Wave hunting in Iceland

Surfing in Iceland is not for the faint of heart. Nor, for that matter, is it for the sane. Yet, a score of locals (according to a 2018 government census) engage in such shenanigans on a regular basis.

FOR WHOM THE SWELL BREAKS

In veteran surfer Ingólfur Olsen, and his tour company Arctic Surfers, we find the main catalyst behind the ongoing effort to lure thrill seeking travelers into the whirlpool of madness hidden in the sub-zero waters off the rock-riddled, Icelandic shoreline. Ingó, as he is affectionately known to everyone but his birth certificate, is as levelheaded as he’s passionate about his trade, and he’s quick to point out to this sensationalist reporter that in all their years of operation, Arctic Surfers has not suffered a single accident nor minor mishap to any of their clientele, thus cutting any further hyperbole in this piece off at the knees.

Ingó is a stout man of humble beginnings. One who found his way from skate park to surf spot by way of countless bowls of noodle soup, and a pit stop as a top, local snowboarder. His success in the surf tourism business is the product of a dozen or two years, and countless miles spent chasing storm patterns down myriad coastal highways and byways, combined with a stint as an action sports tour guide during the era when the economic collapse morphed into a raging tourism boom.

PADDLING EVER ONWARDS

In Ingó’s retelling, the Arctic Surfers company doesn’t seem to have been definitively formed at any certain point in time but is rather the result of a thousand waves of experience crashing at the doorsteps of himself and erstwhile co-founder Erlendur Þór Magnússon. The turning point came in 2012 when Ingó decided: “Fudge it, we might as well have a go at making this a full-time gig!” and he hasn’t looked back since.

In this day and age, diversification is key to long-term success. So, while customized group adventures for straight-up wave surfing is still the bread and butter of the Arctic Surfers brand, SUP, or stand up paddle boarding, is a popular option for wilderness exploration suited equally for the less athletically gifted as the rare breed of genetic lottery winners out there. Other options and services include multi-day snowboarding/surfing combo deals (“hold the avalanche, please!”) on the breathtaking Tröllaskagi peninsula, and, of particular interest to you, the fancy Hollywood exec perusing this in the comfort of your XXL seat up front, Media Production assistance for various film and advert projects include Red Bull, Mazda and the epic, cold water surfing bonanza that is Under an Arctic Sky.

BETWEEN A WAVE AND A HARD PLACE

With Mr. Magnússon long since flown the coop for a career as a professional photographer, Arctic Surfers currently provides the equivalent of two and a half full time, year-round, positions for the big kahuna himself and a team of three aides. But the future of Ingó Olsen and his company hangs in a sort of static limbo in between ambition for growth and inhibition imposed by the fierce territorialism displayed by local crews the world over in a sport otherwise considered almost sloth-like in its attitude. A war of the wills, if you’d like, between those chasing the laid-back dream of secluded breaks, and those guarding their existing one against foreign hordes— with Ingó Olsen stuck in the middle as a sole mediator and makeshift international surf diplomat.

IT IS WHAT IT IS

But as expected, Ingó Olsen takes it all in zen-like stride. At the end of the day, he wasn’t put on this earth to make bank, but merely to make it over to the other side in one piece, while picking up good vibrations and giving the excitations to as many surfstarved souls as he can humanly muster. If you’re feeling crowded and put upon somewhere among the popular haunts of the Golden Circle trail, why not man up and give him a holler through www.arcticsurfers.com. I mean, what’s the worst that could happen?

by Bogi Bjarnason Photo: ElliThor, courtesy of Arctic Surfers