Islands is a favourite spot for surfers seeking out a completely different kind of beach experience.
Surrounded by breathtaking views of snow-covered mountaintops and cliffs dropping into the ocean, surfers from around the world come here 365 days a year, sometimes still in hippie-style vans, to try out the world-class waves.
"There's usually good waves here, the setting is intimate and the landscape takes your breath away, with the northern lights, the midnight sun, the snow...," explains Tommy Olsen, a 45-year-old "Viking" who has spent more than 20 years surfing.
"In the space of 24 hours, you can have a series of amazing experiences: you can snowboard during the day, surf in the evening, and watch the northern lights at night," he says.
The owner of a camping site with small red wooden cabins near the beach, Olsen also works as a surf instructor.
"All year, all I do is surf, either as a job or in my free time," he admits.
In summer, when the midnight sun lights up the region, aficionados are out on their boards day and night.
The water is an important element in the Lofoten Islands, a popular destination for travellers looking for pristine nature and wildlife, and an important fishing ground.
A stone's throw from the beach, thousands of cod heads are drying on giant wooden trestles, likely waiting for export to Africa where they will be ground up to be used as a nutritional supplement.
It was Tommy Olsen's father-in-law who first came up with the idea to introduce surfing in the archipelago in the early 1960s.
After returning from a long trip abroad, Thor Frantzen and a friend made their own surfboards out of styrofoam, wet newspaper and glue.
"We didn't have any money at the time," explains the 67-year-old pioneer.
AFP
