Surf Symposium
a weekend in the Hoddevik foam.

Waves, wind, progress and a lot of paddling joy. The Surf Symposium in Hoddevik turned into a weekend of big nature, good learning and a fantastic community. I was there as an instructor together with Øystein Pilskog from Kajakkguiden, sharing the stoke with keen paddlers from all over Norway.

And the extra bonus: of the sixteen kayaks at the gathering, eight were Edge kayaks. Seeing that many of our boats lined up on one beach, ready for the Hoddevik surf, was a lot of fun.

For several of the participants this was the first real chance to find out what these kayaks do in waves and wind. There is something special about feeling how the boat works in the sea — how it reacts to the wave, and how the interplay between paddler and kayak opens up new experiences.

You can read about those qualities, and hear others talk about them. But they have to be felt on the water. The Edge Alnes was drawn for exactly this.

Friday and Saturday brought very big conditions to Hoddevik. Sunday calmed down a little, but there was still plenty of dumping, breaking surf, so we spent most of the time inside in the foam, where the waves had already broken.

Even when we were not out on the biggest sets there was more than enough to work with. Getting confident in broken waves, and learning to handle the kayak when the foam comes rolling at you, is where a lot of the real learning happens.

Surfing the foam. Changing direction on the whitewater. Keeping control of the boat as the conditions shifted around us. That is balance, timing, edging and steering all at once — skills that pay off for anyone who wants to get better at kayak surfing.

The best part was watching the group develop through the weekend. Confidence grew, technique got sharper, and several paddlers found their feet in conditions that had looked demanding on day one. A lot of learning, a lot of smiles, and plenty of paddling joy.

Hoddevik on Stad is a very special place. The scenery, the history and the position straight out towards the open ocean make it a fantastic arena for surf and wave play in a kayak.

We stayed right by the beach and the surf house, so when it was time to paddle we simply walked down to the water. Living that close to the break makes it easy to keep an eye on the conditions, talk through the waves, and spend the time on what we came for: being on the sea and building skills. Better surroundings for a gathering like this are hard to imagine.