Austrian freestyle pro Max Matissek always wanted to visit Iceland and windsurf amongst the icebergs. To make his dream a reality would not be easy though; a test of patience and an ironic twist to the tale, read on as Max tells us more about his mission.
Words Max Matissek // Photos Max Baier
There’s something about Iceland, perhaps the remoteness of this island in the North Atlantic seas, that has long stirred a lust to go there and explore. So when my buddy Max Baier and I were offered a trip there to photo shoot for Chiemsee, I didn’t need to think twice. This was my chance, and I wasn’t going to miss it. Immediately I got down to research using my father’s nature books, timeless treasures, saturating my senses. I was on the hunt for those scenic spots that Iceland is famous for. It wasn’t hard. I came across countless pictures of stunning glacier lakes and lagoons that merged with the sea and icebergs just floating around – definitely not a view I get to enjoy every day. There was one particular spot that caught my eye, a lagoon lying at the feet of Jökulsárlón glacier. Immediately I knew that’s where I was going to have the sailing experience of a lifetime. I could just picture myself planing amongst the half-submerged ice cliffs and the electric blue waters. It was time to pack.
“Every 50 kilometres, a different world; from flat lands and undulating grassy hills to skyscraping snow-capped mountains.”
LOGISTICS
We all know windsurfing travel can be quite a hassle. Deciding what equipment I’d need was kind of a wild guess since I didn’t know what conditions to expect. What I knew was that I wanted to be mobile, so I packed my 4.8 Idol and 93 Skate, because that combo always works, and naturally enough, my warmest wetsuit!
Getting there was a piece of cake, no issues with customs, which is always a bonus. We arrived at Reykjavik way after midnight and it was pitch dark. In late summer, ‘night time’ only lasts about three hours a day, but we had already decided that wouldn’t be an issue. The long hours between dawn breaking and nightfall meant we could make the most of the 5 days we’d be there. The countdown had started!
Getting yourself organized for a trip to Iceland is pretty easy, but don’t underestimate how far ahead you need to make your bookings, it’s a popular travel destination these days! First thing you’ll need is a car; the coastal roads are in pretty good condition, but if you’re thinking of going inland, like we were, then you’ll need a 4×4.
With the windsurf equipment strapped onto the roof, we headed to our Airbnb for the night. About Airbnb… if you can, book at least two weeks in advance. If your trip is something you decided on last minute then you are going to have to be flexible. August was packed with tourists and everything was fully booked. We were lucky and managed to find a different place for every night. But for our first night the two of us stayed at a student apartment close to the airport where we shared a room about four square meters in size, it was small! We got if for about 100€ and it was literally the last option available. No joke. One word: flexible.
TOURIST TIME
We couldn’t wait to get started on our exploration of the island, so, the next morning we just took off and headed eastward. Ah yes, food. That’s something most people tend to be interested in at some point during a trip. For us, we went for a eat-as-we-go strategy, which turned out to work just fine. We found that the hot dogs were surprisingly good (and available at practically every gas station), but we mostly went to the bigger towns and stocked up on food (like canned soups) in supermarkets. As you can tell, our trip wasn’t going to be about culinary enlightenment. But the island is well accommodated for tourists, so there’s plenty of restaurants around too. If you want to try an authentic Icelandic dish, then the traditional milk rice with cinnamon and blood-sausage is a must!
On our way to the lagoon we stopped at the typical tourist-check-list places for our Chiemsee project, which gave us the chance to experience the diversity of the island’s landscapes. Every 50 kilometres, a different world; from flat lands and undulating grassy hills to skyscraping snow-capped mountains. We drove the along the whole southern coast, stood before vertiginous waterfalls and even went to see the legendary remains of the plane wreck on Sólheimasandur black sand beach.
Finally, four Airbnb nights later, after having collected more than enough content for our photo shoot, the opportunity arose to windsurf at the ice lagoon. It was the day before we were due to leave and fortunately there happened to be a forecast of northeast winds up to 25 knots. The change in the weather was evident with whitecaps visible on both the sea and rivers. We were a few miles away from Jökulsárlón lagoon, but with a long way to go until nightfall, the odds seemed to be on our side to get a session in.
WIND
No sooner had we parked the car than we were we all rigged up. It was a matter of seconds now. Anticipation was high. We raced over the last hill, hungry, eager … until we saw calm waters, so calm we could see the reflection of each and every one of the hundreds of icebergs floating among the electric blue waters.
All around us, except on the Jökulsárlón lagoon, there were gusting winds of force 6-7. It was probably just a matter of the wind shifting a couple of degrees for it to blow between the glacier and the other massive mountain range to actually reach us. I was still feeling optimistic. Hour after hour we waited for our patience to be rewarded, only to be teased by a couple of gusts. It could have been perfect, but it wasn’t. It was around 10 P.M. as the light began to dim. The wind was lessening, but the scenery still had our jaws dropping.
I felt an urge to cruise about amongst the static icebergs. And that’s what I did. I simply drifted, as if not to break the silence, even the sea lion found it worth checking out. I was taking in the immensity of it all when I heard the most terrifying of sounds ‘Knaaaaaaarch!!!’.
It took me a minute to react. The iceberg I happened to be in front of started to tilt, and then turn. The echoing sound made my bones rattle. I have never felt so helpless. That massive block of ice literally just twirled in front of me. I won’t lie, I was pretty scared. But it was a reality check; global warming isn’t new, but what just happened was quite a phenomenon. Due to the melting of the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier, the ice lagoon of Jökulsárlón has now reached a record depth of around 250 metres, the deepest in Iceland. What I had witnessed was a result of when the ice of an oversized iceberg starts to melt, causing it to turn around and change sides.
The day after, we reckoned we should give it another try. It was a few hours before our flight back home, so we drove back to Jökulsárlón lagoon, but again the wind had dodged the area. We both sipped wistfully on our coffees and exchanged looks, “Well, hey, that’s windsurfing!” We packed up and headed towards the airport. You can imagine the disappointment. There is nothing I wanted more than to plane amongst the icebergs. As we drove on, I told Max to take the next turn. I had a yearning for one last coffee in Iceland. I remembered this small café where they served really good coffee that was next to a small lagoon, Fjallsárlón. We parked the car and whilst I was fiddling for some spare coins in the glovebox with one foot on the pavement, a gust slammed the door painfully into my shin. How ironic, it was windy!!! I quickly rigged my 4.8 and had an awesome hour of sailing next to the icebergs. On the flight home I had a huge contented grin; mission accomplished!
“There is nothing I wanted more than to plane amongst the icebergs.”