Viking Magazine - April 2017 - 15

the time I was looking for something
besides 'tropical,' " he says. " That
whole northern region is known for
waves but wasn't really explored at the
time. And I don't mind the cold. "
Under the
Northern
Lights in the
West Fjords
of Iceland.
has been there to surf eight times. The
30-year-old Los Angeles resident, who's
been riding for 17 years, took his first
trip to Norway and the Arctic Circle
in 2007.
" I stopped surfing competitively to
pursue a career as a freesurfer*, and at
Braving the Elements
Even though the cold doesn't bother
some as much as others, there's no
denying it makes things challenging.
The frigid water temperatures in the
winter months rarely top 40 degrees.
" It's challenging, " says Burkard. " I
think the coldest water I've been in
was in Norway. And it wasn't so much
because of the water temperature, but
because of the air and the wind. "
" I remember being so cold, so numb,
that I couldn't feel really anything
at all, " he says. " I just had this
overwhelming feeling that my body was
starting to shut down. "
To withstand the bitter conditions,
anyone in the water must don a hooded
neoprene wetsuit that covers the entire
body except for the face, as well as
Know Your Boards
Wearing a heavy neoprene suit while surfing in the Arctic can
affect the type of board the surfers use. The material of the board
remains the same as when the surfers ride in warm weather. But
since the athletes weigh more while wearing the suit, they usually
add a little foam for flotation, says professional surfer Patrick
Millin. As for the style of surfboard, most tend to go with a hybrid
surfboard. Millin says in Hawaii, for example, since the waves are
very powerful, surfers usually use a shorter board that offers more
precision. Since waves in Norway are often " not perfect, " riders
need a board with a versatile shape that works in all conditions.
thick gloves and booties. The rubber
suits, which are about 5 to 6 millimeters
thick, and foot coverings require surfers
to approach their sport differently than
they would in warm conditions.
Millin says when his body is covered
" there's no connection to the surfboard
whatsoever. Even to the water.
When you're surfing, you're in this
environment that's changing, so you're
using your senses, and a lot of it is your
hearing. When you have the hood on
it blocks your hearing, so there's this
massive disconnect. "
" And of course, wearing all the
rubber, you can't feel the water or your
board, " he says. " It's a strange feeling.
You get to your feet and you're like,
'OK, I'm standing up,' and I guess it's
more sense-memory than going off of
the feel. "
Millin says that every time he surfs
in a cold climate, it takes a solid week
to acclimate to it again. Because of the
suit, " there's so much more weight. It
takes a while to get footing correct. "
5'2''- 6'4''
5'5'' - 6'4''
6' or more
6'6'' - 8'
8' - 9'
6' - 10'
Viking Magazine - April 2017

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Viking Magazine - April 2017
