Why Norway is an unsung surfing paradise according to photographer Naomi Dalsbø

Nestled on the west coast of Norway, where stormy seas meet majestic mountains, is Ervik, a quaint village home to a tight-knit community of surfers and farmers. Nearby you’ll find pristine white sand beaches, waves gently lapping at the shore. For a moment, you might forget you are in the Nordics.

This is where 27-year- old surfer and photographer Naomi Dalsbø calls home. A surfer for over a decade, Dalsbø moved to Ervik to catch bigger waves than those found on the shores of her native island of Valderøya. She was soon swept up by the laid-back lifestyle, one she, her husband and two-year-old daughter have adopted wholeheartedly.

“Here, there’s this freedom to do whatever you want,” Dalsbø says. “It’s not just about surfing for me, but having this community. A lot of creatives live here, there are many people with similar interests and always someone to hang out with.” Aside from surfing and taking care of her daughter, Dalsbø’s daily life consists of running a sheep farm with her husband, going on hikes and, during winter, snowboarding.

Related: ce surfing in Scandinavia: Why surfers brave the extreme cold

Before moving to Ervik 10 years ago, Dalsbø’s life was headed in a direction that didn’t feel quite right. School wasn’t her thing – she wasn’t keen on the predetermined schedule –, yet she wasn’t sure what the alternative was. When a friend took her to a surf camp in Portugal, everything changed. “ When I was in high school, I felt insecure because I didn’t have that something that I was good at,” she says. “But then I tried surfing, and I knew I wanted to dedicate my life to it.” For Dalsbø, it’s never been about winning surf competitions. Instead, it’s about the blissful feeling she gets in the water.

There are many Norwegians who have fallen for the sport, including Princess Ingrid Alexandra, who has a junior championship gold medal under her belt. “The surfing community in Norway is definitely growing,” Dalsbø says. “However, there aren’t that many who surf here all year round.” Instead, in the winter months, they head to the more forgiving climates of Bali or Australia.

Related: This nature photographer’s greatest muse is Iceland

Dalsbø, on the other hand, rides the waves every week, sometimes packing in sessions every day, even when it’s freezing. “It’s actually nice here during winter because then we have the whole ocean to ourselves,” she says. “During summer it gets really crowded.” When I note that many would probably not peg Norway as a surfer’s paradise, Dalsbø convinces me otherwise. While Ervik has some of the best waves in the country, places like Hoddevik, Stavanger, Alnes and the Lofoten Islands attract surfers from across the globe.

Always carrying her camera around, Dalsbø captures every precious moment. Being able to immortalise her experiences was precisely what drew her to photography, and, naturally, surfing plays a big part in her work. “I love taking pictures of surf boards in different lights – there’s something really special about it,” she says. I ask how she feels about her Vogue debut. “I was shocked at first, but it was so fun to be contacted,” she says. “It’s super cool.”

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