River Wave Forum: Athletes Talk about Their Experiences

The River Wave Forum was opened by two brilliant watermen: Gerry Schlegel, European River Surfing Champion, and Marcel Bloder, four-time Austrian Kayaking Champion. Gerry’s and Marcel’s presentations focused on the wave requirements of river surfers and kayakers.

Characteristics of River Waves

Presenter: Gerry Schlegel, European Champion in Stationary Wave Riding

The presentation of Gerry Schlegel focused on the trade-off between wave height and safety issues. He concluded that the perfect wave is located next to a riverbank, easily accessible and surfable 24/7. The ideal wave of a river wave shape is both steep, tall and wide.

Characteristics of Kayak Waves

Presenter: Marcel Bloder, four-time Austrian Kayaking Champion

Marcel Bloder explained the contest rules for freestyle kayaking and described the requirements for waves and holes from the perspective of kayakers. He concluded that kayakers and surfers have common goals. Kayakers, however always require decent eddy lines to paddle back into the wave. Read more about the characteristics of surfable kayak waves in Marcel’s presentation below.

Download Presentation: Waves for Kayak Freestyle (PDF)

More on Building River Waves

This is the second of a series of articles on the different approaches and experiences in building river waves. The articles cover some of the key aspects and methods in wave construction as discussed in the River Wave Forum.

More about: Events Munich Wave Construction

Brought to you by

RB Team The editorial team of Riverbreak is a loose connection of passionate river surfers. As a group, we strive to give the larger community a voice on an international level – our mission is to connect river surfers around the globe.