Embark on a cold-weather kitesurfing adventure in Norway with Camille Delannoy and Oswald Smith! In a country boasting the "Right to Roam," the team faces endless challenges in pursuit of the perfect kiting conditions. Despite it all, it's a trip the crew won't soon forget!

It's the boys' trip that keeps coming back. Camille, Ozzy, Vincent and Jop. Two pro riders fuelled by an injection of new challenges alongside two skilled cameramen in their own right. Each time faced with a blank slate. We were pretty pumped about the idea of going off the grid and being disconnected – it meant adventure, exploring unknown places, and tackling the inevitable challenges. 

In a country that's got the Allemannsretten – the "Right to Roam" – Norway was kind of perfect. Also known as "Everyman's Right", this law allows everyone to roam free on uncultivated land in Norway, including hiking and camping.

Our planning ranged from renting a camper to a rooftop tent and ended with a regular tent, resulting in a week of wild camping. And when it came to kiting in Norway at the fringe of winter, we didn't really know what to expect. Vin put it simply: "We're going to Norway, not even sure we'll kite, and we're camping."

Cold weather gear, rental cars, supplies, and new hiking boots for Ozzy filled our inventory. We even bought the indigenous Norwegian axe. Two flights brought us to Bodø, followed by a 3.5-hour ferry ride to Lofoten – the true starting point of the trip.

The view upon arrival was breathtaking, and just cinematic, really. A panorama of mountains, ridges, fishing villages, and dramatic clouds. An ever-changing play of light and shadow. Ozzy described it: "Massive sheering mountains hugged with a coat of white follicles and turquoise blue waters connecting the two. Magic in its purest form." Underway, we spotted fins, which later revealed themselves as a family of orcas, an unreal moment.

Yet, one by one, problems ensued. Our only 4x4 car smoked, forcing us to tow it. A "dry" car and a "wet" car was the plan, but now we had to rely on just one van as conditions grew progressively colder and wetter. Camping sites had to be chosen carefully, providing wind shelter without straying from potential kiting spots. But in the end, those spots had the flakiest conditions of all.

Forecasted 20 knots often meant no wind or gusty offshore conditions. The wind's unpredictable nature, influenced by mountain winds or landscape contrasts, meant our kites were dropping out of nowhere, leaving us stranded – or shoving us toward rocks. We had to ditch the forecast and play it by ear.

We looked for waves around Rambergstranda, passing Flakstad beach – a known surf spot – over 20 times. Flakstad became a daily mantra. The running joke became, "Let's try Flakstad again." Like, "Oh do you know Flakstad?" And everyone was like, "Oh, Flakstad, yeah, Flakstad."

Once or twice, there came a point where everyone felt done, wondering if it may have been a botched trip with hardly any kiting. Camping has this way of pulling a group together, though, a kind of bond none of us saw coming. No matter how down we got, someone was always there with a joke or laugh, a coping mechanism that kept the pneuma alive, poking fun at the absurd sequence of events we kept finding ourselves in.

Luckily, against all odds, there came this transformative moment we'd all been waiting for. The winds were on our side, and a majestic fjord with its crystal-clear, 50-meter-deep waters became our playground.

The challenges, the cold, the rain, everything just faded into the background as we began prepping our things. Camille and Ozzy hit the water, their kites painting strokes against the sky, and began checking off their tricks one by one. 

Camille remembered: "It was raining; it was about five degrees, but everyone was super stoked. I think that's really one of the highlights of the trip. I think that was really, really cool."

Vin and Jop, cameras in hand, captured it all, knowing it was the defining moment of the trip. There we were, on the shoreline, high-fives, laughter, beers, and a shared sigh of relief weaving through the air – this was it.

At the campsite that night, a backdrop of waterfalls and snow-covered fjords brought everything into focus. At 2 a.m., we lit up a fire, made food, and reminisced about the week's adventures. We knew we'd miss these out-there camping experiences once we returned home.

Reflecting on the intensity of the cold, Camille described: "You go to the tent at night, cold and wet. You wake up, still cold, still wet. In the car, everything's wet, and put your wetsuit on; it's wet."

Despite the cold in-between moments, our gear really saved the day. On land, we relied on the Dark Tech Series. For the water, we donned our warmest wetsuit, the Voltt 6/4/3, and Supreme neoprene accessories.

Our daily lives are filled with so many distractions that it was refreshing to step back and just savor life without all the interruptions. It allows us to focus on one thing at a time, even when things are challenging. 

Those are the moments you realize it was all worth it. Despite the lows, we had a really good energy going on. Everyone was happy to be there and motivated to make things happen. It was like the lows made you enjoy the highs even more. We brought back a deepened appreciation for simplicity. 

Ozzie summed it up: "I've never smiled so much and laughed so much in my life. I probably aged 10 years on this trip."

 

Videos

MYSTIC | Right to Roam, NORWAY
By Lydia Meester

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