To The North

“We’re fleeing north to just below the Arctic. We’re in need of adventure. It’s been a hot summer, but it’s the winter storms that captivate us and they’re flooding in now. Our team has come together organically, under a shared lust for adventure. If the attraction of the unpredictable nature of the north connects us all, then surfing is the glue that binds us.” – James Bowden

James Bowden told the story of his journey to Iceland in Sidetracked Volume Three. He travelled with film-makers Mikey Corker and Chris McClean, as well as surfers Taz Knight and Noah Lane – a group of people who are dedicating themselves to finding and documenting waves in some of the more interesting, and challenging regions on the planet.

This is about riding waves, but it is also about the other experiences that occur along the way.

Back over at the lagoon I spot a flat rock perched above the glassy water and can think of nothing else. It’s time for a swim. The water hits my body like a sledgehammer and un-recognisable noises spill from my mouth. I can neither breathe nor talk until I clamber up the bank and find my clothes. Suddenly the day is brighter; perhaps my eyes have been refreshed by the swim. We spend the afternoon back in wetsuits and paddle around the icebergs.