Jæren, Norway
There’s just something special. Something impossible to explain. Maybe it’s the fact that it should be wrong. We human beings like to put things together — this and that, that and this. This is not that, nor this.
On the southwest coast of Norway, in the region of Rogaland, you’ll find Jæren. In a country defined by majestic heights, Jæren stands apart — the largest flat lowland in Norway, with a raw, magical coastline.
I find myself freezing in my car, parked by the beach, watching all these passionate people appear — not out of nowhere, but from something I can’t quite grasp. It’s rare for me to see such devotion, people so drawn to the sea that neither temperature nor hour can keep them from surfing. I suppose I’ve only been used to this in tropical places — where I, myself, am that person — but here too? Before I came here to see it myself, I had heard much — both the beauty and the beast. I travel a lot, surf a lot, and shoot in all these different places — and one surfer I work with often is Love Berggren.
He is one of the most talented and inspiring surfers I know. His way of pushing himself, and his ability to always include everyone around him, is something I’ve never seen in anyone else. He’s from Sweden but lives in Jaeren, Norway. Love is the first to jump with excitement when it’s time to get in the water, yet he’s always the one making sure his friends are ready before him. His positive energy is infectious. He is one of a kind — a rare gem.
During this visit, I was lucky enough to have Love as a local guide, showing me all the hidden gems and introducing me to other inspiring, like-minded people living in the area. One of them was Jan, the founder of ADHD Surfboards — a shaper who’s been in the game for over 13 years. We drove out to see where the magic happens, on Karmøy, about two hours from Jæren, and stepping into his workshop felt like entering a place where every board has its own story — and where Jan’s presence is unmistakable.
Love and Jan actually started collaborating some time ago, developing surfboards together. Love has competed in both the World Championships and the European Championships, and his ADHD longboard is something that never fails him on his journey. Every board they create is handcrafted in Norway, designed specifically to handle the North Sea. There’s a unique authenticity to them — no mini fridges, no Bluetooth speakers, just boards built for performance and pure stoke.
The fact that Love and I went straight from our visit to Karmøy into surfing perfect, glassy peelers, beneath a pink, almost vibrating sky just before sunset, says it all. That thing I couldn’t quite explain before — maybe this is what it looks like. One thing is for sure: those majestic heights are felt even in the flattest parts of the country.
