The Last One In: The Trials of Mikkel Larsen

Send us Fan MailIn this special guest episode of The Dubcast with Dubside, Dubside sits down in Copenhagen with Mikkel Larsen — a Danish teacher who spent six transformative years living in Sisimiut, Greenland from 2010 to 2016.What began as a leap of faith — moving to Greenland to teach Danish to high school students — turned into a deep immersion in Greenlandic culture. Mikkel shares what it was like navigating language barriers, silent kaffemik gatherings, and the subtle social codes of a small Arctic community. Along the way, he found his way to Qajaq Sisimiut and, before long, was building his own skin-on-frame kayak inside the clubhouse.Despite having almost no experience, Mikkel was pushed — in classic Greenlandic fashion — straight into competing in the National Greenland Kayaking Championships. He recounts lining up for his first race after only minutes in his new kayak, battling fear, cold water, long-distance takisuumut races, and the humbling reality of always finishing last — yet always finishing.This is a story about cultural humility, persistence, embarrassment, pride, and the profound feeling of being alive on Arctic water. It’s also a portrait of how Greenlanders welcome outsiders — slowly, quietly, and on their own terms.