The new king of Norway has been an avid surfer for years. In a recent interview, the now King Haakon VIII admitted: “I would have liked to be a pro surfer, if I wasn’t in line to the throne,” the new king of Norway has been an avid surfer for years.
Last Friday, Norway’s king Harald V died after a 35-year reign. His predecessor, Crown Prince Haakon, 53, has now acceded to the throne.
The king has waxed lyrical about surfing, before saying: “I am often asked what I would have done if I were not the Crown Prince. Then I would have been a pro surfer on the World Tour. Maybe an ex-professional by the way, because now I’m almost 50.”
His daughter, the now Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, also shares a love for the ocean and surfing.
Norway’s Royal House has shared images of Haakon surfing in the past. In 2017, photographs were taken to mark Eurosurf, which Haakon was a member of the organizing committee. In fact, according to the Royal House, the whole royal family are avid surfers.
The king is also a skier, loves windsurfing and playing the guitar. He joined the navy before studying politics at the University of California, Berkeley and, later, development studies at the London School of Economics.
Norway is home to some brilliant surf spots, like Lofoten – way out on the western fringes, offering both a right and left-hand pointbreak on its day, as well as some unexplored areas in the furthest reaches of mainland Europe.
Related: Frozen Fingers, Worth the Wait: Life as a Surfer in Denmark