"It's just perfect." Despite air and water temperatures in the single digits, the 27-year-old student and surfer points out two other surfers - and a couple of seals- delighting in the conditions at Þorlákshöfn in south-west Iceland.
This spot, where surfers can enjoy either the midnight sun or the northern lights, depending on the time of year, has become the heart of Iceland's rapidly growing surfing community.
As well as being one of the country's only accessible point breaks (when wave swell strikes a point of land), it boasts unique scenery - the backdrop features several volcanoes - and consistently good waves. With its close proximity to Reykjavík, it has become a destination for local people, professionals and tourists.
Chris Burkard, the photographer and director of the documentary Under an Arctic Sky, describes it as the "perfect point break" and says in many parts of the world it would be considered "near sacred".
But just a few metres away from the wave, the sight of diggers and piled-up rocks is a reminder that this surfing haven is at imminent risk of being taken away.
Under plans approved by the municipal council yesterday, the neighbouring harbour is to be expanded so it can accommodate cargo, passenger and cruise ships up to 200m long.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة November 03, 2023 من The Guardian.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة November 03, 2023 من The Guardian.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
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