The Stoke of Swedish Surf
When you think of surfing you might imagine perfect barrels, crystal clear waters and dolphins. When you think of Sweden, you probably think of meatballs, IKEA and green forests filled with blueberries and elks.
I don’t think many people associate surfing with Sweden. But a few of us Swedes do, especially when we’re really lucky and the weather Gods offers us some strong onshore winds and storms.
In Sweden there’s no groundswell and the surf conditions might not be world class, but the stoke amongst the Swedish surfers definitely is.
Sea temperatures close to freezing point, snow and hail, jellyfish, ankle high choppy waves
Sea temperatures close to freezing point, snow and hail, jellyfish, ankle high choppy waves – none of this stops the average Swedish surfer from getting into the water to hit the surf. Although, it took me a couple of years to find that Swedish-surf-stoke.
As many other Swedish surfers I fell in love with the sport in the warm waters of Bali, where there’s always a wave to ride and a board to rent.
Surfing in Sweden isn’t really like that. I’ve spent countless hours in cars with my friends searching for waves, often to be left disappointed and let down. The forced abstinence grows.
I have also probably spent as many hours in the bathtub trying to warm up again after a freezing session in the middle of the winter. But the happiness when you finally get a couple of really nice waves in a place you didn’t expect, is really rewarding and definitely makes up for all the wasted journeys.
Sweden might not be the destination you choose for your next surf holiday, but if you do come here and are lucky enough to score some surf I bet you’ll see the charm and the stoke of the Swedish surfers. If there are waves around, you can be sure there is someone trying to surf it.
If you’re curios to know more about surfing in Sweden you can visit my blog www.surfsyster.se/en where you can follow me on my surf trips in Sweden and around the globe.
Nice! Really sums up the stoke needed to get some decent surf in Sweden. Only thing missing to top it up is the 1 month, 1000kr dingrepairs. lovely
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