Ride Hvide Sande, keep it open

Hvide Sande sits where the North Sea meets Ringkøbing Fjord through a lock in the dunes. On the fjord side the water stays shallow far from shore, and on the sea side the south pier catches clean waves. Whatever the wind does, there is somewhere to ride.

Those waters are shared and protected. Fishing nets and poles dot the fjord, the harbour has its own no-go zone, one beach is closed to kites and windsurfers entirely, and the south end of the fjord is a bird reserve inside a Ramsar wetland. Across Denmark, authorities are reviewing how kitesurfing affects coastal birds.

A chapter gives the riders of Hvide Sande a seat in that review: a group that knows the zones and the reserves, keeps riders clear of nets and birds, and can speak for the sport when the rules are rewritten.