This year winter came early for me. I found it in the frozen archipelago of Svalbard; hunkered in the Norwegian Sea between the northern cap of Norway and the North Pole. I have to say it really couldn’t come soon enough; Svalbard is in my heart and I feel at home in this ice world.
I love the town, the nature and also the people who live there. Sval-bard is the home of the polar bear where for most of the year, the mountains sit shrouded under a cover of snow and ice. From the first time I set foot on the place on a snow kite expedition last winter, I felt a strong connection. But, I had yet to hit the water on my sup so this new adventure had been simmering away on my bucket list for some time now.
I landed early October and the snow had just arrived. It was just how I remembered it from last year. The soaring mountains dominating the view all the way down to the ocean. The cosy little town already with a thick dusting of snow. It felt like I was home again.
This time my bag was paced with kit for the ocean but there was so much snow I could have brought my skis along and made a biathlon of it. I had my fingers crossed for some clear weather, but when it comes to sunny days in Svalbard you need a bit of luck.
EXPLORING THE NORTH.
This story is from the ISSUE 22 - WINTER 2018 edition of SUP International.
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This story is from the ISSUE 22 - WINTER 2018 edition of SUP International.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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At this time of year, the rate of infection for colds and flu normally tends to slow down as we enter warmer, springtime months. However, if you’ve been anywhere at all in the world recently, then there’s one word you can’t escape at the moment: Coronavirus. Infection rates, mortality rates and prognostic data are changing daily at the moment. As a new virus none of us have previously been exposed to it, meaning that currently, we have no immunity to it. It’s only through being infected by a virus that our bodies are able to make the right antibodies to not only enable us to recover but to also help protect us from any recurrent and future infection from it. If you’re keen to stay well and keep getting out on your SUP board this spring, then focussing on boosting your immune system is a positive step to take.
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In 2019, the Polar Bear showed the world his teeth. After a fourth place in the toughest SUP race in the world, the Red Bull Heavy Water, the now 19-year old Christian Anderson became World Champion in November in the Technical Race at the ISA World Championships in El Salvador. He also won the U-18 title on the Euro Tour with an 11th place overall. What’s behind the young Dane's rise to power?
SHADENFREUDE
TEST REPORTS
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Magical. Mystical. Epic.
Alexandra is a club ambassador and SUP racer for Bray Lake; relatively new to the SUP scene she completed her first race season in 2019. She participated in her first international event, the Gla Gla, 2020, and placed 1st Brit, 8th lady and 81st overall, out of a mass start of 637 paddlers. Here she shares the highlights of her first Gla Gla experience.
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