Surfing in Norway

“I wake up a couple of hours before sunrise, grab a coffee, and do some stretching before I head to the surf break. I watch the sun rise on the horizon. The light is magical, and the waves are rolling in. I am surrounded by snow, sun and good friends.”

This is how Hallvard Kolltveit, one of Norway’s best surf photographers, describes a perfect day in the office.

The wave hunter

In recent years Kolltveit has travelled the world to document some of the world’s best surfers. He has lived in Hawaii and Portugal and has spent months in tropical paradises all around the globe.

“As a photographer, I like to capture dimensions. I once heard a photographer call it ‘little surfer, big landscape’. So when I started specializing in surf photography, I was immediately drawn to places like Iceland and Norway, rather than ‘typical’ tropical islands. To me, Lofoten is simply the prettiest place on earth.”

To capture the raw beauty of the sport, Kolltveit jumps in the freezing water with the surfers and swims around with his camera in big waves and fast-paced action.

What is it like working as a surf photographer in Norway?
“First of all, you have to be in the right place at the right time. To make a living out of it, you can’t live more than a couple of hours drive from the waves. While a football field looks pretty much the same 365 days a year, the ocean changes every second. You never know what to expect, especially not in Norway, where the weather changes all the time. You definitely need a bit of stubbornness and patience. You must withstand ice-cold days in February and stormy days in November. I guess they call it passion.”

What’s the Norwegian surf culture like?
“I have to point out that I haven’t been in the surf community for 30 years like some have. There are people who have worked hard for decades and spent plenty of time mapping the coastline, cleaning beaches, and setting up an infrastructure to make surfing a safe, fun, and sustainable sport. The fact that these ardent souls let people like me take part in the activity and the community they for a long time, could enjoy by themselves, says a lot about how open, cool, and incredible they are. Basically, all of my closest friends are involved in the surf community somehow, which is another thing I love about surfing. No matter where I go in Norway or the rest of the world, I always have friends to hang out with.”

Why surfing?
“There is something about being in the ocean, totally devoid of technology: No phone, laptop, or Wi-Fi. To be completely at the mercy of the elements. That definitely gives you a rush. Another cool thing about surfing is that no matter where you are in the world, you know that the person who’s rocking up next to you in the parking lot – whether it’s in an SUV or in a Volvo 240 – is looking for the exact same thing as you.”

Kolltveit’s top 3 surf spots in Norway

Get introduced to some of the highlights.