8188 km - Road Trip to the North Cape

A travelogue by Anne Stevens

Where to go this summer? Even in Germany, temperatures were soaring to around 40° C, so a trip south for summer vacation wasn’t an option. A trip in the opposite direction came into focus, especially since the North Cape was still on my bucket list.

So the two of us, along with our dog Pelle, set off on a big trip through Scandinavia. This time, it wasn’t a surf trip in the strict sense - it was more about the journey itself - but of course we had our wing foil, windsurfing and surfing gear on board so we’d be ready for wind and waves.

We started out overland with a visit to Copenhagen, then continued on to Sweden. Well, what can I say - I can’t go without checking out a spot, of course, so we combined a stop in Lomma, in the bay above Malmö, with a walk with the dog. In Lomma, the wind was blowing onshore, and there were a few kiters out on the water.

A little further north, the Habo Ljund spot was on our route. There were lots of windsurfers out on the water there, but not a single wing foiler. I considered whether I should go out for a quick windsurfing session, but the water seemed pretty choppy. With a foot injury I’d just recovered from, I didn’t want to risk it, especially since we were only at the beginning of our long journey.

So we continued on to our next destination, Gränna on Lake Vättern. There, we visited one of the many candy cane factories for which this region is famous. But of course, I also had my eye on this huge lake. It was windy, but not a single water sports enthusiast was in sight - not even a sailboat, nothing.

The next day, our drive took us to the east coast of Sweden, with a long stop in beautiful Sigtuna. Every now and then, we pulled over at one of the many beaches to enjoy the beautiful natural surroundings on walks. According to my research, there are no notable surf spots north of Stockholm, but in Sörfjärden I saw - completely unexpectedly - the first wing foiler of this trip. However, the wind wasn’t strong enough, and he tried in vain to get airborne.

The journey continued north across Sweden’s “Golden Gate Bridge”, the Högakustenbron. Up until then, we’d been incredibly lucky with the weather, but the forecast didn’t look good: rain, rain, rain. In rainy weather, the region didn’t seem very inviting to stay in, so we continued on to Finland without any major highlights. There, we spent the night at Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi and crossed the Arctic Circle.

Finally, it looked like we were going to spot some reindeer. And sure enough, suddenly there they were, right in the middle of the road. For the locals, who just drove right past them, it was nothing special, but we couldn’t get enough of watching the reindeer. We’d be seeing these magnificent animals again and again from then on, since we were still heading further north.

After our first night in Norway, we headed to the North Cape in much better weather. We were incredibly lucky: the drive to the (almost) northernmost point of Europe, with a mix of sun and clouds, became - so far - the highlight of our trip. On one side of the road was the Porsangerfjord, and on the other, the mountains, which were constantly transformed into a unique backdrop by the shifting light.

Time and again, reindeer and sheep crossed our path. Then we were there - after a good 3,350 km, we stood before the metal sphere we recognized from countless videos. While it’s usually shrouded in fog in most videos, we were lucky enough to have a clear view of the sphere and the Barents Sea. A rainbow crowned the unique view, and so, feeling inspired, we left the North Cape - which, at just 6 °C, was quite chilly and windy.

We continued on, once again driving along the Norwegian fjords and mountains on a breathtaking coastal road all the way to the Lofoten Islands.

The rain had caught up with us again, so the drive to the place I’d been looking forward to the whole trip felt rather gloomy. A bit like I remembered from the videos. And there it was: Unstad Bay, the world’s northernmost surfing spot.

There were very few parking spots, but we got lucky and managed to snag one. The waves were on the small side that day, and there were plenty of surfers out again. A Norwegian guy was trying to catch a few waves with his son, so I wasn’t completely alone in the lineup. Even though the waves weren’t big and I’d only brought an 8.0 softboard because of space constraints, the small waves were a blast.

The scenery, the somber atmosphere, the cold, clear water, and the knowledge that I was riding a few waves in a very special place made this day unforgettable for me.

Hoping to catch a few more waves there, we booked a spot at Beach Camping in Flakstad. But there were no more waves - just more rain. Everything seemed so gloomy, and even the beautiful beaches with their normally turquoise waters didn’t look half as good. So the hikes over the next few days weren’t really any fun either, and we decided to leave the Lofoten after just a few days.

We headed south again, this time through Kiruna, right across the middle of Sweden. Even though we drove for hours - or even days - through Sweden’s forests, there was one animal that simply refused to step in front of our camera: the moose.

We left the vast Lake Vänern to our left and drove to the coast to see Sweden’s beautiful archipelago north of Gothenburg.

In the sunshine, the charming towns of Fjällbacka and Smögen looked almost like something out of a painting, and that summer feeling came back. Finally, shorts and flip-flops again - so we headed to Apelviken near Varberg, the surfing mecca on Sweden’s west coast.

When we arrived, there were already quite a few wingers and windsurfers out on the water, so I figured: time to slip into my wetsuit and hop on the wing foil board. I had regained some confidence in my foot, but I still held off on jumps just to be safe.

Although there were a lot of people on the water, they were spread out well across the large bay, so I was able to fly across the water in peace with my 3.5 wing. The next day, the wind was strong enough again for the 4.5 m² wing, so I ended up having two more wonderful days on the water.

We then made our way very slowly back along the coast toward Malmö. There wasn’t supposed to be any more wind, but in the late afternoon I spotted a few more wing foilers again.

We ended up at the beautiful, wide beach in Ringenäs. There’s a very large parking lot here, ideal for getting out on the water. However, it was already late, and most of the wingers had stopped flying, so I didn’t unpack my gear.

After two more days on the road and a whopping 8,188 km, we finally made it back home safely. Every kilometer of this trip was worth it, even though we had some bad luck with the weather in the Lofoten Islands. The breathtaking landscapes, the wonderful animals, and even the unexpected surfing sessions made this a unique and unforgettable road trip.

There’s one more thing that really thrilled us, and I haven’t even mentioned it yet. With just a few exceptions, we had campsites with a view of the water every single day - whether it was the Baltic Sea, a fjord, a lake, or the Kattegat. From our van windows, we always had a wonderful view, whether at the natural campsites we chose or at the campgrounds.

October 11, 2026 © WING DAILY  |  text: Anne Stevens  |  photos/graphics: Anne Stevens  |  translation: DE