Kari Schibevaag heads out to the Lofoten Islands, which are becoming increasingly popular with water sports enthusiasts. Stunning scenery and crystal clear waters await you!

The mountains are tall and steep; the beaches are covered with white sand and surrounded by crystal-clear water. There are no people around and you know there is a real chance you can paddle surrounded by Nature and silence at this intensely beautiful spot!

The board glides through the crystal clear water, and you have the view all to yourself. This is how it used to be, things have changed this season.

Why has the Arctic suddenly become so popular? Is it the mind-blowing images people see on Instagram and Facebook that suddenly made the Arctic a part of everybody’s bucket-list? Before, everybody went to the Caribbean and other exotic and warm places with palm-trees.

Have people seen pictures from the Arctic and thought: “I want to see this for myself?” Paddle at that beach, hang from that rock, camp on that mountain and swim in the Arctic Ocean. Instagram and Facebook have put the small places on the world map and made them more popular.

For me, the Arctic is the most beautiful place to be. It has everything I love. All kinds of weather, crazy conditions, beautiful nature to play in. I can do everything I want. But it is changing so fast.

When I came to Lofoten for the first time, paddleboarding wasn’t so popular, certainly in this remote part of the world! I remember some guys from Oslo asked me; “What are you doing up there? Why do you want to be up in the cold?” They sort-of laughed at me. Now they are taking their holydays up north, and it´s my time to smile and give them thumbs up.

I know why I am so in love with this place. The mountains, the beaches and all the weather we get. Every day is a surprise. You never know what you will get. Even if the forecast says something, you can never trust it. You can plan as much as you like, but in the end, the weather can be something completely different. You just have to put on the right clothes and decide to do it anyway.

Lofoten is an archipelago of islands, and there are so many places to paddle, depending on what you want, waves can be found on some beaches, dare I say world class ones too. Equally, if you want to go for a cruise on the flats, you might be lucky enough to see killer whales up close!

It is cool to see the changes we get up here. People ask me when to go, but this is just a question of what you want. We have four seasons, and they are all outstanding, depending on what you are after. They all have something special about them.

Summer has the midnight sun and beautiful colours all night long. Sometimes there are days with over 20 degrees, but normally it is around 13 degrees in the summer.

Autumn is a little colder, the days are a little shorter, and there are fewer people around. It has beautiful colours, and the northern lights are dancing over the sky again. You still have plenty of daylight to play with, but it is getting darker in the evenings. You can hike and find berries, and the water temperature is a bit warmer.

Winter has the golden hour light in the middle of the day. It is like a sunset that goes on for hours. During the night, the northern lights will amaze you when it puts on its magical show in the sky. To SUP, and surf in these conditions is just a crazy experience. The snow is coming and you can snow-kite in the mountains or on the ocean. It is a special feeling to stay in the water when there is snow surrounding you.

Spring lets you ski in the mountains. Longer days and also some northern lights can still be seen in the sky. The colours are a bit brown after the winter, but it is a beautiful quiet time in Lofoten, it also gets warmer. It is not easy to find open camping sites this time of year, but you have a better chance to get a place to stay in the limited accommodation or to free camp along the coast.

The best thing about Lofoten and the north of Norway is that there are so many places to paddle. You can hike around and find beaches on the other side of the mountain you did not know existed and there will be empty perfect waves waiting for you.

This is what makes it so special to me. New spots, new views and new experiences. It is what I love about life in the Arctic.

By Kari Schibevaag

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