To be honest, Finland completely caught me off guard—and that's exactly what this story is about. It wasn't the perfect forecast or one legendary spot. It was a feeling that slowly built throughout the trip, one moment at a time.
It started with a simple message from Harri in the middle of 2025 asking if I'd be interested in discovering Finland on a week-long road trip. My answer was immediate. A few months later, Henning and I were on a flight to Finland's capital city, Helsinki, with five board bags checked in, clear minds, and absolutely no idea what was waiting for us.
Even during the flight’s descent into Helsinki, something felt different. Below us stretched an endless mosaic of lakes, forests, and islands so vast and dense it was hard to believe there were roads running through it all. Juha was waiting for us at the airport—a local, a complete watersports addict, and probably one of the most easygoing people you could hope to meet. The fact that he'd taken an entire week off just to show us his country tells you everything you need to know. We threw our board bags into the camper, exchanged grins, and less than an hour later we were standing at our first spot to get on the water.
Our first few days in Finland revolved around a yacht club in Helsinki where a demo event was taking place. What struck me immediately was the insatiable curiosity of everyone around us. Many of the younger locals came from a sailing background. As soon as the demo was over, they'd gather by the water to watch us ride and ask a million questions. They couldn't wait to try foiling themselves. The pump foil sessions quickly became crowded, even though the water temperature was barely ten degrees Celsius. There were thin wetsuits, freezing hands, but nobody hesitated. Their energy was raw, genuine, and completely infectious.
And then, there was the sauna. Every single day. After every session. Short, hot, intense—and then straight back into the freezing water. At first, it feels intense, but after a few days, you realize that's simply the way it is Finland. It's not a luxury or a special event. The sauna is an everyday experience. Just like foiling. Just like spending as much time outdoors as possible like they do in Finland.
Whenever we weren't on the water, we explored Helsinki and the city surprised me just as much. It blends rugged, partly Russian-influenced architecture with a creative scene that feels equal parts laid back, wild, and effortlessly cool. You come around one corner and find a punk band playing in the street. A few blocks later, a row of vintage cars appear as though an impromptu gathering just happened. Hidden between the narrow streets are bars and cafés that feel more like secret meeting spots than tourist attractions. Along the way, you suddenly realize it's midnight, but it still looks like late afternoon outside. The endless daylight does something to you. Sleep eventually becomes optional.
From there, we continued along the coastline in our camper, chasing wind, exploring new spots, and searching for moments you simply can't plan. Two days of pump foiling, sauna, cold water, sauna again—then on toward Porkkala, home to what are said to be Finland's best waves. The wind wasn't perfect, but at some point, that stopped being the main goal. The journey became about the landscape, the open spaces, and the overwhelming sense of freedom that stayed with me.
Then, there were the evenings. One day Juha casually showed up with one and a half kilos of moose meat that he'd hunted himself a few weeks earlier. We fired up the grill, added a simple salad and some potatoes, and that became our dinner. Honestly, it was one of the best meals I've ever had. These are the moments that define a trip—simple, authentic, and completely unforced.
One of the absolute highlights was visiting Juha's island. We took a speedboat ride through a maze of islands, rocky skerries, and massive granite formations. The landscape features looked very similar, yet every corner of it was completely unique. His "summer house" turned out to be more like a fully equipped home surrounded by untouched nature. It was the perfect place to shoot photos, film, explore and simply do everything outside. We flew across glassy water, searched for new lines, climbed over rocks, and soaked in every bit of the landscape.
Then came one evening I'll never forget. Just before midnight we were still sitting outside when the sky suddenly lit up as if it were on fire. The colors that danced are impossible to describe. Of course, we grabbed our gear and headed back to the water. You don't let moments like that pass by. Afterwards we went back to the sauna, were in bed around one in the morning, and what felt like two hours later we were up again because the forecast promised wind.
It didn't deliver.
Rain. Clouds. Dead calm. Welcome to Finland. Here, the forecast feels more like a rough suggestion than a promise. There are very few weather stations, endless wilderness, and lots of unpredictability. But that's part of the experience. And it's exactly why the good sessions feel so rewarding when it comes together.
Later, we headed to Yyteri. Seven hours of driving through endless forests, empty roads, and eventually a tiny dirt track that made us wonder whether we were still heading in the right direction. Suddenly, out of nowhere we had 25 knots of wind, a perfectly powered wing, and clean rolling swell. This was exactly what we'd been waiting for. Full throttle. Freestyle, parawing, and riding the day until there was nothing left in our legs. Afterwards, we again enjoyed grilling with the locals, and sharing stories late into the evening. This combination of sport and outdoor simplicity ran through our entire Scandinavian adventure.
To wrap up the trip, we experienced something unimaginable: ferry waves in Helsinki! We were up early, organized a speedboat, got the cameras ready, and headed out onto the Baltic Sea before the city awoke. Huge ferries thunder through the islands here at speeds of up to 30 knots, leaving long lined, perfectly formed wakes behind them. We rode those waves on our foils across mirror-flat, ice cold water with practically no visual reference points. It was technically demanding, but that's also what makes it so addictive. You have to fly completely present, focused on nothing but the next section of water beneath your feet. By the end, we'd captured some incredible moments—and that grin that simply refuses to disappear.
On our final evening in Helsinki, Juha invited us over one last time. He grilled for us more wild game—this time ptarmigan from Lapland. Great food, great conversation. Once again, I experienced the feeling that Finland is about far more than just finding good riding spots. It includes a full spectrum of rugged nature, unpredictable weather, unique culture, endless summer days, and a genuine hospitality that stays with you long after you’ve left. Above all, it’s about the people.
I had arrived in Finland hoping to discover a few new places to ride, but returning home I felt like I had discovered a new place I will definitely be returning to as a result of that hospitality.
Early the next morning we were heading to the airport, although by then sleep had stopped being relevant anyway.
