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Land Rover Magazine Issue 39

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Icelandic surfing, enabled by the new Land Rover Defender | Artisanal globe-making in London with Bellerby & Co | Gallery of stunning drone photography | Author Helen Russell explores the meaning of happiness | Exclusive short story by Jean Macneil

48 There’s no shortage

48 There’s no shortage of either here on the island of Iceland. “This place is dangerous because the conditions here are unique,” says Hemsworth. “You have to really understand the challenges of being in Arctic waters, and understand the real power of the sea here. It feels different, fresher, wilder.” “In most other countries you’re walking in off the sand or you jump into the water from a boat. In Iceland, you’re jumping off the rocks into the white water and then you swim out. 7KDWLVFKDOOHQJLQJDV,KDYHP\ƓQVLQRQH hand and camera in the other. I have to jump into the water and within two seconds have P\ƓQVRQVRWKDW,FDQVWDUWWRVZLPŐ Hemsworth has planned the day’s shoot, of Icelandic surfer Ari Agnarsson, for a stretch of water about an hour outside of Reykjavik, which can only be accessed cross-country. The terrain is a mix of rock, lava and mosscovered tracks but the Defender shrugs it off. It’s still two hours before dawn. The outside temperature will struggle to get any higher than 3°C today. “Most days I’m up at 4am or earlier, because being in the sea before dawn is the best way to get the best shots,” says Hemsworth. “The light is incredible and there is no-one else there. Just me, or me and a surfer to shoot. It’s perfect.” Her chosen lifestyle requires not just early rising but physical strength and mental stamina, too. “Sometimes you have to be in a current to get the shot and you can feel like you are running out of energy. It feels like your legs are being pulled in the opposite direction to where you want to be, so you’re constantly kicking against it. If you relax at any point you can end up in a dangerous place. “Usually, you’re one of maybe three people there and the others probably have surfboards, so really, it’s just you. There are no lifeguards. You have to read big waves and dive right down under them so they don’t knock you. The key is to stay calm. If you get hit by a massive set of waves and you panic, your breath is shorter, you freak out and come up gasping. If you’re calm, you can breathe more easily when you come up. “I’m out of my depth most of the time – I have to be, to get the shots – but I spend an hour or two every day out there in the water, wherever I am.”

Always check route and exit before wading The journey is nearly over as Hemsworth’s chosen surf site looms into view, under a sky that’s never-ending and pencil-lead grey. There is no beach, just swirling white water punctured by towering rocks, impervious to the seas crashing at their base. The wind howls as it whips the waves into a frenzied attack on the dark blades of the shoreline. Sunrise isn’t far away, and Hemsworth and Agnarsson need to be in the water as day breaks. The rear door of the Defender is swung open so the boot can be used as a makeshift wardrobe. To tackle the sea here Hemsworth needs her thickest winter wetsuit, a 6:5, two sets of neoprene socks, a hood, gloves and Aquatech casing for her camera. She and Agnarsson have decided to go through the wild waters to reach the big calm at the back where the ocean is deeper, the waves are quieter. Quieter but bigger. Getting the shots takes over an hour, From crew transport to mobile changing room, the Defender was an ideal companion on the shoot in waters which can kill in less than ten minutes. Both photographer and surfer are thrown about in the sea, but Hemsworth keeps her cool, keeps swimming, her powerful legs steadying her in the wildest of waters. When they arrive back at the Defender, they’re exhausted but euphoric, their eyes bright with excitement, their thermal neoprene-clad bodies sending plumes of steam swirling around the car. The Defender’s boot is turned from wardrobe into photo studio so that Hemsworth can perch on the back of the car and scroll through the images she has taken. Her face cracks into a wide grin, VKHWXUQVWR$JQDUVVRQDQGWKH\KLJKƓYH They got the shots; they survived the sea. “My next adventure will be shooting off some smaller islands off the coast of Scotland,” says Hemsworth as the Defender starts taking everyone back to town. “I’m all about the less-discovered places,” she grins. 49

 

Land Rover

Land Rover Magazine 39

 

Land Rover Magazine showcases stories from around the world that celebrate inner strength and the drive to go above and beyond

Land Rover stands for not only the most capable premium vehicles, but a state of mind where a sense of curiosity, exploration and wonder informs all of life’s adventures. Encounter this throughout the latest issue of Land Rover Magazine, from meeting a herd of Ice Age survivors on the Dutch coast with the Land Rover Discovery, to the most innovative sustainable architecture on a Californian journey with the Range Rover Evoque

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