Banner photo: Jesper Jungell
Surfing the waves of the North is a challenge, but when the conditions are right, it rewards the wave seeker! In Northern Finland, there are plenty of opportunities at the spots on the Gulf of Bothnia, or a slightly longer drive away along the ocean coasts of Norway.
At Get Arctic, we want to offer board rentals for northern surfers who don’t have their own. It's easy to grab a board for your car from our Rovaniemi warehouse. Ask about a roof rack for your car as well.
As our board partner, we found Vili, a passionate enthusiast and shaper from HAF Surfboards. Read more below about Vili and the surfboards he designed for Get Arctic.
Boards crafted by Vili of HAF Surfboards
Vili from HAF Surfboards grew up on the shores of the Baltic Sea. He learned to walk on the deck of a boat at sea and to swim in the cold ocean. During his childhood spent in the Turku archipelago, he grew to love the islands and their changing weather, from brutal storms to sunny hot days.
The surfing bug bit Vili in 2015 in the Canary Islands, and a few years later, he discovered the joy of surfing in Finland as well, in colder waters.
"For me, the fascination of Finnish surfing lies in that comprehensive commitment. Instead of just grabbing a board and walking to the beach in shorts, you often have to put in a huge amount of effort just to get to the surf."
The pandemic cleared his calendar and freed up time for a dream project: building his own surfboard. "The whole thing got out of hand, and now, instead of one board, I've made dozens," says Vili.
Shaping boards is precise craftsmanship. Vili describes the work process as "channeling love" for the sea, which naturally serves as the source of inspiration for every board. Quality and durability are important to this young shaper – by designing, shaping, repairing, and maintaining surfboards correctly, they can last for years. HAF's vision is to offer Finnish surfers the opportunity to participate in the various stages of designing, shaping, and repairing boards – this strengthens their understanding and appreciation for the "sports equipment."
HAF uses high-quality materials for its surfboards; the main raw materials are either entirely or partially recycled, and only bio-epoxies are used for glassing.
HAF surfboards are shaped 100% by hand in a Helsinki workshop from plywood (Finnish pine) and recycled EPS blocks.
The surfboard takes its final form through precise sanding.
The HAF surfboards designed for Get Arctic are 7’2" to 8’0" long, 49–57 liter boards that are easy and fun for Finnish surfing.