River surfing is the sport of
surfing
Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suita ...
either
standing waves,
tidal bores or
upstream waves in
river
A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...
s. Claims for its origins include a 1955 ride of along the tidal bore of the
River Severn
The River Severn (, ), at long, is the longest river in Great Britain. It is also the river with the most voluminous flow of water by far in all of England and Wales, with an average flow rate of at Apperley, Gloucestershire. It rises in t ...
.
River surfing on standing waves has been documented as far back as 1972 on an artificial wave created on a section of the
''Eisbach'' man-made river, a side arm of the
Isar River, near
Haus der Kunst in the
Englischer Garten park in
Munich, Germany, today offering the world's largest urban surfing spot.
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 requirement for this is a flowing water with shallow depth in which the
inertia
Inertia is the natural tendency of objects in motion to stay in motion and objects at rest to stay at rest, unless a force causes the velocity to change. It is one of the fundamental principles in classical physics, and described by Isaac Newto ...
of the water overcomes its
gravity
In physics, gravity (), also known as gravitation or a gravitational interaction, is a fundamental interaction, a mutual attraction between all massive particles. On Earth, gravity takes a slightly different meaning: the observed force b ...
due to the
supercritical flow speed (
Froude number: 1.7 - 4.5, surpassing 4.5 results in direct standing wave) and is therefore neither significantly slowed down by the obstacle nor pushed to the side. It is a form of
hydraulic jump.
A river surfer can face up-stream and catch this wave and have the feeling of traveling fast over water while not actually moving.
River surfing conditions are created by a combination of underlying rock formations and specific water levels, i.e. not too much or too little water. Water flow is usually measured in the
SI-unit
cubic meters per second (m
3/s) (alternatively in
liters per second or
cubic feet per second).
European standing waves
Germany
Despite being many hundreds of kilometres from the nearest ocean,
Munich
Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
has a reputation as a surfing hotspot, offering one of Europe's best waves.
The
Bavaria
Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...
n capital is the birthplace of river surfing. The city has been the center of surfboard riding on a standing wave since the early 1970s.
" has been doing this since 1973".
Up to 100 surfers daily hit the waves in the city's
Englischer Garten, the largest urban park in the world. There, in the river
Eisbach, the world's best known river surf spot, the Eisbach (literally “ice brook”) wave, the flow velocity of the icy water is about 5 meters per second, at a
flow rate of 20 m
3/s (equivalent to a mass of 20 tons per second), and the temperature never gets above 15
degrees Celsius.
An annual surfing competition is held on the standing wave. Additionally, there are further standing waves that form on the river
Isar
The Isar () is a river in Austria and in Bavaria, Germany. Its source is in the Karwendel mountain range of the Alps. The Isar river enters Germany near Mittenwald and flows through Krün, Wallgau, Bad Tölz, Munich, and Landshut before reaching ...
just downstream of the ''Wittelsbacherbrücke'' bridge in
Isarvorstadt, as well as on the canal that joins the Isar channel with the ''Floßlände''.
Munich has produced the best river surfers and was the first location that created a true surfing community around an inland river wave.
The scene has around 1,000 active surfers, while 10,000 in Munich will have tried it at some point.
Austria
On Austria's river
Mur in
Graz
Graz () is the capital of the Austrian Federal states of Austria, federal state of Styria and the List of cities and towns in Austria, second-largest city in Austria, after Vienna. On 1 January 2025, Graz had a population of 306,068 (343,461 inc ...
(
Styria
Styria ( ; ; ; ) is an Austrian Federal states of Austria, state in the southeast of the country. With an area of approximately , Styria is Austria's second largest state, after Lower Austria. It is bordered to the south by Slovenia, and cloc ...
), river surfing is a regular on two waves built for surfing in 2001 and rebuilt in 2004 by KanuClub Graz.
Near
Salzburg
Salzburg is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020 its population was 156,852. The city lies on the Salzach, Salzach River, near the border with Germany and at the foot of the Austrian Alps, Alps moun ...
in the Alm Canal there is a custom built surf wave, the Almwelle.
Norway
Norway has several river waves, amongst the most famous are:
*
Bulken Wave (Bulkenbølgen) at
Voss
Voss () is a Municipalities of Norway, municipality and a Districts of Norway, traditional district in Vestland Counties of Norway, county, Norway. The administrative center of the municipality is the village of Vossevangen. Other villages inclu ...
.
*
Sluppen Wave (Sluppenbølgen) in
Trondheim
Trondheim ( , , ; ), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros, and Trondhjem (), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2022, it had a population of 212,660. Trondheim is the third most populous municipality in Norway, and is ...
.
*
Sarp Wave (Sarpebølgen) in
Sarpsborg.
*
Rand Wave (Randsbølgen) in
Hønefoss.
Several artificial river waves are either under planning or have been considered:
* In
Oslo
Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...
a potential, artificial river wave has been planned in their main city river
Akerselva.
* In
Stavanger
Stavanger, officially the Stavanger Municipality, is a city and municipalities of Norway, municipality in Norway. It is the third largest city and third largest metropolitan area in Norway (through conurbation with neighboring Sandnes) and the ...
, an artificial river wave for surfboards and kayaks was planned in
Figgjoelva, but was opposed by the
Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate
The Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate ( or NVE) is a Norwegian government agency established in 1921. It is under the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy and regulates the country's water resources and energy supply. Its mandate in ...
and the Stavanger and Rogaland Hunting and Fishing Association.
* In
Evje a river wave project called the Evje Wave (Evjebølgen) is being planned at the
river mouth of
Otra, the largest river in the
Southern Norway
Southern Norway (; lit. "The Southland") is the geographical List of regions of Norway, region (''landsdel'') along the Skagerrak coast of southern Norway. The region is an informal description since it does not have any governmental function ...
region. The Otra river is already popular for rafting and other
extreme sport
Action sports, adventure sports or extreme sports are physical activity, activities perceived as involving a high degree of risk of injury or death. These activities often involve speed, height, a high level of physical exertion and highly speci ...
s. Concept drawings have been published, and the project is advertised as having a low environmental impact.
Switzerland
The
Limmat in Zürich does not have any standing waves but is fast-flowing. Local surfers have developed a pulley system known as upstream surfing which allows surfers to surf the river.
North American standing waves
Canada
The
Habitat 67 standing wave in the
Lachine Rapids
The Lachine Rapids () are a series of rapids on the Saint Lawrence River, between the Island of Montreal and the South Shore. They are confusingly located near the borough of Lasalle and not Lachine.
The Lachine Rapids contain large standi ...
in
Montreal
Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
, named for its location adjacent to the
Habitat 67 housing complex, has become a popular destination for river surfing.
Corran Addison, an Olympic kayaker and three-time world
freestyle kayak champion, was the first to surf the Habitat wave in 2002. His river-surfing school, Imagine Surfboards, has taught 3,500 students since 2005. A second Montreal river-surfing school, KSF, has hosted 1,500 students a year since 2003. From fewer than 10 original surfers, it is estimated that the current of participants numbers around 500.
The
Ottawa River
The Ottawa River (, ) is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. It is named after the Algonquin word "to trade", as it was the major trade route of Eastern Canada at the time. For most of its length, it defines the border betw ...
in
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...
has long been a river surfing destination for both locals and travellers.
Local surf shops specialize in river surfing gear and boards. Average wave height varies between one and two meters.
The waves are most accessible in the spring with some remaining rideable year-round.
In the 2000s, transplanted ocean surfers began riding standing waves in a number of rivers in
Alberta
Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...
, Canada. Several shops in
Calgary
Calgary () is a major city in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in C ...
now stock boards specifically designed for river surfing. The standing wave under the 10th Street bridge in Calgary, has been a popular place for river surfing since its formation after the
2013 Alberta floods Since the mid-2010s, th
Alberta River Surfing Associationis spearheading transformative river wave projects in Southern Alberta, including a river park i
downtown Calgaryan
Cochrane The most popular area to river surf around Southern Alberta is in Kananaskis district (45 min from Calgary) at a spot called Mountain Wave. As of the early 2020s, projects of building two additional adjustable man-made river waves are well under way.
United States
Jackson Hole, Wyoming, is known as the most famous river surfing community in the US. The first documented cases of surfing on the
Snake River occurred in the late 1970s. The wave known as Lunch Counter is a standing wave that churns during times of snow runoff in the months between May and August each year. This wave is highly active during these months and the area continues to grow as a surf destination.
Pueblo, Colorado
Pueblo ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home rule municipality that is the county seat of and the List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous municipality in Pueblo County, Colorado, United States. The ...
, has also become a river surfing city. A kayak park was in built 2005 near downtown Pueblo and locals have been surfing features 3, 4, and 7 ever since.
Missoula, Montana, has surfing on Brennan's Wave, a man-made wave on the
Clark Fork River.
Boise, Idaho
Boise ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Idaho, most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, there were 235,685 people residing in the city. Loca ...
, has surfing at the Boise Whitewater Park near downtown Boise. The Boise River Park features an adjustable man-made wave on the
Boise River. Because the waveshaper is adjustable, river surfing is available nearly year around. The ''Surfer's Journal'' article "The Surf God's of Idaho" says surfing Boise's river is like "pausing the ocean with a remote control and pressing rewind, but then surfing that backward-flowing wave in forward motion".'
Bend, Oregon, has an adjustable man-made river wave in Bend White Water Rapid Park for all season surfing.
Salida, Colorado has a whitewater park with six different features and a thriving river surfing scene. In fall of 2022, hydrologists from Recreation Engineering and Planning (REP) based in Salida engineered a wave specifically for surfing. The wave, called the Scout Wave 2.0, is meant to perform at even moderate water levels, opening up the season. River surfing is happening in Salida all year long on the Scout 2.0.
New Zealander standing waves
The world's first commercial river surfing operation was started by Jon Imhoof in 1989. Trips are run on the
Kawarau River near
Queenstown. Bodyboards are used to run rapids and ride standing waves on the river.
Tidal bores
Tidal bores occur in relatively few locations worldwide, usually in areas with a large tidal range (typically more than between high and low water), and where incoming tides are funnelled into a shallow, narrowing river via a broad bay.
Large bores can be particularly dangerous for shipping, but also present opportunities for river surfing.
The funnel-like shape not only increases the tidal range, but it can also decrease the duration of the
flood tide, down to a point where the flood appears as a sudden increase in the water level. The tidal bore occurs only during the flood tide, never the
ebb tide.
A tidal bore can create a powerful roar that combines the sounds caused by the turbulence in the bore front and whelps, entrained air bubbles in the bore roller, sediment erosion beneath the bore front and of the banks, scouring of shoals and bars, and impacts on obstacles.
Tidal bores are being surfed along coastal rivers such as the
pororoca
The Pororoca (, ) is a tidal bore, with waves up to high that travel as much as inland upstream on the Amazon River and adjacent rivers. Its name might come from the indigenous Tupi language, where it could translate into "great roar". It could ...
on the
Amazon River or England's
River Severn
The River Severn (, ), at long, is the longest river in Great Britain. It is also the river with the most voluminous flow of water by far in all of England and Wales, with an average flow rate of at Apperley, Gloucestershire. It rises in t ...
.
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 bore
The pororoca is a tidal bore, with waves up to 4 metres high that travel as much as 13 km inland upstream the
Amazon River.
Petitcodiac bore
Tidal bores are backwards-moving waves that travel upstream over forward-moving downstream waves. They occur twice a day on the
Petitcodiac River in the
Bay of Fundy
The Bay of Fundy () is a bay between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, with a small portion touching the U.S. state of Maine. It is an arm of the Gulf of Maine. Its tidal range is the highest in the world.
The bay was ...
, driven up the river by the world's highest tides. The North American record for surfing a single river wave was set by J.J. Wessels and Colin Whitbread of California, who rode the Petitcodiac River bore for 29 kilometres on 24 July 2013.
Upstream river waves
An upstream river wave is a phenomenon with a similar appearance to tidal bores, but is, just like a coastal wave, caused by ocean swells instead of tides. Similar to tidal bores, they form in the ocean and travel up the river.
Building river surf waves
River surfing is gaining popularity around the world. Boise Whitewater Park's Wave Technician, Paul Primus, shares the dual benefit of installing recreational river features to replace dangerous low head dams everywhere. Building river surf waves can also help save lives.
Replacing old low head dams with river recreation features can have many benefits - low head dam hazard abatement, river navigability, fish passage, flood mitigation, sediment transport, river blight removal, diversion infrastructure modernization, significant economic impact, provision of swiftwater training facilities, public health benefits, and introduce opportunities to help reduce regional youth drowning rates.
Safety
Dangers associated with river surfing is
hypothermia,
drowning and
blunt trauma. A significant and serious hazard are stainers, or logs in the river that can cause surfers to get pinned or become entangled. Board strikes to the head can cause injuries. If the water is cool, the surfer may dress in a wetsuit, neoprene boots and gloves. Even if the temperature is high, it is recommended to use footwear in order to avoid cuts from rocks in the river. Care should also be taken not to stand on the river floor where the water is moving. Leg entrapment may occur. Some choose not to use a
leg rope ("leash") since there is a potential for the leash to get hung up in rocks, which can cause drowning if the surfer is unable to reach the
hook-and-loop fastener
Hook-and-loop fasteners, commonly known as Velcro (a Generic trademark, genericized trademark), hook-and-pile fasteners or touch fasteners are versatile fastening devices that allow two surfaces to be repeatedly attached and detached with ease ...
due to strong currents. Depending on the river, it may also be appropriate to use a
personal flotation device
A personal flotation device (PFD; also referred to as a life jacket, life preserver, life belt, Mae West, life vest, life saver, cork jacket, buoyancy aid or flotation suit) is a flotation device in the form of a vest or suit that is worn by a u ...
and
helmet. To reduce danger, the surfer should also train specifically on swimming technique for rivers. When falling, one should try to fall as "flat" as possible so as not to hit rocks lying on the bottom of the river. If the surfing is done with the help of
water ski rope or other type of rope fixed to shore, there should be at least one person on shore with a knife, scissors or other cutting tools available in case the rope needs to be cut for safety reasons, for example if the surfer gets tangled in the rope. River surfing is not risk free, and there have been deaths.
See also
*
Lake surfing
*
Riverboarding
References
External links
Riverbreak - The River Surf MagazineRiverSurfing.ca - A global organization for River Surfers by River SurfersStandings wave in the Eisbach in Munich, Germany Red Cedar River Surfing on YouTubeEisbach NEWS and interviews with the Munich river surfing community* Alberta River Surfing Association
Alberta River Surfing Association
{{Extreme sports
River surfing,
Whitewater sports