The Faroe Islands are an archipelago between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic that lie 200 miles north-northwest of Scotland and about halfway between Norway and Iceland. Self governing but part of the Kingdom of Denmark, the Faroes are little known for windsurfing but Jamie Hancock, Nic Hibdige and Kenneth Danielsen made an explorative trip to discover more about the islands of the far north.
DISCOVERY - JAMIE HANCOCK
“The Faroe Islands are one of those places I was always interested in but never really knew too much about. Looking at the position of the islands on the map it certainly looked promising. I never really like to go on wild goose chases, which can often lead to wasting days searching for something that could lead to nothing. But for this trip it was more about a voyage of discovery. From all the research, everything I saw was that it was breathtakingly beautiful. So no matter what we would get to at least spend some time in a place that as a windsurfer or not, would be a great experience.
The other focus of the trip was for video and photography. As I recently became an ambassador for Lumix, I set out with another filmmaker / photographer to capture everything we could in a week. We wanted to put the cameras to the test in all sorts of conditions and showcase how well the Lumix cameras and lenses perform.
My research for the windsurfing was done purely from Google and Google Earth, which was a first for me. I spent weeks scrolling through different photographers’ pictures to see if there were any real waves breaking in the background. I even was going through the coastal properties on Airbnb, which showed a few stormy pictures with possible wave locations. We were also helped by the guys at ‘Visit Faroe Islands’ who are some of the most helpful and organised people I’ve ever dealt with. If you are ever wanting to visit the Faroe Islands then check out their website, they have all the information you could possibly need. We rented two vans to carry all our gear from ‘Reyni Service’ who are based in Torshavn, the main city. We also stayed in the capital Torshavn throughout our trip, as it is a nice central place to venture from each day.
FIELD WORK
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
New School
Slingshot’s windsurfing brand manager, Wyatt Miller, has noticed that kids are drawn to playing with wings and puts forward an interesting case as to why he thinks this could help entice them and others into windsurfing.
Changes
Wave sailor Flo Jung reflects on our changed world during his lockdown in Germany.
THE LAST WAVE
Lockdown stirred the creative juices of reader Björn Alfthan, who peers into the future to present a fictional story set in the wild waves of Norway, five years from now.
STILL IN THE GAME
After a horrific fracture in his leg from a crashed aerial in 2018, Alessio Stillrich is back! John Carter talks to the highflyer from Gran Canaria about his move to the Simmer team, recovering from injury and how he learned to windsurf in Gran Canaria!
MOVE ON UP - GET ON THE FRONT FOOT
This month we look at how our front foot weighting can affect and improve different aspects of our main windsurfing moves.
SOUTH' KIPA
Nik tweaking it over home waters.
A NEW NORMAL
On a trip to La Tranche-sur-Mer in France last year, Tris Best estimated over 80% of the windsurfers were foiling. This summer in Portland Harbour, foiling activity has increased dramatically too he reports. With the market offering plenty of choice to recreational windfoilers, our test team check out some of the latest foil offerings.
TACKING – THE SEQUEL
Having given you time to practice, Harty concludes his tacking series by critiquing various tacking options, including the carve tack, as well as offering solutions to common slip-ups.
‘NO VAPOUR TRAILS TO SCAR THE SKY' *
Realising we may be about to enter an extraordinary period in our lives, Harty decided to keep a windsurf-centric lockdown diary. Here are some of his choice excerpts.
REDEMPTION DAY!
Renowned for its windsurfing and variety of spots to sail at, Kimmerdige Bay is a wave sailing jewel on the south coast of England. Timo Mullen gives a guide to its shores while reflecting on why a recent session there was a reminder that there is no place like home!