Denmark

The region

North-west Jutland has a nickname that has stuck: Cold Hawaii. The label is marketing, but it points at something real — the coast around Klitmøller, Hanstholm and Agger juts far enough into the North Sea to catch wind and swell from several directions, and it is the place in Scandinavia where a genuine surf culture has formed.

The waves are wind-driven as everywhere in the North Sea, but the exposed position and the reefs and stone fields offshore make them break with more structure than along the smooth sand coast further south. That is why competitions are held here and not down there.

The season runs from autumn into spring, because that is when the lows come through. It is also the cold half of the year: at 4 to 17 degrees a winter suit with hood, boots and gloves is not a comfort question but a precondition.