Frosty Shores, Flashy Green Horizons: The Thrill of Winter Surfing

Unstad and Utakleiv, located on the Lofoten islands, is a favorite site with surfers: a vast open horizon with snow-capped peaks on either side of the beach.

The water is just four degrees Celsius, but dedicated surfers hit the waves almost every day off the coast of these Norwegian islands above the Arctic Circle.

These surfers brave the freezing weather as the air temperature can drop to a chilly minus 15 Celsius, but the beautiful scenery, bigger and consistent waves and uncrowded beaches are some of the reasons why surfers love to come to this remote part of the world.

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A surfer riding a wave in northern Norway, Lofoten islands, within the Arctic Circle as the air temperature drops to minus 13°C and the water temperature is just above 4°C.

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Surfers attend a surfing course on March 10, 2018 in Unstad, northern Norway, Lofoten islands, within the Arctic Circle as the air temperature drops to minus 13°C and the water temperature is just above 4°C.

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A surfer rides waves under snowfall on March 11, 2018, in Unstad, northern Norway, Lofoten islands, within the Arctic Circle.

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Myrtille Heissat from France rides a SUP (Stand Upp Paddle) under Northern Lights, on March 8, 2018 in Unstad northern Norway, Lofoten islands, within the Arctic Circle.

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A surfer puts his board away after a surfing session, on March 11, 2018, in Unstad, northern Norway, Lofoten islands, within the Arctic Circle.

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A surfer rides a wave on March 10, 2018 in Unstad, northern Norway, Lofoten islands, within the Arctic Circle as the air temperature drops to minus 13°C and the water temperature is just above 4°C.

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Emilie Klerud from Norway poses after a surf session, on March 11, 2018, in Unstad northern Norway, Lofoten islands, within the Arctic Circle as the air temperature drops to minus 13°C and the water temperature just above 4°C.

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A surfer rides a wave on March 10, 2018, in Unstad, northern Norway, Lofoten islands, within the Arctic Circle.

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A surfer carries his surfboard on a bicycle under snowfall, on March 11, 2018, in Unstad, northern Norway, Lofoten islands, within the Arctic Circle as the air temperature drops to minus 13°C and the water temperature is just above 4°C.

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Surfers look at the water from ice plates, on March 5, 2018 in Henningsvaer, northern Norway, Lofoten islands, within the Arctic Circle.

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A surfer looks at Northern Lights on March 9, 2018 in Utakleiv, northern Norway, Lofoten islands, within the Arctic Circle.