I think it’s safe to say that 2020 is just not panning out the way we expected, especially in the world of sports. With COVID19 putting the entire world on standby, it also meant the international SUP competition season was put on ice. A bummer for us athletes, the event organizers, and fans around the world.
For me, back in March, it quickly became evident that my immediate plans and dreams were being washed down the gutter. After having won the APP World Championship title for SUP racing in 2019, this was a hard rock to swallow. The pandemic meant no chasing waves, no big ocean crossings and not being able to defend my world titles on tour.
I was grounded.
Although this at first seemed like a massive bummer, I tried to take a more constructive perspective on the whole thing. Rather than focusing on all the things that I could no longer do, I decided to stay positive, stay in the moment, and focus on what I actually could do.
For example, not being on tour meant staying home in Denmark for a long period of time and sleeping in my own bed (which I like a lot!). I also found myself appreciating not having to go back and forth to the airport, something I realized was a great relief since I normally travel to compete for at least six months out of the year. As of this writing, I have been home for almost six months now, and it actually feels good! I’ve really enjoyed being home and going on adventures in my backyard of Cold Hawaii.
In a sense, this year of Corona has given me an opportunity to rediscover my home world here in Denmark. I have gained a new love for my region and have spent way too many hours playing on the water on all my Naish gear.
I soon realized the APP World Tour was going to be on pause for the season. So apart from just paddling, surfing and foiling my brains out, I decided to start up a surf school with two of my good friends here in Cold Hawaii. It’s been a blast and we’ve named the school Viking Adventures! We take people surfing and stand up paddling to give the local Vikings a new sense of adventure in the cold waters of Denmark. Seeing the stoke in people’s eyes as they catch their first wave or realize the potential for paddling is priceless. In some ways, to open a person’s mind to what is possible on the water is as enriching as winning any race.
I also quit training for a while. With the competitive season wiped out, I reframed my mind and my schedule to just enjoy this year and to move in new ways other than just race training.
I have been foiling and surfing non-stop, which keeps me in a solid overall physical condition. The side benefit of surfing and foiling is that the paddling in each of these activities also keeps my aerobic fitness up. So physically these other activities have allowed me to maintain a base
shape while at the same time allowing my mental capacity to recharge. I needed this. I was still a bit burnt out after training so hard and winning the APP World Title in Paris back in December 2019. Right now I’m actually grateful for the time to relax and to not be forced back into hardcore training after such a grueling event.
One could say that I have used these off-months to properly recover after the last several years of competing at such a high level. Sometimes I think we all need to take a break to properly breathe and do other things that excite us. Foiling and playing in the water at home in Cold Hawaii was the recovery I needed. Right now I am keeping fit and my engines are ready to fire up again as soon as the world comes back to normal.
Casper Wins the Danish National SUP Championship (again)!
One of the highlights this summer was the Danish SUP Championship that took place on my birthday weekend. The event stood out, not merely because I got to celebrate my 27th birthday during the race day, nor that I won my 26th Danish SUP title at this event. No, it was because I got back on the water, racing!
I woke up early the first day of the event and hit the road in my 1993 VW surf van. With my freshly unboxed S25 Maliko strapped to the roof, I made the two-hour trek down the coast from Cold Hawaii to the city of Hvide Sande. My girlfriend in the co-pilot seat sensed an energy surrounding me that she had not felt in me for months. “Are you nervous?” she winked as we drove along the rugged west-facing coastline. I realized that the pre-competition nerves were getting to me. Normally they are unbearable, but in this instance, they felt warm and comforting. Strange. It was like a reunion with an old friend; I was happy to be back competing.
Distance Champ
The Danish championship kicked off in the coastal town of Hvide Sande on Saturday. The Long Distance race was first with an epic 11 km downwinder across the Ringkøbing Fjord. Over 100 participants signed up and the stage was set for a party that included plenty of Danish Dynamite. The butterflies were back in my stomach.
As the starter, I blew the horn, and felt my world fall back into place. It had been a long time since I stood on a start line with something actually on the line. Arguably, the conditions were not epic, with 20 knot winds pushing us across the fjord, and this certainly was not like chasing a world title. But my mind was in battle mode and it sure felt legit to be chasing something again!
I zigzagged up against the wind for 2 km and then across the fjord, catching as many bumps as I could along the way. I was in love with the feeling of adrenaline as I paddled my hardest to satisfy my inner competitive Viking.
Corona restrictions hindered the usual high fives and hugs of camaraderie at the finish, but the vibe was still awesome. All participants were stoked to be competing again. I was very happy to finish in 1st place after a great battle with the strong Danish field nipping at my heels.
Back in the State of Flow
The next day featured the technical races which are held in the ocean in true Viking conditions. A wild ocean made the technical race course live up to its name, featuring a challenging M-shaped loop that sent every paddler on a collision course through the waves more than once per lap. This was epic racing at its finest if you ask me!
Straight out of the gate, I powered my Maliko to full speed against the wind and through the waves. I felt like an over-energized Duracell bunny let loose on the tech race course after all this time in lockdown! I could not contain myself. The oncoming shore break made things tricky for the field, but I really enjoyed navigating the chaos. After having survived (and won) the Red Bull Heavy Water in San Francisco, your take on chaos quickly changes! I lost track of time and became engulfed in a state of flow. One buoy after the other. Wave after wave. I felt like I was dancing through the race without feeling any pain. All I felt was pure joy and excitement, amplified by the Danish crowd cheering us on. Why can’t every race be like this?
After 20 minutes of battling the Viking Gods in the best way, I came through the finish line in first place with the biggest grin on my face. 26X Danish National Champ. It felt so good to be back in the saddle racing.
Looking Forward: What do you visualize?
I think it’s hard at this point to predict what 2021 is going to look like, but I am definitely excited to race again when things are back to normal. In the best case scenario, I will be back on the APP Tour next year looking to defend my SUP World Title from 2019. In a perfect world, I will also have been able to rest my body & head properly to reignite that fire that burns deep inside me.
I can’t control how this Coronavirus pandemic will develop or affect our events and ability to travel. That’s just out of my control. What I can control is my own personal mindset and I can play the cards I’ve been dealt. Each day, I choose to look forward with anticipation. If - for some reason - I can’t chase another World Title, there are plenty of other ways I can challenge myself as a human. For me, all I need is water and a fair amount of creativity.
