Toward the end of April, flooding hit Michigan and prompted some adventurers to exploit the record-breaking river levels to go surfing. Opportunistic Adrenalists took advantage of this moment, but many rivers across the world flow with waves ready to be shredded throughout the year. Join us on a recon of some of the best river surfing hotspots in the world.
Severn Bore, England
There is nothing boring about the Severn Bore. In this context,
“bore” means a body of water that, during exceptionally high sea tides,
rushes up some rivers and estuaries near a coast along a narrow channel.
Cue waves and serious river surfing. The Severn Bore lies in the west
of England. Daredevils surf along the wave, which surges as high as 7
ft., in step with a noble tradition.
The first Adrenalist to surf the river was the extraordinary WWII
stalwart Jack Churchill – a Military Cross winner famous for wielding a
claymore sword and being the only Allied soldier to kill an enemy with a
longbow during the war. Churchill became a surfing devotee late in
life, riding the Severn Bore on a board he built himself, naturally.
Churchill must rank as one of the most unusual figures in the action
sports landscape. He was succeeded by a slew of Severn river surfers.
The venue is now a magnet for carvers of all stripes. River surfing the
Severn Bore has blossomed into a competitive sport with scores of
surfers fighting to log the longest ride. The venue has been described
as the birthplace of river surfing.
Munich, Germany
One of the world’s most picturesque river surfing spots is Eisbach
near Munich in Germany. There, alternative surfing enthusiasts head to a
spot just beyond a bridge near an art museum. At that point, the river
kicks up a standing 3-ft-high wave. If you want to ride it you had
better be agile, because the icy water
is shallow – only 16 inches at the lowest spot. But surfers vie with
whitewater kayakers for the privilege of experiencing the inland Munich
marvel. Bizarrely, the German town famous for football and a wild beer
festival also serves as the setting for two other river waves. A second,
easier wave that unfurls at Floßlände near the Thalkirchen U-Bahn
station is broad enough to carry several surfers at a time. Munich’s
third standing wave forms during flooding on the Isar river near a
bridge called Wittelsbacherbrücke. The triple opportunity makes Munich a kind of river surfing mecca, which seems just wunderbar.
Lachine Rapids, Montreal – Habitat 67
River surfing has a strong left-field feel that makes it seem not a
million miles from performance art. One of the most strangely named
venues in the field is Habitat 67. The surf spot is to be found at
Lachine Rapids: a string of cascades that grace the Saint Lawrence
River, between the Island of Montreal and the south shore. Habitat 67
gets its offbeat name from a local housing complex. The Olympic kayaker
and three-time world freestyle kayak champion Corran Addison baptized
Habitat, being the first to surf it, surprisingly recently: 2002.
Seizing on the opportunity that Habitat offered, Addison, who is also
into waterfall jumping, founded a river surfing school called Imagine
Surfboards. A second Montreal river surfing school, KSF, sprang up in
its wake. As often applies to standing wave destinations, the area is
also a magnet for whitewater kayaking fans. Another sporty Lachine
option is a jet boat expedition to the rapids, which runs from Montreal.
Jackson Hole, Wyoming
America’s best-known river surfing community operates on the Snake
River at Jackson Hole, Wyoming, the location of the famous U.S. ski
resort and outdoor sports haven. The wave on the Snake River, is called
the “Lunch Counter,” which suggests that surfers might be food for
sharks. Thankfully, this isn’t true true, since the wave has been surfed
every summer by a core of alternative sports enthusiasts for over 20
years. “Surfing this rapid is much like walking down an up escalator,
eyes focused down, staying in basically the same place as water churns
underneath your board. The constant flow leaves some in a mesmerized
trance,” writes CNN. Some Snake River surfers report staying astride a wave for up to 20 minutes. Stand-up paddleboarders
also ride the Snake, as well as adventurous kayakers and rafters.
Apparently, the Snake’s resident wave is a tough prospect. One blogger
who took on the surf reports that he “got spit out a dozen times and
damn near drowned in the whitewater before finally catching my first
little ride.”
The Rest
Adrenalists can be happy to note that rivers like these are scattered
all over the planet. Few others have the established surfing scene
present at the venues we already covered, but here are a few more
contenders. One is Austria’s river Mur in Graz. Then there are several in Norway, not least Bulken in Voss,
which might well be worth checking out. Voss combines snowy mountains,
forests and lakes with breakneck white water rivers. Cue skiing, water
sports, skydiving and paragliding among other adventure sports – plus,
Voss hosts the yearly Ekstremsportveko
(Extreme Sports Week), which is touted as the world’s top extreme
sports festival. River surfing also unfolds on a nameless river wave in
the Norwegian region of Sarpsborg. Oh, and let’s not forget reports of
viable standing waves at Kawarau River near Queenstown in New Zealand.
Wilder still: the Fly River in Western Province Papua New Guinea also
supposedly sports a big surf-able bore – just watch out for the
crocodiles.
Cover Photo Credit: Seth Schoen / Flickr.com
