Naturally Sylt

summer 2026

BLUE

…blue, blue is all I have

Studies have shown that the higher the IQ, the more strongly people are attracted to the color blue. What this might mean in light of all the blue of the sky and sea during a Sylt summer, we'll leave open for now and turn to... Blue edition of "Naturally Sylt" Three totally blue themes. The song accompanies the reading and watching. "Blue" by Kraftklub recommended or the Miles Davis' Kind of Blue albumAnd perhaps a "Blue Curaçao" (popular again since the World Cup) or maybe blueberry pancakes. From the wide range of blue-themed topics, we ultimately chose blue in fashion, blue underwater, and blue in art.
Sylt's top fashion experts, Roy and Simone Komorr, explain why they like to store their jeans in the refrigerator or freezer. Three contemporary Sylt artists discuss their perspective on the color blue in an interview. And then Sylt divers Helge Bennewitz and Moritz Berlin reveal what color is actually predominant at the bottom of the North Sea and whether they've ever seen a shark there…

Playing hooky with Imke Wein — © Maike Rudloff

Helge Bennewitz likes to dive. — © Helge Bennewitz

The Sylt diving duo Helge Bennewitz and Moritz Berlin on the beach of Kampen — © Sven Erberich | Sylt Marketing

The color blue is of great importance to landscape painter Lars Wiggert. — © Lars Wiggert

Blue is in sight! — © Sven Erberich | Sylt Marketing

ON THE BEACH WITH SIMONE & ROY

Jeans? Ice-cold, please!

With every imaginable accessory and a striking blue look, we met up with Sylt fashion experts Simone and Roy Komorr at "Uncle Johnny Beach" in Wenningstedt. For a photoshoot – just as if it were for a fashion magazine editorial.

"What should I wear today?" Most people probably find the answer to this question in the conventional way: in their wardrobe. Perhaps also in the pile next to the bed or in their suitcase. Raw denim aficionados, however, turn to the place that also houses rock-hard pizzas, vegetables, and ice cubes for drinks: "My husband likes to keep his jeans in the freezer. That preserves the deep blue color for a very long time and saves on laundry," his wife explains, revealing her sweetheart's exotic habits.

“I actually wear almost exclusively jeans. Almost always Nudie, a label from Gothenburg. They produce with organic cotton , and the jeans fit perfectly,” says the man whose Westerland shop shares his name: “Roy.” When asked about the lifespan of these ice-cold jeans in deep blue, or optionally black, the purist dodges the question with a deft touch. One can guess: they last an incredibly long time, which is bad for business. At least, that's how the Swedish jeans brand advertises its products: “ Clothes that become more beautiful, the more you wear them, the more you repair them. ” Incidentally, Roy observes that the “organic” and “fair trade” aspects have so far played a rather minor role for his fashion customers. “Unfortunately, sustainability is still just a ‘nice to have.’ It’s rarely explicitly requested,” the master of his craft knows.

Eye-catcher: ROY on Strandstraße in Westerland — © ROY

This summer, Roy's shop had a completely blue promotion by the company "Replay".

His deep blue Swedish trousers, however, perfectly exemplify the philosophy of the 200-square-meter style paradise on Westerland's Strandstraße: cherished clothes with a long lifespan, often with an eco-friendly touch, produced by people who are fairly paid, and for people who are looking for clothing that does one thing above all else: suits them and their lives. Not too expensive, but somehow precious . Whether woman, man, or anyone in between – at Roy's, you might just pop in for a chat. After all, you're bound to know one of the 15 employees of all ages personally. The lovely shop, with its cinema-style sign, is open seven days a week in the summer. Of course, there's also a stylish website. But deliberately without an online shop . At "Roy's," it's all about the human element, about encounters, advice, about the moment.

Is everything blue or what? Roy really keeps his blue jeans in the refrigerator or freezer.

My husband likes to keep his jeans in the freezer. This preserves the deep blue color for a very long time and saves on laundry.

Simone

" Roy: celebrates your style " is the slogan for the whole place. Even the stickers are eye-catching. They play on words like "F-roy-nde," "Peace, F-roy-de, pancakes," and "without Roy-e." All with a wink. Not taking themselves too seriously, but always giving their all. That's the attitude. "All the furniture in the store is movable, so you can quickly clear everything out and even host a concert or event . Diversity is our most important principle. We carry 50 brands and try to appeal to as many different needs and age groups as possible with our portfolio – without being generic. And it seems to be working really well," says Simone modestly, immediately distributing the praise to the entire team. "Even in purchasing, our employees are fully involved. With our diverse qualities and skills, we form a fantastic whole," says Simone, with a touch of pride, which is definitely warranted when a vision has been successful for so long.

But back to blue, the evergreen of fashion – especially popular in summer by the sea: The color of our issue can be found at "Roy" in an enormous selection of jeans from various brands, sizes, and cuts. But also in dresses, shirts, belts, sandals, hats, jackets, socks, and clogs. Blue is always a good choice and suitable for every occasion. "The trend colors of summer 2026 were actually more lemon yellow and brown," reports Simone. Her personal favorite color, however, is burgundy. Favorite fruit: blueberry. Which brings us back to the topic. No matter what color you're in the mood for, you'll find plenty of inspiration in this store. The owner, of course, also knows that the trendy jeans style for women this summer is called "barrel" – meaning it has a "barrel-like silhouette" – and is pleased when customers embrace this style. For him, however, it's decidedly simpler: Straight cut in blue, deep blue, he'll just stick with "t-roy."

roy roy on Insta

Lovestory in Blue

“Since I’ve been with Roy, I’ve been elevated to the nobility. Most people on Sylt just know me as ‘Simone von Roy,’” she says with a laugh. Originally from Lower Saxony, she initially wanted to be a social worker, but tourism became her career path. As a young woman, she also worked part-time at the Hanover fashion emporium “Classic.” Her expertise impressed her boss so much that she was eventually offered the opportunity to take over a branch, which she accepted after careful consideration, while simultaneously studying business administration. Years later, the jeans brand “Lee” recruited Simone as a representative. During her business trips, she also visited Roy, who at the time had opened his first multi-brand store on Elisabethstrasse in Westerland. So, jeans blue is responsible for their first encounter and everything that followed. “The day I was in Roy’s shop, it was so busy that I had to help out. We talked later…” Simone recalls. And it didn’t stop at talking. The two soon became a couple. And they managed to cultivate a love that operates 24/7: They have been living and working together exceptionally well for 22 years. However, they each also have their own sphere of influence with very individual interests.

Like 60 percent of Sylt's current population, Roy isn't a native Frisian with a pedigree stretching for miles. He grew up in Kiel and became a businessman in Flensburg – next year he'll celebrate 50 years of self-employment. He was successful for many years in the surf hardware trade. Later, he added the first major surf fashion and accessory labels to his portfolio – such as "Chiemsee" and "Quiksilver," which he represented. Naturally, Sylt was always an attractive location for these products. He then offered his entire range of cool men's and women's fashion with his first Roy store on Elisabethstrasse. How did that come about? That's another Sylt story that Roy is happy to tell when you visit him in his shop…

Fashion experts Simone and Roy Komorr — © Sven Erberich | Sylt Marketing

Blue and the Sylt summer suit the Komorrs well.

© Sven Erberich | Sylt Marketing
© Sven Erberich | Sylt Marketing
© Sven Erberich | Sylt Marketing

BLUE in art

All seven!

The origin of Sylt's fame? It went like this: Naturalists, artists, and city dwellers seeking relaxation first discovered the landscape and unique character of this sandy island in the far north around 180 years ago. Both at the turn of the 20th century and after the First and especially after the Second World War, numerous artists, writers, musicians, craftspeople, and other colorful personalities settled on Sylt. An almost symbiotic relationship developed between this scene and the upper-class summer visitors: The latter found inspiration in the bohemian lifestyle and, in turn, provided the livelihood for the creatives. Today, the density of the active art scene on Sylt is comparatively low due to rental and real estate prices. But Sylt can certainly boast a small, select group of visual artists who live on the island for part of the year or even permanently. We interviewed three of them – about their relationship to the color blue.

In conversation with

LARS WIGGERT, SONNI HÖNSCHEID & THOMAS LANDT

When you hear "blue", what place do you associate with it first?

Lars Wiggert: I think of the turquoise water of Lake Walchensee in Upper Bavaria. Then I think of the paintings that the artist Lovis Corinth (1858-1925) created there. The entire spectrum of blue tones can be found in Corinth's paintings.

Sonni Hönscheid: When I'm on the open sea and look out into the distance... the view into the distance, where the sky and the sea merge into a single shade of blue.

Thomas Landt: Firstly, L'Escalet (St. Tropez) and secondly, the Sturmhaube beach section in Kampen, where I am responsible for the blue area as a seasonal beach chair attendant - i.e., all my chairs have a blue dot.

Spaciousness, tranquility, trust, clarity, and reliability are the values attributed to the primary color blue. What effect does blue have on you?

Lars Wiggert: Clarity, vastness, and depth! As a landscape painter who unites natural moods with inner feelings, the color blue plays a crucial role in my work. Water waves, still water, rushing water, crashing water – blue should not be missing! But beware: The water off Sylt can also appear as a leaden gray one moment, then shifting to a gray-green.

Sonni Hönscheid: When I see blue, I feel freedom, adventure, inspiration, and also peace. And I feel a deep love – a warm feeling.

Thomas Landt: Blue is home and serves as the main stage on which the other colors set their accents.

In your art - what role does the color blue play?

Lars Wiggert: As a landscape painter on Sylt: a prominent position!

Sonni Hönscheid: For me, art is like writing in a diary. I use my own language to express my life, experiences, feelings, and adventures. With my art, I honor the sea around us. Accordingly, the color blue is very important.

Thomas Landt: It's very important. I love the luminosity of blue and all its wonderful facets such as turquoise, cerulean, azure, cyan, goblin, royal blue, and Prussian blue.

Could you create art without blue?

Lars Wiggert: Yes – there are works in which I omit blue. My palette then consists of the earth tones ochre, Van Dyck brown, green earth, gray, and titanium white. If one were to add blue, this would lead to the palette of Andreas Dirks, the captain's son born in Tinnum in 1865, whom I consider an important painter of the island.

Sonni Hönscheid: Difficult. It would be an interesting experiment. I think the pictures would become extremely chaotic without the tranquility I express with blue. The balance, the equilibrium, would probably be missing.

Thomas Landt: Yes, I could definitely work without blue.

Blue in music – what does that sound like?

Lars Wiggert: I associate the color blue with "Entry of the Gods into Valhalla" from Richard Wagner's Das Rheingold. A deep, majestic royal blue or a radiant sky blue. It represents infinity, the divine, and the sublimity of the heavens. Wassily Kandinsky, who possessed a highly developed synesthesia, also often experienced Wagner's music as colors.

Sonni Hönscheid: Like the sound of the sea… when I hear the waves breaking on the reef in front of our house in Fuerteventura in the evening… it's the best sleep music, if only because I know there will be a good surf session in the morning.

Thomas Landt: Blue in music - for me that is the African jazz group consisting of Gerald Toto, Richard Bona and Lokua Kanza with "Je Kango".

Where can your work be seen in the summer of 2026?

Lars Wiggert: I just had an exhibition at the city gallery. From September 26th to October 4th, I will be showing new works at the summer gallery in the Hotel Roth on Strandstraße and presenting my autobiography, "My Path as a Painter".

Sonni Hönscheid: I exhibited at Kaamp Hüs in May and June. My work is currently on display at the headquarters of the weekly newspaper "Sylt Life," and starting July 17th, I'll be exhibiting at the "Winebank" in Westerland. I'll also be presenting my work at the "Lyrics, Lounge Music & Art" event on August 30th at "Wohnstudio Martens"—and you can also find my work online at syltmeile.de.

Thomas Landt: My pictures are on display in the gallery of the “Kaamp Hüs” until July 31st under the title “Tailwind in Color II”.

Creative Life Paths

Three Sylt artists in mini-portraits

Lars Wiggert: Born in 1966 on Sylt, he almost became a fisherman, but studied economics and then, true to himself, devoted himself entirely to art. He now lives primarily in Hamburg's Schanzenviertel district, but often returns to the island: his mother lives on Strandstraße in Westerland. With his exhibition in June at the city gallery, Lars Wiggert also published his autobiography, "My Path as a Painter."

Lars Wiggert

Thomas Landt was born in Kiel, comes from a highly creative family, and studied painting and graphic design. Even then, the study of color played a central role in his work. Until 2010, he lived and worked with his family in the legendary artists' village of Worpswede. For the past 16 years, Kampen has been his home and the place where he continues to develop artistically.

Thomas Landt

Sonni Hönscheid: She's practically a water spirit. Like her father Jürgen, professional surfing plays a defining role in her life. The multiple champion in surfing and stand-up paddleboarding processes her experiences on and by the sea in her vibrant works. She grew up between Fuerteventura and Sylt and still lives on her home islands today.

Sonni Hönscheid

© Lars Wiggert
© Thomas Land
© Sonni Hönscheid

Blue diversity in the works of Lars Wiggert, Thomas Landt and Sonni Hönscheid.

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Diving off Sylt

Into the blue?

Probably every other diving school is called "Into the Blue." Not to mention the 2005 action thriller with Jessica Alba. The phrase instantly transports you underwater. "Into the Blue" also carries the connotation of embarking on an unknown journey into the future. But what about diving off the coast of Sylt? Does anyone actually do it? And is the "great unknown" in the case of the North Sea really "blue"? We asked two experts: Helge Bennewitz and Moritz Berlin.

"On very few days of the year is the water blue when diving in the North Sea. It's more of a greenish-gray and incredibly boring. Most of the time you can only see a few meters. To be honest, it's quite murky here in the North Sea. That's simply because of the many suspended particles, and that's a good thing," reports Helge Bennewitz, a long-time resident of Keitum and a carpenter at the Kampen Tourist Service by day . This also explains why neither snorkeling nor diving is widely offered on Sylt: it's simply not worth it!

Helge builds custom furniture as a side business and he's also a diver: small repairs on boats up to two meters deep and reconnaissance dives are part of his repertoire. He's even been tasked with finding cell phones that have fallen out of pockets in the harbor basin. Since one of the fundamental rules of diving* is never to dive alone, Helge has a partner: Moritz Berlin. With a little imagination, both men could easily pass for the sea god Neptune . But wait. They'd be more like "Njörds"—the name of the god of the sea and wind in Norse mythology. In any case, both of them perfectly embody the stereotype of rugged North Germans.

Moritz Berlin likes to dive, including on Sylt. — © Sven Erberich | Sylt Marketing

Moritz can dive, do crafts, tinker with cars and he can also do fashion: His Kampen store is called "Modi's" and offers the very best heritage style.

Especially for the " Naturally Sylt " feature, they jumped into their heavy diving gear on one of June's scorching hot days so the story could be authentically illustrated. "Today is indeed one of those days to dive joyfully in the North Sea. The water is unusually clear for June , probably because it's been so cold for so long," speculates Moritz, whose real name is Berlin and who has just arrived from Berlin and has to travel to Paris the next day. After many years as a craftsman at the Kampen Tourist Service, he has now given free rein to his second passion and opened a store with his buddy Dirk on Kampen's main street, selling fashion and accessories in a heritage style (" Modi's "). Helge and Moritz will, of course, continue their diving missions in the future. Perhaps sometimes in silence – because Frisians, and those who have grown to be silent over the years, don't necessarily need to chatter constantly while working.

Snorkeling and diving as recreational sports for tourists and locals never really caught on due to the rarely favorable conditions. However, there are a handful of divers on Sylt . Helge got his diving certificate 30 years ago – parts of the course took place in the Keitum outdoor swimming pool back then. "Corner Sven" – as the owner of the Westerland surf shop on the corner of Stephanstrasse and Wilhelmstrasse is affectionately known – offered training on Sylt for several years, including dives in the Baltic Sea.

Good diving conditions can be found at the measuring station off Westerland on Sylt. The water depth there is around ten meters, depending on the tide.

Helge

Don't panic: This shark doesn't swim in the North Sea, but in the Westerland aquarium. Helge encounters him underwater once or twice a month, whenever he's cleaning the algae off the glass of his home.

"You can dive well on Sylt at the measuring station off Westerland. The water depth there – depending on the tide – is around ten meters. You can observe edible crabs, schools of herring and mackerel, and sometimes even catsharks ," reports Moritz. From the shore, the two pros also dive on the east side of Hörnum ("to look for flounder and plaice") or at the stone flounder groyne in the south of Westerland beach , because fish and other marine life feel particularly at home around the structure.

Helge, by the way, isn't just active under the water, but also happily half-in it: as a goal scorer for the legendary Keitum water polo team , which has dominated the Schleswig-Holstein/Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Oberliga for countless years. Oh yes, beekeeping is another passion of his. Moritz tinkers with old cars with great enthusiasm whenever his other commitments allow. On Sylt, almost every local juggles multiple roles: family, friends, job, side hustle, volunteering, hobbies. And everyone, of course, prioritizes these differently.

Helge also enjoys diving on vacation: Egypt for a short diving holiday, or sometimes Curaçao, where crystal-clear water and colorful fish beckon. Recently, he took Moritz to the chalk lake in Hemmoor, Lower Saxony. There's a proper diving center there, and the quarry lake is up to 60 meters deep. "I'd never experienced anything like it. At 45 meters, I suddenly felt a bit uneasy for a moment," Moritz admits. But because the Sylt diving duo knows what to do in such a moment and how to regain his composure, Moritz was ultimately able to fully enjoy the expedition. "Leaving the whole world behind and entering a completely different element with its own rules" is what makes diving so thrilling for both men.

Besides the diverse range of call-outs that usually pop up out of nowhere for Moritz and Helge, Helge also has a routine appointment that turns out to be anything but routine: "Once or twice a month, I clean the glass at the aquarium in Westerland . The sharks there actually like to hang around. If they signal through restlessness that it's not the right moment to enter their home, then I show up and come back another day," says Helge, whom apparently not even sharks can really disturb from his Frisian composure.

Two Ts: carpentry and diving. Helge provides information about his small business here: www.tauchwerk-sylt.de

The basic rules of diving

Sylt Diving Center Modi's Camp

To skip work!

Imke Wein's column

Smiling woman wearing a hat stands in the dunes.

00:00

For all the vibrant colors of summer, most people ultimately associate this season with the color blue. Especially on an island. Here, sky and sea are, pragmatically speaking and when the sun is shining, the largest surfaces surrounding us. At least, that was the result of a completely unscientific survey among my friends – conducted on the sidelines of one of the countless social events that take place on Sylt in the summer. Furthermore, it revealed just how many feelings, effects, melodies (the "blues" being a genre in its own right), proverbs, and perceptions people attribute to the color blue.

As an aside: Let no one claim there's nothing going on on the island right now. While exploring the island's "blue" theme, I was reminded once again just how limitless the possibilities are. You simply don't know where to begin. From B for ballet to Y for yoga festival, this summer's offerings are endless – interspersed with nearly a dozen village festivals, concerts , skate sessions in the multi-park , polo and golf tournaments , acrobatic workshops , literary and concert evenings , promenade spectacles , sunset DJ sessions … and for those seeking peace and quiet, even in July there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy the vast blue expanse in solitude.

But back to the topic: Blue – here explicitly in idioms: The outlook for what's to come this summer is more rosy than blue . We have about three months ahead of us in which we can swim in the blue-green-gray of the North Sea off Sylt at pleasant temperatures. And if you then take a cold-water swimming workshop (with lifeguard and travel journalist Ella Schnebbe) in the autumn , you might even be able to dive all year round.

Blue, grey and green as far as the eye can see: the magic of the Sylt landscape.

You won't necessarily get blue lips from it , and certainly not blue blood . It would be irresponsible, however, to get into the North Sea as blue as a bat out of hell . But if you follow the rules and keep swimming throughout the winter, you'll always escape colds with just a black eye and won't succumb to the blues in January. Because cold-water swimming has been proven to combat the blues. That's right! Have we forgotten anything?

The only thing I couldn't get " playing hooky " into it, even though I was a big fan of that as a student. But you're not supposed to say that publicly!

Contributors to this issue

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