Ramsus Johnsen

The miracle on the edge of the kingdom

Rasmus Johnsen has been one of the key figures behind turning the west coast of Thy in northwestern Jutland in Denmark into an internationally renowned surfing destination. In this role, he has helped shape what has come to be known as Cold Hawaii – or, as some call it, "the miracle on the edge of the kingdom".

For the past 20 years, Rasmus has worked at the intersection of nature, community, and storytelling – including serving as the “evangelist” for the Cold Hawaii PWA World Cup (the Windsurfing World Championships) and Copencold Hawaii (the SUP World Championships).

He has also contributed to the development of HF Cold Hawaii, a specialised upper secondary education programme focused on surfing, the ocean, and nature. Today, he is deeply involved in establishing Cold Hawaii IB, an international high school programme founded on the same ethos.

Rasmus owns and operates Cowork Klitmøller – an open and collaborative workspace in the heart of the town – and is the initiator of Redebyg Klitmøller, a housing project that adds 45 new homes to support the future of the local community.

Most recently, he has been one of the main forces behind Home of Cold Hawaii – a visionary initiative that transforms a failing shopping centre into a new kind of experience space, a so-called territory, designed to open up Cold Hawaii to new audiences and make the story of the place accessible, engaging, and alive.

Common to his work is a desire to develop a peripheral region of Denmark by building on inherent place-based qualities. Rasmus describes his approach as “the third way”: on the one hand, we must recognise the need for change without surrendering to it; on the other, we must honour the past without becoming captive to it.

From this perspective, he continues to insist that what makes a place both sustainable and meaningful – for settlers and visitors alike – is our ability to evolve and adapt without losing our footing.