My experience windsurfing in the Faroe Islands is something that will stick with me forever. For starters, the place is utterly beautiful. Everywhere you look seems like it was taken right from post card. However, I must admit that I wasn’t prepared for the arctic conditions. It was brutal, to say the very least. The waves, the currents, the wind, the large cliffs, the rocks, the harsh weather… it was all so overwhelming. I really believed that if something went wrong, I would be gone forever. It was a relief to feel solid ground under my feet again.
The idea to visit the Faroe Islands came from the good fellas at Shrick, along with my photographer, Sergio, who had been there twice already. He always talked about how beautiful the place was. I had never been there and I was up for the challenge. Still, no amount of preparation could ready me for the crazy adventure I was about to embark on.
The water temperature was a staggering 35 degrees Fahrenheit, and the air: 32 degrees. It was literally snowing while I surfed. Even with a 5:3 millimeter wetsuit, booties, gloves, and hoody, I was pretty much in pain the entire time. It was extra tough being that I was so used to surfing in West Africa and the Canary Islands.
Surfing aside, the locals were super friendly, no matter where we went. We had some amazing dinners, drinks, and stories with some of the locals. They all thought I was a bit out of my mind to go into their waters and waves, as many of them are fisherman and feared their waters more than anything else (understandably, of course, as many of them had lost friends and family to that ocean). To the best of my knowledge there was one other wind surfer on the island. All the locals think the guy is a complete lunatic. He is.
Despite the conditions, I’m excited to go back. We discovered one reef break that holds very, very big waves, and I’d love to check it out one day. With the right gear, of course.
