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Full name: Annie Carrier
Age: 26
Years river surfing: 2 years
Homebreak: Montréal
Favourite board: My 5’6 Alanie model from Boréal Surfboards
Favourite trick: roundhouse cutback
Sponsors: Boréal Surfboards, June Swimwear, Rip Curl, Kiteforce, Best Kiteboarding

So you’re from Montreal Annie … there is a really vibrant surf community at the St. Lawrence River and most of the surfers are men, right? Are you one of the few women surfing in Montreal?

I mean there are more men than women in the water but I’m “fighting” against that movement. I’ve taken at least 15 of my girlfriends this summer in the river for the first time. I’m also seeing more girls taking lessons and I am really proud of that. But the boys are super nice to us, they don’t see us as women, they see us as surfers and that’s my goal too.

Are there other girls that you’ve been surfing with consistently? Who are your favourite female river surf-buddies?

My best friend, Audrey Frégeau. We learned together last year and we just can’t get enough now. The second we are out of work, we are in the river. We sometimes go surfing before dinner with friends or before meetings. We always try to make room on weekends for the river. It’s funny because I traveled with Audrey to many cool places to surf in the ocean. We got back to Montréal and we were like: let’s go surfing in the river. We couldn’t figure out how to surf in there and it was really frustrating because we knew how to surf in the ocean. So we encouraged each other and at the same time, we caught the wave and surfed it like never before. It was the best moment. It’s like learning to ride a bicycle; once you have figure it out it’s priceless.

Photo: Sébastien Chartrand

Which waves do you surf in Montreal and which one is your favourite wave?

I surf the wave in the St Lawrence river behind Habitat 67. It’s awesome when it becomes all green. It’s sometimes all foamy but I still surf it anyway because I like to paddle out and get wet. The community is also super friendly and fun to hang out with.

Is “Shore Wave” still on, or is the wave gone at the moment?

Unfortunately Shore Wave at Habitat 67 is dead ☹ It happened last winter. We don’t really know what happened but it doesn’t break like it used to. At the moment, the wave is not surfable at all.

What is the surf culture at your home break in Montreal?

The community in Montréal is super tight and friendly. I’ve brought out a lot of girls this summer and everyone wants to help. Everyone is happy to have new surfers in the community. We saw how tight our community was when the city of Montréal wanted to dump raw sewage. There are also private groups on Facebook that are made for organizing surf trips, wave report (we post ONLY when the wave is bad) :P, sell stuff, etc.

Photo: Sébastien Chartrand

What was the reaction of the local river surfing community on the city’s plan to dump raw sewage into the St. Lawrence River?

We were outraged. We couldn’t believe that it was the only solution in 2015. We decided to do petitions, organise a paddle out.

Think of the first time you went river surfing … How did you get into it?

I first went river surfing when I was about 12 years old. I was into my “Blue Crush” mode and begged my dad to bring me to the river. We didn’t really know what we were getting into. I had a surfboard that wasn’t appropriate at all. I bought it online and it was a gun from Hawaii. My dad also told me to wear my bike helmet in case something happened. I asked few surfers how to get to the wave. Turns out I took the wrong current and I was going “offshore”. I ended up crying because I could see everyone at the shore yelling me things and doing signs and I didn’t know what to do. I took a long break after that horrible session and went back 12 years later!

 What’s your advice for other women who want to give river surfing a try?

Don’t be scared. It looks more intimidating than it actually is. It’s also really important to take lessons before going on your own. Or go with someone you really trust if you have been surfing before. It also helps if you work out your upper body. It can get tiring for someone who is not used to paddling.

Photo: Sébastien Chartrand

What makes river surfing so special for you?

What makes it so special is that I can go to work during the day and go surfing at night, in the city. I’ve always been used to choose surfing or working because the closest surf spot from Montréal is 5 hours away. I could never do both in one day and I thought it was super hard to choose. Now that I have discovered river surfing, I can enjoy having both in one day and that makes me so happy. I can also enjoy it with all my friends from the city. It’s like all my life I had to choose between working, having my family/friends around or head to the USA to get my surf fix.

Tell us about one of your river surfing highlights

One of the highlights I have in mind was a sunset party wave with 2 of my best friends. We just couldn’t stop laughing. We couldn’t even stand up because it was too funny. I am also super proud of one article I did about river surfing with my buddy Pascale Marcotte for the magazine Elle.

Have you been surfing river waves outside Montreal too? If so, what was your best river surf tip you ever did?

Nope! I usually travel to surf in the ocean.

Have you won any contests that you’re really proud of? Tell us about them!

I have never done a river surf contest but if I hear of one in Montréal, I’m more than keen to participate!

Photo: Sébastien Chartrand

 What are some of your “high hopes” for the future of river surfing?

I really hope that our water in Montréal stays “clean” (it could be much more cleaner). I also hope that more and more ladies will get into the sport. I love it when we are more girls than boys at the wave. Makes me feel proud of us!

Besides river surfing, what hobbies do you find the most pleasure in? 

Surfing of course! I also really enjoy kiteboarding, skateboarding, karate, snowboarding, skiing. Any sport that sleds haha!

3 people who inspire you the most?

Ronda Rousey for her determination and focus; Lakey Peterson for her perseverance and talent; My boyfriend/coach/shaper for his patience and perfectionism.

Anything else you want to pass on to our readers?

Show me the river waves you surf and I’ll show you ours!! ☺ I want to live the search.

Fill in the blanks

• I’ve always wanted to ___ surf everyday.
• You’re not really a river surfer unless ___ you don’t get sick because of the cleanliness of the water! Hahaha
• My favourite river surf buddies are ___ Audrey Frégeau, Pascale Marcotte and my brother, Benoît Carrier.
• Happiness is ___ surfing. I know it’s cheesy but it’s true!

Thank you Annie for your time and keep spreading positive vibes in Montreal!

The post Women in River Surfing: Annie Carrier, Montreal (Québec) appeared first on Riverbreak.

The post Ottawa Surf Community appeared first on Riverbreak.

What is your personal connection to surfing?

Surfing is my life.

You have an ocean surfing background, right? Tell us about it …

I have been surfing for 12 years in the ocean and surfed in over 13 countries.

Over the past decade I have worked in the surfing industry — as an ISA (International Surfing Association) certified Level 1 surf instructor, a surf tour guide, and as a surf writer in English, Italian and Spanish. I have surfed in competitions internationally, and have experience organizing events. In the past I worked as an editorial coordinator and in-house translator at a surf magazine in Mexico.

What is your personal connection to river surfing? What do you think makes river surfing special? What do you particularly like or don’t like about it?

I tried river surfing for the first time this past summer in Calgary, Alberta. It’s kind of funny because my boyfriend had to practically drag me there the first time and I was anything but convinced, but I had such a great experience that first day. One of the local surfers, Graeme Sams, gave me a lot of tips. He showed me the easiest way to enter the water, how to line up with the 10st bridge, and how to jump off the rock. River surfing was much more challenging than I had ever imagined—out of about 40 attempts, I probably stood 4 times—but after that first day, I was hooked. The next time I went surfing, Jacob Quinlan was there. He was very supportive and taught me how to acid drop into the wave and that’s when I actually started surfing a lot more waves.

Although river surfing is different from ocean surfing, there are some similarities. You are still outside, you are still in the water, you are still at the mercy of Mother Nature, and you still have to work hard. That element of danger is still present, but in a different form.

After I surfed The Mountain wave on the Kananaskis River – out in the mountains, I started to love river surfing.

When I first tried river surfing I didn’t like the fact that I was confined to stay in one place (and to a small wave, both in height and length). I like to move, to go places. I wasn’t going anywhere on the wave except when I wiped out and got swept downstream by the current. I enjoyed river surfing when I first tried it, but after I surfed “The Mountain” wave on the Kananaskis River – out in the mountains, I started to love river surfing.

What makes river surfing different are the people. I went from jockeying in the ocean line-ups with aggressive males (mostly teenagers) to surfing with people averaging the age of 30, who wait in line and make sure everyone has a turn.

Photo: Rob Bishop / rbishophoto.com

What is the surf culture like where you live?

Even though the ARSA (Alberta River Surfing Association) was formed about a decade ago, the surf culture here is still relatively new. The river surfing community is inclusive. Everyone I’ve met so far has been supportive, encouraging, and a lot of fun.

Let’s talk about your experience in filmmaking … When did you first start getting into filmmaking? Or is this your first project?

This is my first filmmaking project. I started off writing about surfing and then focused more on photography. Film was the next logical step. It was a natural progression for me to move into a medium that has the ability to capture movement and sound.

I love movies and have wanted to make a documentary for some time.

When did the idea for this film come to you?

I had started writing an article about the Surf Anywhere project about a year and a half ago, and a long time before I ever tried river surfing. I was inspired by Surf Anywhere’s sustainable project and their open-source plans for wave building.

The idea for the film came to me after I started surfing The Mountain and started to meet more of the people in the river surfing community. I realized that there were a lot of passionate and talented river surfers—most of them not from originally from Calgary or even Canada—and without knowing much about their stories, I knew that I wanted to share them.

What were people’s reactions when you talked about your idea?

Everyone’s response has been positive and enthusiastic.

Who’s going to be in this film and why?

The Alberta river surfing community will be in this film. The interviewees are in this film because of their stories.

A couple of additional surfers will be featured in the Surf Anywhere documentary, although they are not listed on Story Hive (there were only nine spots provided for the interview roster).

Surf movies have become a genre of their own over the last years. Which elements of a typical surf movie would you like to see / avoid in your film?

I want to tell a story through interesting characters and stunning images. There won’t be any big wave surfing or World Surf League pros in this documentary.

What do you think about interviews in surf movies? How relevant will interviews be for your film?

Interviews are an essential component of any documentary. Letting people tell their own stories, in their own words, brings authenticity to the project and makes it engaging for the audience.

Photo: Glenn Dixon

What is the target length of your film? Would you also think of an extended version?

10 minutes. I will definitely consider an extended version, in the future.

Do you already have a scene in mind that you consider particularly central to the film?

I envision a scene with snow. One of the river surfers, Justin Gullickson, talked about surfing in a blizzard and that image has never left my mind. I think that would make a great shot. Jason McQuade also mentioned something about an iceberg.

Where do you want to see your film being screened once it’s done?

Banff Mountain Film Festival, Calgary International Film Festival, and any surf film festival at all would be lovely

Who else (besides the local surf community) is supporting the project?

My friends and family, and the friends and family of the interviewees, have been supporting the project with their votes on Story Hive. Their response has been overwhelming.

What about the music in the film? Do you already have any thought on this?

I have a few ideas in mind.

What are some of your “high hopes” for the film?

I hope that river surfers everywhere will watch this film and enjoy it. I hope this film will inspire people—to build waves, to surf, to follow their dreams and live their passions.

How can the river surfing community help to make this film happen?

The river surfing community can vote daily on Story Hive to help us win a $10 000 grant to make this film project happen. There are only 7 voting days left.

It only takes 30 seconds to vote. You don’t need to sign up or create a profile – it’s as easy as 1, 2, 3:

1. Click on the link below (and watch the one minute pitch video).
2. Click on the yellow “vote on project” button located in the upper right corner.
3. When the pop-up window opens, click on the yellow “vote now” button.

Please vote once a day, if you can, until noon on November 9, 2015. Thank you for your support.

http://www.storyhive.com/project/show/id/924

Three filmmakers who inspire you the most?

Danny Boyle, Sofia Coppola, Alejandro González Iñárritu and Sarah Polley.

Any last words?

Keep surfing and keep exploring.

Fill in the blanks

• I’d love to see __Elijah Mack__ in this film.
• I hope that people in __everywhere but especially Germany, Italy, and anywhere else there is a river__ will watch this film too.
• If money didn’t matter, this film would __be a feature length film about river surfing around the world and it would have the best soundtrack ever and be translated into many languages.

The post Desiree Bilon on the Surf Anywhere Film appeared first on Riverbreak.

Full name: April Zastrow
Age: 27
Years river surfing: 1
Homebreak: Boise River Park
Favourite trick: So far all I have been able to pull off are simple ollies. I plan on progressing into more air type of moves and 360’s.
Sponsors: Peterson surfboards, Roxy

April, who’s to blame for your passion for river surfing?

A friend and I were trying to figure out something to do and they told me that they river surfed. I never knew there was such a thing, but the second they told me about it I said I was going and knew it wasn’t going to just be a one-time thing. I immediately bought gear the day after my first try at river surfing.

Do you see river surfing as a typical male or female sport?

I do see it as more of a typical male sport, simply by the amount of men that do it compared to women. But I do not consider it being a sport that is predominately more of an advantage for men compared to women. I have competed in motocross for 15 years and have found motocross to be a lot harder as a woman compared to men. MX takes way more strength being one of the most physically demanding sports out there, but surfing involves a different type of strength. As a female I have found that my style in sports is usually smooth and effortless looking and I think this translates well into surfing.

Photo: Tanya Pavlis / Sidewayz Films

Are there other girls that you’ve been surfing with consistently?

There is a small group of core girls that consistently come out and surf: Kiley, Lucy, Katie, Katy and Ciam before she just recently moved. There is a lot of skill and heart between these girls and I love watching them all surf!

What’s your advice for girls who want to get into river surfing?

There is nothing holding you back except self-doubt. I think it is far worse to not try something than the fear of failure. Failure is necessary before you can experience success and the harder you fail, the greater the success feels. And of course do not give up if it’s something you are truly passionate about.

What makes river surfing so special (compared to ocean surfing)?

One major thing about river surfing is the sportsmanship. Everyone gets a shot at the wave no matter what skill level you are or how much time you have put in at the wave and people are courteous about taking turns and keeping the flow going. When someone who has been struggling for days, weeks or even months finally gets their first turn or finally stands on their board; you will hear every surfer cheer them on.

What is the surf culture like where you live?

It is a very small culture here, but everyone is so friendly and it feels like a family. There is an interesting diverse group of people who can all get together and have the same froth over the wave. We also get together occasionally for chill parties, gatherings or events.

How large is the river surf community at your home break?

I am really bad at guessing numbers, but on a crowded night there can be about 20 and have even counted up to almost 30 people. It is somewhat of a small community, but I like it small.

Tell us about one of your river surfing highlights (scariest, greatest, funniest…)

I have had to take one trip to the hospital already. Last year the board shot up out of the water and the rail pulled an uppercut on me. I had lockjaw for about a week, but there wasn’t any major damage except maybe a small fracture or something.

Photo: Tanya Pavlis / Sidewayz Films

What is the best river wave you’ve ever ridden?

I have only had the opportunity to surf our wave. I did have a trip planned to Munich this summer, but it fell through. I do plan on hitting some other northwest waves this fall or spring though.

Best river surf tip you have personally applied?

Never give up. I went a long time before I got more than a turn or two at the wave and there were many days that I thought I would never get it, but I kept trying and eventually it clicked one day. One guy made the comment “I never would have thought a year ago that you would be one of the smoothest surfers out here.”

Have you won any contests that you’re really proud of? Tell us about them!

I have yet to compete for river surfing, I have only heard of the Payette River Games locally and will maybe compete if they make the wave more fitting for surfing rather than SUP/Kayak.

Photo: Tanya Pavlis / Sidewayz Films

What are some of your “high hopes” for the future of river surfing?

I see a lot of potential in river surfing. There are so many people like myself who have always been landlocked and dreamed of surfing, they just don’t know about river surfing yet. There are also more river waves popping up around the states, that I can only see it grow from here. Maybe one day there will be an actual river surfing championship series that people can compete in around the states, but right now it is just fun to do without being too serious about it.

Photo: Tanya Pavlis / Sidewayz Films

Besides river surfing, what hobbies do you find the most pleasure in?

I have been a professional motocross racer since I was 15, but haven’t raced the last few years due to a change in the series with it taking a major step back in our progression as professional athletes. I am also a graphic designer for a motocross apparel company, Fly Racing. I have recently started painting (my boardshaper has even let me paint all of my boards) and picked up the guitar to help keep me busy when our wave gets shut down in the winter. I will occasionally road bike or snowboard. Just love to be active and have fun as much as possible!

Final shout outs?

From the late Kurt Caselli “Do one thing every day that scares you.”

Fill in the blanks

• I’ve always wanted to ___ be as rad as possible.
• You’re not really a river surfer unless ___ you have chased your board down the river and have been held down long enough to spark some fear in you.
• My favourite river surf buddy is ___ the core group of regulars at the river, they know who they are (can’t just pick one).
• Happiness is ___ to love and be loved.

Thank you April for your time and all the best for the upcoming season!

The post Women in River Surfing: April Zastrow, Boise (ID) appeared first on Riverbreak.

Film and Cut: Nicolas Poitras-Gamache
Song: Brand Nubian – Concerto In X Minor

The post Alex Larue & Éric Chretien aka Monkey Surfing Near Montreal appeared first on Riverbreak.

The IMDb concludes that KEEP SURFING is “a fascinating look at Munich’s legendary river-surfing community, a group of six very different characters who all share a passion for going against the flow. The movie is an ode to individual freedom and to the people who’ve achieved happiness on a river wave, where they can go against the flow and find their place in life.”

Win 2 Free Tickets

Thanks to Björn, Riverbreak has the opportunity to give away 2 free tickets for the public viewing on August 6 in Munich.

KEEP SURFING Cast / Surfers

Meet these living legends in KEEP SURFING:

• Dieter Deventer
• Steffen Dittrich
• Mark Steffan Gassner
• Markus Knörringer
• Florian Kummer
• Carsten Kurmis
• Elijah Mack
• Matthias Ramoser
• Quirin Rohleder
• Gerhard Schlegel
• Kelly Slater
• Walter Strasser

Event Details

KultFilmnacht
August 6, Seebühne / Westpark, Munich
More details: http://www.kino-mond-sterne.de/kms.php/kultfilmnacht-der-stadtsparkasse-muenchen

The post Win Free Tickets to “KEEP SURFING” appeared first on Riverbreak.

A special Aloha goes to our first, second, and third prize winners Fernando Mourao (Brazil), Finian Vogel (Great Britain/Germany) and Jacob Kelly (Canada)!

Winner Photos

Complete List of Results

1. Fernando Mourao – 615 likes
2. Finian Vogel – 268 likes
3. Jacob Kelly – 177 likes
4. Manni Bacher – 167 likes
5. Ulrich Lemberg – 83 likes
6. Charlie Cindric – 76 likes
7. Justin Gullickson – 58 likes
8. Alex Meixner – 53 likes
9. Jens Schumann – 49 likes
10. Ben Heer – 47 likes
11. Rob Bishop – 46 likes
12. Chris Garside – 41 likes
13. Daniel Gagliardi-Paez – 35 likes
14. Robi Rothauer – 35 likes
15. Marcus Kastner – 34 likes
16. Steven Flood – 31 likes
17. Igor Goni – 30 likes
18. Andy Klotz – 29 likes
19. Ruben – 29 likes
20. Maximilian Eisl – 28 likes
21. Benjamin Lagerbauer – 27 likes
22. Marcel Menke – 27 likes
23. Melanie Höcketstaller – 27 likes
24. Meghan Roberts – 26 likes
25. Yuan Legault – 26 likes
26. Paul Harratzmüller – 25 likes
27. Daniel Lecompte – 23 likes
28. Helmut Brand – 22 likes
29. Linus Reulein – 21 likes
30. Eva Loach – 19 likes
31. Othrin Ottenbreit – 18 likes
32. Sonja Steineder – 17 likes
33. Daniel Eggeling – 15 likes
34. Jan Menzel – 14 likes
35. Manuel Burger – 14 likes
36. Janosch Veile – 13 likes
37. Nader Essa – 13 likes
38. Randy Fisher – 13 likes
39. Tom Eder – 13 likes
40. Florian Staiger – 12 likes
41. John Rose – 12 likes
42. Ben Müller – 11 likes
43. Milan Brunner – 11 likes
44. Johannes Rausch – 10 likes
45. Corinna Barth – 9 likes
46. Hubert Kaltenegger – 9 likes
47. Max Schrader – 9 likes
48. Raphael Ofner – 9 likes
49. Michael Hansmann – 6 likes

The post The Best Shots: 2015 Photo Contest Winners appeared first on Riverbreak.

Stefanie und Marcus Kastner have been working tirelessly on their dream of building a wave in the Loisach River. The wave should be build close to the Loisachmühle in Weidach. They recently launched a new website that keeps interested river surfers around the area up to date on the project.

Fill out the survey at: surfing-wolfratshausen.de

River Surfing Wolfratshausen: www.facebook.com/surfwelle.wolfratshausen

The post River Surfing Wolfratshausen: Call for Support appeared first on Riverbreak.

Don Piburn

“You and I met surfing the sandbars of Mission Beach, California in the mid-70s while I was still a teenager and you weren’t very much older. Our shared passion for surfing and skateboarding in empty swimming pools started a friendship, and then the passion shifted into snowboarding before that sport became popular. I do remember your stories about snowboarding in South Lake Tahoe back in the early 1970’s, though. Then we got into something completely new and different, river surfing the Lunch Counter standing wave in Alpine Canyon section of the Snake River in Wyoming. The attitude was always the same, only the medium changed.”

Seal Morgan

“We met out in the ocean, and I started patching your surfboards at my ding repair fiberglass shop. Years later you told me that you started shadowing me out in the water because it was my home beach and I always caught the best set waves. We both skateboarded in empty swimming pools whenever the surf was flat, although not all that often together. We were skating in a different crowd at that time.”

Don Piburn

“We have a host of stories from the mid-1970’s outlaw skateboarder era that we won’t go into here. Suffice it to say that trespass was the name of the game. This started before skateboard parks, so when someone discovered an exceptional pool, bowl, or drainage ditch the word got out. We have back issues of the now defunct mid-1970s Skateboarder Magazine, and they are rife with pictures of that era’s apex skateboarding professionals riding the very same San Diego hotspots that we did, many pictured in this montage. Having a pro show up at your spot was common place, and in a few cases they were there because we were close friends.

We weren’t making the magazines, but we skated on par with well-known friends who were. That is significant because other modern board sports trace common roots right through the mid-1970’s outlaw skateboarding movement. Riversurfing belongs on that exclusive list. Regrettably all the period skateboard pictures of Seal have been lost over the years, so we’re adding in just one of him taken on September of 2014 dropping a bowl at Hillyard Skatepark in Spokane, Washington. At 60 years old, no doubt he was the only skater there in vintage 1970’s Rector Skate Wear Pads.”

Seal Morgan

“In the early 1980s you disappeared on a bicycle tour across the Intermountain west and settled in Northern Utah. You only came back to visit family and ride waves, but we managed to stay in touch. I remember calling you up in the winter of ’84 after I bought my first P-tex snowboard (a Burton 150 swallowtail) to tell you to get off that Burton woodie you were riding. When they started making snowboards with p-tex, the sport just took off. Little did I know that four years later we’d be sharing an old farmhouse and surfing together again, but at Lunch Counter instead of in the ocean.”

Don Piburn

“We wonder who the first person to river surf the Lunch Counter was. I had heard tales about the first guy circulating among fellow river runners who knew I was a surfer. The story goes that the very first person to take a surfboard out onto the face of the primary wave at Lunch Counter was a displaced California surfer and skier who came up with the idea while running the Snake River during the spring runoff. We have no idea what year or years he was there or what his name was, but if it was in the 70s he likely was riding a single fin and maybe even a longboard …”

Seal Morgan

“It isn’t hard for us to imagine the founder’s very first leap into the freezing snow-melt of a roaring Snake River to surf the place alone because we had a very similar experience ourselves one fine spring day. There was no one there to guide us, other than some shared memories of a photo we’d both seen in an old surfing magazine, a TV commercial that aired in the early 80s, and the tale about some guy having gone first many years before.

We’d both seen the Mountain Dew soft drink commercial that aired nationally in the 1980’s and, as surfers, we were clearly intrigued by the idea of a perpetual wave that never stops breaking. We were told by Lunch Counter locals that the TV production company had a huge safety rope strung across the river, and that river runners just hated that week of filming madness. With everybody all jacked up on the gallons of highly-caffeinated sugar water that was being given out for free, it must have been, well … interesting. Despite all the national exposure, few surfers ever showed up to surf the place during the years we were there.”

Don Piburn

“When Seal joined me in Northern Utah for the 1987 winter snowboard season, he brought along his wetsuit and three of the surfboards he shaped and glassed. I borrowed a river runner’s dry suit from the University recreation center and suddenly we had all the equipment we needed to follow through on the old stories of a land-locked standing wave only three or four hours to the north somewhere near Jackson, Wyoming.”

Seal Morgan

“It was in the spring of 1988 when we headed out on that first trip to actually look for the wave. Knowledgeable contacts in the local kayaker community clued us in on the time of year the wave broke best, how to find it, and where to camp. We racked up my surfboards, loaded the little pickup with a pile of camping gear and food, and headed north through the farmlands of Central Idaho. Surfboards atop my truck invited more than a few bewildered stares from the locals in the fields and small towns we passed through. They’d get used to us over the next few years.”

Don Piburn

“There had to have been others like the original surfer on the Snake River elsewhere. Mavericks who were the first in their regions of the world to literally plunge in head first. Progressive men or women who thought just enough outside the box or who had heard the stories or saw the same images that brought us to the edge of the Snake River with our ’80s short boards tucked firmly under our arms. We sincerely hope that very first Wyoming surfer will resurface again someday, because that individual was our true pioneer whose lead we followed that first spring run-off day in 88.

River surfing an unfamiliar spot for the very first time was and always will be a pretty harrowing experience. We found ourselves face-to-face with so many unknowns. The water was ice-cold and, because our timing was good, we caught it rising into flood-stage. We had smaller and bigger days over the next few years but that first day of our initiation was both intimidating and exciting. There were no other surfers around to show us the safe places to ferry across, how to get in and out of the water, or how to react after the inevitable wipe-out.

The couple of kayakers that were there guided us with basic suggestions for what had to be in place to ensure one another’s safety, but their systems weren’t always practical for a surfer’s needs. For example, life vests back then were so bulky that they interfered with a surfer’s ability to be stable and stay on top of the surfboard while paddling in a torrent of whitewater. Our solution was for our surfboards to act as our floatation, and we relied on being tethered to them. We’d both surfed big waves where surf leashes worked, and they were what we knew. They were not the right solution, and as a result several surfers very nearly drowned when we became separated from our surfboards.”

Seal Morgan

“It was very much a trial and error process. My very first jump into the river, to put it bluntly, sucked. Only river surfers know the facing a rapid for the first time ‘oh crap what do I do now’ feeling. It’s not an ocean rip. It’s way worse. The river is moving 30mph with whirlpools that suck you and the board down. I leapt in first and just got completely trashed, industrial machine laundered, and spit out upside down and backwards below the rapids. It wasn’t nearly as big water as when we rode it at later times. Who would have guessed that I couldn’t paddle through a little churning whitewater? I’d been surfing big waves for years and could paddle like a demon. DP suggested that maybe ferrying across upstream in a calm stretch of flat water made more sense. Wish I’d thought of it first.”

Don Piburn

“You were usually a bit more gung-ho, and I a bit more cautious. I always preferred to learn from your mistakes. Vicarious learning was significantly less painful, although I made more than my own share of mistakes.”
 
 
 

Don Piburn

“Seal’s last season on the river was in 1991. He kindly left me one of his surfboards. I was able to squeeze in one last, but very eventful season in 1992. The board that worked best for both of us was your old school 5’10″ single-winged swallowtail with V in the tail that was based on the Mark Richards twin fin template. It was a Clark Foam green blank, and had 6 oz. glass job with a 6 oz. deck patch which made it kind of heavy compared to modern surfboard designs. Still, it had solid outlines and was really functional. We both made it work reasonably well. It is the same board I am surfing and loving in all the 1992 video segments. It was a magic board that seemed to work in just about everything.”

Seal Morgan

“Yep, I left you my favorite twinnie that I shaped and glassed back in the summer of ‘86. It is one of the few Seal’s Ding Repair/Seal Team Rider boards that are left in existence from my Ocean Beach shop. My ex has one, there are three hanging in my house, and I keep hoping I will see one on EBay someday, but that never happens. I didn’t shape all that many surfboards, principally because my fiberglass and surfboard repair shop on the beach brought in a much better income than making and selling new boards.”

Don Piburn

“The heavy fiberglass job of your twin fin is probably the only reason it survived a particularly horrendous wipeout of yours that I witnessed on the river in 1989. Kayaker Dennis wanted to try surfing the wave on his kayak with one of us board surfers sharing the wave, which he didn’t think anybody had ever done before. He paddled into the wave first in his 13 foot Perception kayak. It was a contemporary kayak design for the times, but by today’s standards it was very long and heavy. You floated into the wave laterally from the river bank. Oops, big mistake. He took your butt right out, as you can see in the video sequence. He flipped you up and over the back of the wave and your leash held just long enough to pull the surfboard over his bow for a second assault, spinning it once before the leg rope came off and you completely disappeared underwater. I’m stoked you were able to stay the hell away from the whirlpool in that downstream eddy, but none of us knew that at the time. It wasn’t big water, but we all knew that spot was gnarly without floatation and you had completely disappeared into the torrent. Everyone was scanning the river and calling for you, but you were nowhere to be seen or heard above the surface.”

Seal Morgan

“I was underwater swimming hard for the eddy line at first. I surfaced before I hit the secondary wave, and sprinted through it. I was just barely able to grab hold of the rock face under the bank and hung there to catch my breath. You can see my head at water level in the shadows as the camera pans by. I could hear people yelling above me but I was under the slight overhang and too close to the river to be heard calling back. I inched my way across the rock face until I reached our usual take out spot, which is where you all finally noticed me.

Both the board and I lived to surf again. I had it patched up and back in the water by that very next week. I had to fix a huge rip in the glass from Dennis’ kayak, along with several superficial dings and other damage. Modern superlight boards would never survive getting worked over that way by an old 80s model kayak. That board is hanging in my kitchen.

Don Piburn

“Dennis and I had another go at sharing the wave together just a week later, but we had learned a thing or two from all that earlier drama. I jumped onto the wave first, and Dennis slid onto the bank side of the wave where he couldn’t run anybody over again. We were pretty focused on what we doing at the time, trying our best to avoid repeating the same mistakes.”

Seal Morgan

“Kayakers sitting nearby on the bank agreed to do the upstream safety watch I had been assigned to, so I grabbed my board and trotted upstream out of view. I wanted to sneak into the water and drop in on you unexpected-like. It worked, too. Neither of you had any idea I was coming in, being as intent as you were on the wave and what you were doing together. I just kind of appeared and squeezed DP right over into Dennis as I backed onto the soup (whitewater) side of the wave face and stood up. The video segment of the three of us riding Lunch Counter at the same time was probably a first. None of the local yakkers had ever seen or heard of it being done before 1990. DP was trapped in the middle between us and had no wave face for generating speed and nowhere to go except up and down like a damned yo-yo as the river ebbed and flowed. That was pretty funny, as I just stayed in the same spot and he kept asking me how the hell I was managing that. Hey, I grew up on a beach-break!”

Don Piburn

“River surfers were few and far between in the 1980s. That’s less true now with an entire online magazine and scores of U-tube videos dedicated to and promoting the sport. We saw only a handful of other surfers pass through in all the years we surfed the place together. Most weren’t even able to get to their feet much less ride with any style. A common mistake for many people was to look down at the water screaming by underfoot triggering instant vertigo, and down they’d go. That changed just a bit in 1992 after Seal had left. Maybe it was all the press we were getting in the local newspapers and sports rags, but there were suddenly a handful of reasonably decent surfers that showed up to ride the place that last year I was there.”

Seal Morgan

“I remember maybe eight other surfers total who showed up over the four season I surfed it with DP, and there was only one other guy who rode it well. He drove down from Jackson one weekend to surf it with us after seeing us in the Jackson newspaper, because he said he didn’t like to surf it alone. He ran a Snake River guided boat outfitter business, and he had learned to ride a surfboard on the Lunch Counter. He was riding regular foot on a mail-order single-fin longboard doing the relaxed cruiser-type surfing with good style. He said once he had tried to translate his surfing skills to the ocean on a trip out to coast, but, as any of you who ocean and river surf know, the two involve an entirely different set of surfing skills. Being successful at one doesn’t necessarily transfer to being successful at the other, at least not without a moderately steep learning curve.”

Don Piburn

The Lunch Counter primary wave had a window above or below which the wave is more or less not surfable. Too low and there’s not enough wave face to keep the current from whisking you downstream. Too much water and the wave will flatten into a pulsating hydrodynamic sculpture that is genuinely beautiful but is essentially useless from a surfer’s perspective. A typical surf season would have us monitoring the river run-off telephone update recordings starting in early April when the snowpack was deep, but melt-off was slow. Our plans were typically to start surfing in May and throughout the whole of June into July. We were there every weekend when it was breaking as time allowed, during the week as well. April was just too cold to deal with most of the time, although we did surf it a few times that early in the season.

What we referred to as “big water” was 10,000 to 14,000 Cubic Feet per Second (CFS). Big water was when the wave was the most challenging, but also the most fun to surf. We could ride the wave as low as 4 or 5,000 CFS, but below that there wasn’t a wave face. It was little more than a line of soup. River flows naturally depended on the weather, melting snowpack, and the whims of the Teton Dam operators upstream. Local knowledge mattered, combined with a good bit of guess work.”

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