We’ve always enjoyed sipping back those gas station “slushies” during a long drive. The crunchy, icy texture and cooling sensation is quite the treat on a midsummer’s day. But fully immersing ourselves in said slushie—albeit flavorless—in the middle of winter? We’ll pass, thanks.
Casper Steinfath is a 27-year-old Danish Standup Paddleboarding athlete who doesn’t let the weather dictate his training schedule. Based on his online videos, it appears this paddler is out on the water whatever the weather—rain or shine. Paddling in partially frozen water is no exception to that rule.
Clad in thick neoprene and wearing an ear-to-ear smile, Steinfath set out to brave the partially frozen coaster waters and get some surf training in.
In the video, we see him charging over huge chunks of icy water in order to keep his momentum. At times, he even pulls big, snowman-sized balls of “slush” out of the water and rests them on his paddleboard. At other times, he dives in the water for a fully submerged dip in the icy waters.
As much as we admire and watch in awe at Steinfath’s extreme cold water paddling excursion, we can’t help but be reminded of the dangers of paddling in such temperatures. If you’re setting out on a winter’s paddle, make sure you are well-equipped with appropriate safety skills, knowledge, and cold water paddling gear.
