Friday, December 21, 2012 9:06:00 AM | by v-nihill
Surfing the Arctic
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Photographer Yassine Ouhilal does meticulous research and plans carefully before shooting surfers in unusual locations. Here, after an 18 hour road trip through a blizzard, Matthew Whitehead is about to paddle out to a spot at the bottom of this snow-capped hill.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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"The cold starts with your hands and feet and your extremities and works its way in from there. Sometimes, the waves are so fun you just keep surfing till you can't take it anymore and at that point, you just come in," surfer Patrick Millin says.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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In late spring in the Arctic, the sun barely sets. Here, Patrick Millin catches a wave well after midnight.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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Christian Wach's ultra light board is made of carbon fiber.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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Christian Wach tests Rip Curl's "H Bomb" heated wetsuit. The little bump on his back is a battery pack.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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French professional surfer Romain Laulhe takes in the beauty of the northern lights in Norway.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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Thor Frantzen of Norway has been surfing up in the Arctic for decades. He shaped the board pictured here out of styrofoam from a fridge door and used newspaper and resin to laminate it.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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Hawaiian surfer Noi Kailakukui surfs in Norway's Arctic circle.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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A long, beautiful walk back to the road.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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Surfers warm up by the fire after setting up base camp on a remote beach.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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Christian Wach's pack looks suitable for climbing Mount Everest. He's just going surfing.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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Patrick Millin was about to paddle out when ice pellets started falling from the sky.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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Australian surfer Matt Whitehead sits in the Arctic Ocean and waits for a wave to come.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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A surfer camps on an Arctic beach.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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Christian Wach rests after riding some waves. "After surfing in the icy cold waters, I would just take everything off and jump into my sleeping bag in my underwear and warm right up," Wach said.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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Christian Wach and Patrick Millin make their way to the Arctic surf.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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Patrick Millin treks to a new surfing location, gear in tow.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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Mike Gleeson swims in icy water.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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Canadian surfer Mike Fleming drove for days looking for new surf spots. He is about to jump off this piece of melting glacier and drift into a sandy beach with perfect waves.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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Champion surfer Tom Curren paddles to a wave.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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Tom Curren hiked several miles over a mountain in a blizzard in order to go surfing. Here, he balances his surfboard and wetsuit on top of his head.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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British surfer Jayce Robinson warms up in between two sessions.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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Photographer Yassine Ouhilal has to swim into freezing waves to get shots like this one.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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Californian Ricky Whitlock rides a wave.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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A surfer savors the Arctic solitude.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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Surfing near the mouth of a glacier is kind of like jumping in a bath tub full of ice.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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Romain Laulhe takes off on a perfect wave in the Arctic.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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Tom Curren walks along a beach in the Arctic accessible only via boat and a long hike over a mountain.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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Romain Laulhe paddles back out after catching a wave in the Arctic Circle.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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A surfer warms up after braving freezing waters in a traditional wood-fired hot tub under the northern lights.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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Christian Wach and Patrick Millin warm themselves and dry their wetsuits after surfing a remote beach in the Arctic.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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The view from the plane on the way to a remote Arctic beach.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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Romain Laulhe surfs on his first day in the Arctic.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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This Finnish military tent comes complete with a wood stove and is a perfect place to warm up after surfing.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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The Arctic in late spring can be very green.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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From left, Patrick Millin, Matt Whitehead, Cyrus Sutton and Christian Wach are a crew of happy surfers.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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A surfer uses a Ski Doo snowmobile to explore the coastline.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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A surfer hikes an Arctic beach.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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Snowy mountains make for a beautiful and unexpected background for this surfer's adventure.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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Patrick Millin surfs in Norway's Arctic circle.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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Christian Wach has frozen sea water on his wetsuit. Sea water freezes at about 30 F.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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Ricky Whitlock and Patrick Millin prepare to surf in the chilly waters of the Arctic Ocean.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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Cheyne Cottrell performs an aerial maneuver on a beach in the remote Lofoten Islands in Norway.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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In between sessions, writer and surfer James Nestor caught a a cod.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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Aurora borealis isn't uncommon in the colder months in the Arctic.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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Surfers pack for a journey to a remote beach accessible only by boat and foot.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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Christian Wach carries his board on the first day of a 44-day exploration of the north coast of Norway.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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Pat Millin looks out an airplane window on his journey back home.
Yassine Ouhilal www.yassineouhilal.com
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These islands are made up of some of the oldest rock in the world.
Description:
Photographer Yassine Ouhilal does meticulous research and plans carefully before shooting surfers in unusual locations. Here, after an 18 hour road trip through a blizzard, Matthew Whitehead is about to paddle out to a spot at the bottom of this snow-capped hill.
Description:
"The cold starts with your hands and feet and your extremities and works its way in from there. Sometimes, the waves are so fun you just keep surfing till you can't take it anymore and at that point, you just come in," surfer Patrick Millin says.
Description:
Thor Frantzen of Norway has been surfing up in the Arctic for decades. He shaped the board pictured here out of styrofoam from a fridge door and used newspaper and resin to laminate it.