EP 256: Isabella Nichols & Jakob Gjerluff Ager – Nordborn, Returning to her Danish roots, Wave and air temperatures in cold-water, The meaning of hygge, Off-season, Expectations, & Carissa and Steph returning to the tour

Dave sits down with WSL Championship Tour standout Isabella Nichols and filmmaker/photographer Jakob Gjerluff Ager to dive into their new film Nordborn, a cinematic ode to Isabella’s Danish heritage and the quiet strength found in cold-water surfing. Fresh off a season of heavy travel, Isabella reflects on a year that pushed her physically and emotionally, and how reconnecting with her family’s lineage opened unexpected creative and personal doors. She shares how Denmark went from a childhood holiday destination to the emotional anchor of a new project, one that helped her explore identity, belonging, and the feeling of “hygge” that shaped the film’s tone. Jakob breaks down the creative process behind capturing the stark, soulful beauty of the North Atlantic, why he was drawn to telling Isabella’s story, and how their shared cultural ties shaped the visual language of Nordborn. Together, they talk about bringing a non-traditional surf landscape to life, blending family history with modern surf performance, and the unexpected magic of cold-water lineups. The trio also dives into the contrasts between tour life and creative life, navigating career pivots, the importance of place and community, and how storytelling can reshape the way we see surfing and surfers.

Learn more about Isabella here and follow her here.

Learn more about Jakob Gjerluff Ager here and follow him here.

Watch their film Nordborn here!

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