If you are a young Danish guy, who lives, breathes and eats surfing every second of your life, then Denmark probably isn’t the ideal place to live in.
The waves here are like a lot over other places: created by the wind, and most of the time, the conditions are difficult. It’s cold and quite chaotic, and the days where it all comes together in certain spots are quite rare.
Despite all that, Chris Hartkopp, the Danish surf champion, has made something very special for himself.
Chris grew up living very close to the ocean and developed into a pure ocean spirit at a very young age. Like many others, he fell quickly in love with surfing. Chris began to explore the Danish waves, and over the years he became a very talented surfer.
Today Chris is 21-years-old. He’s the first Dane ever to qualify for the European tour, and that path hasn’t been devoid of challenges. Every single day is a struggle for Chris, never knowing where the money is coming from for the next competition and search for waves.
I’ve been following Chris for a while now, and I’ve found that he is a sponsor’s dream: always 100% stoked, following every single potential low pressure, and always in search for the next swell. For Chris, there is not such thing as bailing out because it’s too rough, too big or even too cold.
So when Chris called me up and asked me if he could persuade me to shoot a couple of photos of him during an incredible cold surf session, I couldn’t resist.
When we drove south from Copenhagen, the temperature showed minus 5 degrees Celsius, or about 23 degrees Fahrenheit . And that wasn’t the worst of it. There was a full-fledged snow storm, and we were struggling just to get to the beach.
It’s well known that the Danes have a history which can be traced back to the Vikings – a brutal and tough people – and I sometimes wonder if Chris’s great-grandfather was one of these tough Vikings.
Chris really surprised me during this surf session. During the course of it, he showed so much enthusiasm and Viking spirit. So if you ever wonder how we Danes do it… then check out how Chris does it.
