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All Denmark Klitmøller Beach
AO Edited

Klitmøller Beach

On a stretch of Danish coast known as "Cold Hawaii," this fishing village has become a surfing town.

Klitmøller, Denmark

Added By
Shin Kiryu
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Surfers on Klitmøller Beach   JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP via Getty Images
Surfers on Klitmøller Beach   JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP via Getty Images
Klitmøller Beach   Cold Hawaii / CC BY-SA 2.0
Jamie Hancock   Cold Hawaii / CC BY-SA 2.0
Sebastian Kornum   Cold Hawaii / CC BY-SA 2.0
Robby Swift does a trick   Cold Hawaii / CC BY-SA 2.0
A surfer wades into the water at Klitmøller beach.   Oliver Raatz on Unsplash
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About

Denmark is widely known as the Hawaii of Europe. Ok, not really, but one stretch of coastline in North Jutland has earned the nickname "Cold Hawaii," as well as a reputation as one of the hottest surfing scenes on the continent. Cold Hawaii is a loosely defined area that spans from Agger to Hanstholm, with a coastline that includes Thy National Park and the town of Klitmøller, which has become the unofficial headquarters of Denmark’s growing surf culture.

Klitmøller is a modest fishing village of about 1,000 inhabitants. Due to its location on the North Sea, and because of two reefs nearby, big winds and waves ideal for surfing conditions are created. Despite harsh conditions (Cold Hawaii is one the same latitude as Alaska!), the waves drew in windsurfers, kite surfers, and well, regular surfers of course. When athletes began flocking to the area in the 1990s, it took the locals some time to warm up to its newfound reputation as a surf colony. But today the town regularly hosts various water sports championships and also has a surf school called Cold Hawaii Surf Camp.

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Waves Extreme Sports Sports Beaches Surfing

Know Before You Go

Klitmøller is the unofficial capital of Cold Hawaii, but there are various places to enjoy surfing and water sports in the area. If you need to fly, Aalborg is the closest airport. From there, hiring a car is advisable but public transport is possible, while lengthy. Cold Hawaii Surf Camp has a useful website providing advice on what time of the year is best for water sports.

Community Contributors

Added By

Shin Kiryu

Edited By

Michelle Cassidy

  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

March 31, 2022

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  • https://www.gq.com/story/surfs-up-in-cold-hawaii-denmark
Klitmøller Beach
Stågbak
Klitmøller, 7700
Denmark
57.043443, 8.484828
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