Hanstholm - November 16, 2024

Cold Day in Cold Hawaii

There have been plenty of windy days in Denmark so far this fall. Last weekend, too, storm-force winds from the west blew in as a low-pressure system moved in. Friday began in northwestern Denmark with a relatively mild air temperature of 10°C and winds of about 25 mph.

The next day, things were set to really heat up again. Over the course of Saturday, the waves settled into a rhythm, and later on, some really big sets rolled onto the beach at Middles, a spot located east of Hanstholm Harbor in the dunes next to the wastewater treatment plant.

Christian Kohl - only the masthead is visible

The conditions were varied: from long-running waves perfect for multiple turns to close-out breakers, there was something for everyone - making it exciting not just to windsurf, but also to watch. Occasionally, some real monsters rolled in.

By the way, gloves were a good choice, since the air had cooled down significantly compared to the day before. It’s also helpful to bring a second dry wetsuit for the second session - getting back into a wet wetsuit after a break from surfing when the temperature is around 7–8 degrees isn’t much fun.

But you could definitely have that on the water. The 4.0 sail was just right; jumping and riding until daylight faded - by 5 p.m. it was pitch black.

Klaus Twilling in front of a breaking wave

The nearby campground in Hanstholm is a great place to stay overnight. It’s open all winter long and is located just past Hamborg, up on the dune belt along the coastal road.

Staying overnight in a bus costs 20 euros. The reception is only open in the morning; to enter, you can take a card from the white wooden box at the entrance, which opens the gate.

After a pretty cold night, the windy conditions continued the next day; a report on that will follow in the coming days. Below, you can watch a video from Saturday that was recorded in the late afternoon.

Update from November 30: The follow-up is online.