SUP
1,400km on a SUP: follow Casper Steinfath’s latest Viking adventure
Danish paddleboarder Casper Steinfath is attempting a serious challenge – the circumnavigation of a whole peninsula. Get the latest on the Great Danish Paddle here.
We’ll update this page regularly over the next weeks – scroll down to catch up on the latest news from Casper Steinfath’s Great Danish Paddle…
01
28 days in, many more to go!
Day 28 and almost to Copenhagen! Nobody said this was a short trip – indeed, entirely the opposite. Casper knew it would be long from the very start – in fact, just how long was intentionally left up in the air. After all, it was about the journey, not how fast he did it. So, after 28 days on the water, he's right on 'schedule' – if ever there was one.
He's completed a little over half of his adventure, but you could argue the hardest part was on the East and Northern coast of Denmark, where he was more exposed to the 'open ocean' that has a lot more swell and wind. It also included the biggest crossing of the entire trip: 79km across the sea of Kattegat, which he did with his brother in 14 brutal hours of dodging ferries, seaplanes and oil tankers.
As Casper put it: "It was one hell of an adventure inside the adventure, that’s for sure!" They paddled the last few kilometers after sunset, arriving at Sjællands Odde. The crossing was a major milestone, and an important one to time right. Despite being tired from days upon days of paddling, Casper pushed to make it happen before changing weather would bring days of strong winds from the east. After the crossing, he took two days of rest to reflect and heal the body.
In the days following, sunshine and good vibes carried them along the way as they approached Copenhagen and a symbolic 'halfway point' (it's not quite halfway, but it's safe to say the hardest paddling is behind him). Up next is the southeast side of the Denmark – lots of small islands and relatively protected waters.
One highlight was getting his boat captain license. "Today, my team and I spent some hours brushing up safety protocols and becoming certified captains for our following boat from @pro_safe," said Casper on Instagram. "Thanks a million Patrick and @speedbaaden.dk for the training and fun today which took my mind away from paddling!"
Planned for Copenhagen is a bit of a city tour with other stand-up paddlers joining Casper for a few kilometers as he takes it easy before moving on to the next half of the journey.
02
Day 9 - the start of the struggle!
Let's get the first part out of the way – Denmark's not an island, it's a peninsula. Don't worry, Caspar Steinfath has a solution – more on that later. What we can tell you now is that this is a cold, hard and huge journey. Denmark isn't exactly a gigantic country, but coastlines have a way of being longer than you think – especially with all the twists and turns.
Casper Steinfath preps for a long paddle
© Emma Søndergaard
I dream of rediscovering my backyard and meeting people along the way, and I guess this project is sort of an excuse for that
Casper's mission will take about 40-50 days of spending up to eight hours a day onboard and is expected to cover around 1,400km. He'll bring food and water and supplies, but of course, re-stock along the way.
While this is unquestionably a massive mission, Casper is one of the few in the world who's up for it – because he's got years of paddling experience. He's already paddled his SUP foil 137km across the Skaggerak Strait from Denmark to Sweden – so these waters are well known.
On April 2, Casper popped his board – well loaded with gear – into the water at Klitmøller, for the first day of this unique adventure, one he says isn't just about challenging himself physically, but exploring his own backyard. In true Forrest Gump style, Casper may even be meeting some of his fellow countrymen along the way – he's made it clear that he'd love company whenever and wherever it's possible.
"The whole pandemic has kept me at home for pretty much two years, and I have become very curious about Denmark and the Danes," he says. "I dream of rediscovering my backyard and meeting people along the way, and I guess this project is sort of an excuse for that."
It's important to stress that this isn't a sprint. Casper isn't trying to do it as fast as possible – he's taking time along the way, both to explore and to rest. After all, he's got the full season of the APP World Tour coming up right after it – so this is just training! But when asked why he was doing it, Caspar's answer made us laugh: "so food tastes better!"
The first day he covered 40km – the second day he got knocked down to 20km. In the first week, he's seen 'viking weather' – brutally cold and nasty. Day five brought a special surprise: a snowstorm!
Day seven brought sun again as he neared the northernmost point of the peninsular nation. Definitely a 'high point' – it's the point where two bodies of water meet, the North Sea and the Baltic Sea – and there was even a small crowd to mark the occasion.
Over the next few weeks, Casper has a number of challenges ahead of him as he explores the long and curious coast of Denmark's north and east sides, and then, as he's already calling it: the Jutland Traverse.
Want to follow along? You can. Just click here for the live tracking on your computer.
We'll update this page with reports on his progress. For dailies, check his Instagram for stories and posts from The Great Danish Paddle – stay tuned!