SUP EXPEDITIONS - NORWAY | Kumaran Mahalingam

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In January 2017, I completed a three-month long Standup Paddling expedition in the River Ganges. Paddling for such a long time at a stretch was a first for me, and was undoubtedly one of the most challenging experiences. However, the “paddler’s high” did not wear off, and after a one-month break, I restarted paddling, this time going to different states of India. In the next one and a half years, my Standup paddleboard cruised through the Goa beach, Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary, Palk Bay, the lakes of Chennai, River Chaliyar, Nagalapuram, Pulicat lake, and for the first time from Kodiyampalayam to Kollidam mouth.

After my first Ganges expedition, the Paddle for Future team with like-minded passionate paddlers was formed, and we went back to Ganges in February, where we paddled from Devaprayag to Rishikesh in the whitewater rapids. Next, in March, I paddled in Kalpitiya beach and Nuwara Eliya reservoir in Srilanka, and in Maldives. The next big expedition as a team was in April at River Godavari, at Papi hills.

The Ganges other subsequent expeditions reinforced my experience as an expedition leader. I wanted to paddle more, lead more, and learn more, and thus when browsing Standup Paddling Expeditions around the world, I came across the website of SUP Norway. The site was enough to hook me in; this was my calling. From then until now, to the best of my research, I am yet to find another company as organized and streamlined as SUP Norway for SUP expeditions worldwide.

Located near the North Pole, Norway is a geographically unique place. The history and mythology of Norway has always piqued my interest, with the stories of Vikings and Norse Gods enhanced by the recent pop-culture references to Thor and Loki in Marvel movies.

As a geologist, the fjords caught my attention. They are the most dramatic and spectacular landscapes on the planet. Fjords (pronounced fi-ords) are narrow inlets of the sea in between hills, and here specifically its the narrow inlet of the North Sea in the Scandinavian mountains.

Although I had never been to Norway before, working in the oil and gas industry I have learnt a lot about the place. Gudvangen, Norway is said to have the world’s largest deposit of anorthosite, an intrusive plutonic rock that is predominantly found on the moon's crust. Also, Norway’s sovereign wealth funds are globally on the top with more than 1.9 trillion USD assets. The culture and lifestyle of the regular Norwegian definitely feels exotic to the Indian person. I did have my doubts and apprehensions on whether I would be able to assimilate there, with a totally different group of people, but it wasn't hard, as we all shared the common passion for Standup paddling.

Why are fjords special? Usually, there is a vast difference between the coastal and the mountainous regions, with a large distance in-between them. With fjords, the gap is bridged, and you can see the diverse landscapes of the oceans and the mountains next to each other.

While fjords are found in Norway, New Zealand, Iceland, Russia, Alaska, Chile, etc, the Norwegian fjords are one of the deepest. The term Norway is synonymous with the Northern Lights (aurora), and I was hopeful to witness it too. But I later came to know that the auroras graced the Northern part of the country skies, and I would be going to the Western Norwegian Fjords, a World Heritage site at Bergen, Vestland, in the Western coast of Norway.

Titus Kodzoman, founder of SUP Norway and a children’s book author, was our Chief expedition leader. He is a former Royal Marine who had come to Norway for passion and had stayed for love. He is a true water-man; in addition to being a long distance Standup paddler, he is a surfer, kite-surfer, free-diver, life guard, yacht-master, and a cold water swimmer.

He is also the first person to solo paddle through the longest fjords unsupported. He maximized the value of his time and thus gained more and more knowledge. With our shared interests, I felt a similarity between our profiles.

I spoke to Titus in April 2018. He was very appreciative of the Paddle for Future initiative. We discussed plans, and he sponsored the expedition, gear, and food, and offered me the role of Assistant Expedition Leader. I had to just take care of my transportation expenses. He told me that this would open up a wide network of people who are passionate about Standup paddling and marine conservation.

At SUP Norway, they conduct expeditions across seasons, except in winters and heavy monsoon, when the weather would be unforgiving. The expeditions are for 5 days, and there are 2-day mini-expeditions in-between expeditions as well. Considering preparation, paperwork, and scheduling, I had booked the 5-day expedition from June 29 to July 4, 2018, the first of what would be a continuing journey.

And thus began a beautiful chapter in my Standup Paddling Journey - SUP Norway!

Norway has a special place in my heart despite me being there for just some two weeks a year, and just seven years since I visited there first. As I write this, Kuwait, where I currently am, is having a literal meltdown at 51 degrees Celsius. However, the memories of SUP Norway help me relive the experiences of paddling in the Norwegian fjords, the familiar scents of goat cheese, and the meta-nostalgia of my hometown through Norway.

I’ve read a lot about Norway in books, but I learnt more from actually travelling there and experiencing the place in first-person. That’s what travel does to you - it gives you in 3D what reading gives you in 2D.