sweden

So, it must be spring again! Because the Swedish Surfski Spring camp is on this weekend! It’s still a bone shaking 10degrees outside and the water hasn’t become warmer than a cold beer should be.

[Editor: Paul Rosenquist, a Dutchman living in Sweden, sent this hysterical study of the ongoing culture clash that ensued when Oscar Chalupsky arrived to take part in this weekend’s Seamasters Surfski race.]

[Editor: Peter Ekström, webmaster of www.globalsurfski.se, recently hosted a surfski training camp at Ekon, Sweden.  Clearly Swedish paddlers are keen (and tough) - the sea ice melted the day before the camp started...]

[Editor: Paul Rosenquist sent us this report on the first ever surfski paddling camp.  Swedish surfski paddlers are tough - winter is only just over and the water was still a crisp 4 degrees C.]

Winter this year was pretty severe - nearly all our paddling waters froze over. The odd weekend here and there I still managed to do some paddling but it usually meant long drives to the outer archipelago of Stockholm to find liquid water. The rewards though were always huge...

Fredrik Lindström of Nordic Kayaks shared with us some of the thinking behind their new Fusion surf ski.  Following sea trials of the hull, the design has been finalized and the plug is being machined even as I write this.

Nordic Kayaks, based in Vaxholm, Sweden has announced the imminent arrival of a new surfski, the "Fusion" - designed by Björn Thomasson and to be built by Marström Composite.

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Erik Wallgren wanted some photos to illustrate the challenges of surfski paddling in Sweden and contacted his friend and fellow paddler Erik Wildenstam who was willing to use his ski as an ice breaker...

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[Editor: Paul Rosenquist is from Sweden - and is one of a number of European paddlers taking part in next week's $130,000 Dubai Shamaal race.  An avid convert to surfski, he told us of his introduction to our beloved sport.]

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We're considering starting a column on the site called, "The Adventures of Oscar the Paddler"...  Yep, he's at it again.  Oscar Chalupsky is on a European tour to visit the Epic dealers (and to create new ones).  Last seen in Wales, he's re-surfaced (briefly) in Sweden where he joined the local "Dawn Patrol" in a warm (0-2degrees Centigrade) paddle with some of the best Adventure Racers in the world.

Oscar sets off with the dawn patrol in Norkopping, Sweden.