River surfing is the sport of surfing either standing waves or tidal bores in rivers. Claims for its origins include a 1955 ride of 1.5 miles along the tidal bore of the River Severn.

River surfing on standing waves has been documented as far back as the mid 1970s in Munich, Germany and Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Standing waves

In this type of river surfing, the wave is stationary on the river, caused by a high volume of water constricted by flowing over a rock and creating a wave behind. A river surfer can face up-stream and catch this wave and have the feeling of traveling fast over water but not actually be moving.

Locations

Europe

An annual surfing competition is held on standings wave in the Eisbach in Munich, Germany Munich has been the center of surfboard riding on a stationary wave since the mid 1980s. Munich has produced the best surfers and was the first location that created a true surfing community around an inland river wave.
On Austria's river Mur river surfing is a regular sight as well.

North America

Jackson Hole, Wyoming is known as the most famous river surfing community in the USA. The wave known as Lunch Counter has been surfed every summer by a small core group for over 20 years.

In the past five years, Montreal has sprung up as a hot bed of river surfing, with warm water and great waves right in the city.

The city of Pueblo, Colorado had the foresight to build a beautiful whitewater kayak park right through the downtown area a few years back. The 8-feature park has also become a surfing center. Depending on the water volume the third, fourth and seventh features can all be surfed. The activity has become so popular that Pueblo is now advertised as a surf destination in Colorado.

Tidal bores

Tidal bores, waves created by incoming tides, are being surfed along coastal rivers such as the pororoca on the Amazon River or England's River Severn.

Severn Bore

Surfing the Severn Bore has become a competitive sport with dozens of surfers vying to record the longest ride. The tidal surge also attracts canoeists and windsurfers. The present champion surfer is Dave Lawson from Hempsted, Gloucestershire, who has covered 5.7 miles on a surfboard. His record-breaking surf took more than 35 minutes and was logged by an official adjudicator from the British Surfing Association.

Pororoca

The pororoca is a tidal bore, with waves up to 4 meters high that travel as much as 13 kilometers inland upstream the Amazon River.

See also

• Riverboarding
• Lake surfing

References

External links

• Surfing the Grand River on You Tube
• Red Cedar River Surfing on You Tube
• Surfing At Michigan State University