The other day I went surfing at Bore beach, possibly one of the prettiest sand beaches in Norway.
I always find such peace being at Bore beach. Whenever I am there, it is normally to go for a walk, but last week my friend, Tina, took me surfing – which was an amazing experience – both recreational and nature wise.
Magical surroundings
The weather was crazy – it shifted from sunny to shady to rainy and then finally to this magical mix of it all. Luckily I had brought a GoPro camera and managed to capture some shots of the beautiful scenery.
The view from the sand dunes. Can you spot Tina somewhere out there in the waves?
Enjoying the beautiful effects of the crazy weather.
At one point there was no telling where the ocean stopped and the sky started. The clouds were dark and threatening while sunrays were peaking through the sky and into the ocean. We felt like we were in the middle of a spectacular painting – it was such a great feeling being in the water surrounded by all those wonderful sights that nature brought upon us.
Dark clouds and bright sunrays - a beautiful mix.
We could barely tell the sky and the ocean apart from each other.
Standing up for the first time
My friend Tina is a keen surfer and has surfed in Australia, Hawaii, Sri Lanka and Brazil to mention some places. Hitting the waves at Bore, I was well aware of the fact that there would be a great difference in the level of our surfing skills. Nevertheless, I jumped into the ocean and did my very best.
Ready to hit the water.
I have only tried surfing twice before: once in Byron Bay in Australia during summertime and once in Norway during winter. This time, I actually managed, for the first time, to stand up on the board while catching a wave - yay! After this little triumph of mine, I am keen to continue practicing and learning more - do feel free to hand over some tips for beginners!
The sun sets late – or not even at all
For me, one of the great things about surfing in Norway is that you (realistically) don’t have to worry about sharks. I still did of course - I can’t shake the feeling of a shark emerging from the surface – no matter how unlikely I know it is. I am going to have to work on that!
Anyhow, in Norway the sun doesn’t set until around midnight in the summer, so you can surf your way into the night while it’s still sunny out. If you go all the way up north, the sun won’t set at all!
During summer in Norway, this is what it's like until around midnight - and all night up north.
Snacking with a view
After having played in the waves for a few hours, Tina and I dragged our boards out of the water for coffee and snacks. I love eating in the outdoors; everything tastes so much better when eaten outside, and especially after having indulged in physical activity.
Enjoying coffee and fruit in between surfing.
My kind of meal!
We drank coffee from a thermos, chatted and ate melon whilst relaxing on our surfboards. After having regained some energy, we hit the waves again. The water held around 16 degrees Celsius, so we had geared up in wet suits, including shoes - that is the Norwegian summer for you right there! Luckily the wet suits kept us warm – and we could carry on for quite a while longer.
Tina ready to catch some waves.
Despite the water being colder than in more tropical destinations, Norway is a great location for surfing. The Jær beaches, where you find Bore, are heavily used by local – as well as visiting – surfers from across the world. In 2017 The European Championship is actually to be held there.
Anyhow, I am excited to try surfing again – I am definitely on the verge of being bitten by the bug!
- Live