High Intensity Race Report: Lofoten Triathlon

We traveled to Northern Norway and caught up with longtime friend of the brand Leif Tinus Smith Næss. Based in Tromsø, Tinus is an avid triathlete and entrepreneur, and as of this summer, the record holder of the Lofoten Triathlon – an Olympic-distance race with over 4,200 meters of elevation. The race not only tested him, but our new High Intensity Sport cap. Here’s how it went.

Give us the short version of the day – how did it unfold?

I was pretty nervous about the swim, as this was my first triathlon and I hadn’t been able to swim in the sea as much as I would have liked this summer because of an insanely cold winter up north. So once I made it safely through the swim and knew I had my strongest disciplines ahead of me, it was just a matter of going full gas.

I had an incredible day on the bike. I was honestly just enjoying myself, even though it was pouring rain and the wind was pretty strong. I took the lead about halfway through the bike leg, and from that point on I felt like I had good control of the race.

On the run, you have to cross a mountain twice, and it was a great feeling to know I had enough of a lead that I didn’t have to chase too hard down the mountainsides, which were incredibly slippery because of all the rain.

All in all, it was an amazing day.

What drew you to Lofoten in particular?

It’s hard to find a more spectacular place to race. I live in Tromsø, so Northern Norway is home, and Lofoten has this incredible combination of mountains, ocean, unpredictable weather, and really tough terrain. And of course, there’s the incredible scenery, although unfortunately, I didn’t get to see much of it this year because of the terrible weather.

You tend to race in a cap. What does it do for you and what do you look for in one?

I almost always run in a cap. It keeps the sun, rain and sweat out of my face, and I’ve just got used to racing in one. I want it to be light, breathable and comfortable, and I don’t want to think about it once the race starts.

You ran in the High Intensity Sport cap. How did it handle the day’s conditions?

Really well. Lofoten is a good place to test equipment because you can get completely different conditions during the same race. What I liked most was that the cap felt very light and breathable, even when the intensity went up, and it stayed comfortable throughout the run. I basically forgot about it, which is probably the best compliment I can give race equipment.

You finished just shy of the course record. What’s next?

First of all, I’m going to have a proper off-season and spend some more time with my beautiful partner and our four-month-old daughter. Triathlon is without doubt a pretty selfish pursuit, so now it’s my turn to give some time back to the people around me before I throw myself into another project.

Ironman Barcelona in October 2027 might be the next race. If I do it, the goal will be to get as close to 8 hours and 30 minutes as possible and hopefully qualify for the World Championship in Hawaii.

One piece of advice for someone eyeing a race like this?

Respect the course. It’s very easy to get carried away early, especially on the bike, but with that much climbing you pay for every mistake later in the race. Train for the terrain, be prepared for the weather to change, and make sure you’re still eating and drinking even when the course demands all of your attention. And then enjoy it. There aren’t many places in the world where you get to race in surroundings like Lofoten.