Norway: Christo’s search for the perfect wave
2007 - 2008
Torpedo shaped shadows with white streaks litter the waters of Lofoten. A feeding frenzy is taking place. It’s not chaotic. It’s sophisticated in its very nature. A school of herring are circled by several pods of killer whales who work together. The school is compressed. Killer whales move in and strike the herring unconscious with a swing of their tails. Then one by one the orcas bite the heads from the herring and enjoy the remains. Several hours later the sea finally subsides into calmness. All that is left is some herring oil floating on the surface and a few dead herrings.
Just around the corner, two Australian surfers are about to find nirvana.
Christo Hall, a professional surfer from Narrabeen decided to drop in on his good friend Todd Austin in Bodo (pronounced Buddha).
Christo was on his way to the world tour in Europe - England, France, Spain and Portugal so he thought it a great opportunity to see Todd and his Norwegian girlfriend, Maria.
Todd had been in Norway for a year snowboarding. He’d gleaned some tips from locals during this time as to where there were some surf spots. He thought Norwegian surfers to be a breed unto their own. Stories about how surfing started in the sixties with boards copied from Beach Boys albums and no wetsuits show the Norwegian surfers either to be the hardiest in the world or ones who like to have a joke with you.
The inside info was that there were waves to be found in Lofoten. So Christo and Todd decided to make the journey.
Christo, Todd and Maria took a four hour ferry ride with the Subaru station wagon to what Christo termed, “the land of blotches.” This was so named because the map just showed a large number of blotches with never ending tunnels, bridges, and amazingly sheer mountains and fiords.
The trio set out with their boards strapped on to the roof. On lookers stared. They weren’t sure what to make of these strange beings from Down Under with their fibreglass travelling companions. I guess they haven’t seen many surfers before.
Christo described the scenery as amazing. He said, “There were pristine fishing villages untouched by time, sheer mountains which went up almost as far as you could see, lush green farms, pine trees and that Norsca feeling in the air. Yet every place we went, the waves were flat. Then, after three hours of driving we came to this great little left hander. It was 2 - 3 foot and perfectly peeling.”
Christo and Todd ran down to the water and put their toes in. Their big toes went blue. Yet this didn’t deter these hardy surfers. There were waves and that was what mattered.
They raced back to the car and put on two 3.2 mm wetsuits each. Unfortunately they didn’t come very prepared. Next time Christo says he would bring booties and hood.
Christo paddled out first on his six foot Simon Anderson named ’Bruiser’. Todd hung back to take some photos from the rocks.
“It was quite eerie being at this break with just a few farms in front of me and deep green water. I felt like a sea monster was going to poke his head out of the water at any stage,” said Christo.
Christo and Todd surfed for an hour, with the only people in sight being those who stopped to take their photos.
It was the best surf Christo had ever had. Why? They’d journeyed so hard and didn’t think there were going to be any waves. Then when all hope seemed lost there was a perfect small peeling wave.
After the surf, they ran out of the water, turned on the radio and there was Yothu Yindi singing ‘Puffed Wheat. They cranked it up as loud as it could go and started singing along like two crazy kids. The only thing missing from this perfect day was a steaming hot meat pie and sauce.
“It was the best preparation I’ve had for the world tour. Everything was easy after that and I went on to win it. Just joking,” Christo says with a childlike naughtiness.
At the ferry wharf on the way back, Christo and Todd met some fisherman types who told them a few good yarns as well as the information that they were surfing around the corner from killer whales.
“I definitely had a creepy feeling when I was out there,” Christo recollects. I don’t know what I would have done if I’d seen a pod of killer whales descending on me.”
The killer whales love playing ‘chicken,’ swimming towards humans at top speed, then diving at the last minute. Although Christo may have had a shock, he looks nothing like a herring so I think his head would have stayed in tact.
So if you’re thinking about starting your surf career in Norway, it might be good to keep the following in mind. To be a surfer in Norway you do have to be pretty tough. But what else would you expect from Viking stock. Norwegians are tough. Even before Viking times, during the stone age, the people were resilient. They survived on fishing and hunting. The area was filled with deer, bear, wild reindeer, lynx and beaver, and the sea was full of fish, seals and whales.
The best surf in Norway is definitely found around the Lofoten islands. They’re located above the Artic Circle in the north. All the islands of Lofoten are surrounded by strong tidal currents. Moskenesstrømmen between Lofotodden and Værøy is the most famous of them. Although, the water is not as cold as what you would imagine as it is here that the cold, nutrient-rich Arctic currents meet the warmer Atlantic currents and the Gulf Stream.
Forget Killer Whales. They’re nothing compared to the Maelstrom. This is one of the world’s strongest tidal currents. It flows across a strait of approximately five kilometres and 60 metres in depth, It fills up twice a day with the difference between low and high tide being up to four metres. Midway between high and low tides, the current changes direction and whirlpools with speeds of up to six knots start to appear. Author’s such as Petter Dass, Edgar Allan Poe and Jules Verne, describe this stretch of sea as a current that howls, that rumbles like a buffalo herd on the prairie, and that drags ships under, smashing them to smithereens against the sea bed.
Still keen? Then head to Norway in September and October before the vicious storms of the Norwegian Sea and Arctic Ocean gain full strength. Any later and the days get really short and the weather is more suitable for inside activities by a fire rather than out in the ocean.
As mentioned, surfers are tough. So if you’re going to surf Norway, then forget that five star hotel, it’s the sleeping bag for you. Campsites are dotted around the islands and they very often rent simple cabins with cooking facilities. The larger towns have some hotels. Having your own transport and your own roof racks are essential. Cars and bicycles can be rented in larger places such as Svolvaer.
Meat pies can be hard to find. So if you’re looking to fill up on some tasty fare. Do as the locals and start the day with geitost sweet brown goat cheese accompanied by pickled herring. Great protein to get you primed for your surf. Or you could be less adventurous and sample the grilled or smoked salmon, reker (boiled shrimp) and torsk (cod) which are all found in abundance.
The best thing about surfing in Norway is the crowd factor. There is none! The worst thing is the temperature so pack a five millimetre wetsuit, hood, booties and gloves.
If The Surf Is Flat: Go to Hell. It’s a small train station with a few houses and a handful of people 30 km east of Trondheim. Grab a photo to proved you’ve been to Hell and back.
There’s plenty of other cultural injections you can find around Lofoten. There’s the Vikingmuseum at Borg. It’s the only place where a Viking Chieftain’s farm has been found. This farm was established around 500 AD. Also on display are two Vikingships, a blacksmith’s house, and archaeological exhibitions.
Feeling like stepping back 6000 years then visit the Storbåthallaren Cave It’s the oldest known stone-age settlement in Lofoten. Inside the cave there are thick layers where archaeological finds have been used to piece together the life of the Stone Age people.
And for a truly cosmic adventure extend your visit through to late autumn and winter to catch the northern lights.
I’m told Norwegian surfers still surf during this time so bring on the ice cream headaches and 10 mm steamers.
ends
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