Events

Published on November 3rd, 2024 | by RB Team

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River Surf Summit 2024 – Shaping the Future of River Surfing

This October, Prague once again transformed into the capital of river surfing. From Friday, October 11th, to Sunday, October 13th, the 2nd International River Surfing Summit took place on Prague’s Štvanice Island. Surfers from eight nations, representing a total of 20 river waves and projects, came together to exchange ideas, attend lectures, and surf together.

A Meeting Point for Passion and Innovation

This year, for the first time, participants from the USA and Italy joined the summit, highlighting the increasing internationalization of the river surfing community.

Day 1: Kick-off with a Night Surf Session

The first day began with an unforgettable night surf session on the Moldova River. The team led by Martin Leskovjan artistically illuminated the wave on Štvanice Island, creating a unique atmosphere. Surfers from eight nations took the opportunity to ride the waves under the starry sky.

Day 2: Lectures and Exchange of Experiences

The second day started with an early-bird surf session, followed by the official opening by the summit initiators, Martin Leskovjan and Janne Paul Schmidt. The subsequent lectures covered a wide range of topics:

• Martin Leskovjan (CZ) reported on the creation of the Prague wave, which was realized in record time and with a minimal budget despite numerous complications.
• Heiko Heybey (GER) from Leinewelle presented the current state of their open-source software for surf waves and provided an update on leash safety.
• Sandro Santschi (CH) from Switzerland explained the comprehensive Swiss concept for training river surfing instructors.
• Bogac Tur (GER) from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg presented their groundbreaking study on safety.
• Paul Primus (Boise) and Ryan Richard (Bend) from the USA gave insights into the history of their waves and current developments in North America.

After the informative sessions, participants cooled off with another surf session in the waves of the Vltava River.

Day 3: Looking to the Future

On the third day, the surfers focused on the future of the international river wave network. In a constructive workshop, goals were defined, and the organization of the network was discussed to enable even closer collaboration.

The Role of IGSM

The Interest Group Surfing Munich (IGSM) also played an important role at the summit. For years, the IGSM has been committed to safety and the preservation and construction of waves in Munich. The mutual support through the newly founded international network is a great help in this regard.

“Collaboration on an international level gives us additional momentum for our projects in Munich,” said Moritz von Sivers, a representative of the IGSM.

A Unique Format and Growing Community

What made this summit unique was the gathering of river surfers from all over the world, who exchanged ideas between lectures and supported each other with knowledge and experiences. There is no comparable format worldwide in the field of river surfing. Every year, new nations join the community to discuss topics like wave construction, safety, and competitions.

Founding of the International River Surfing Network

Due to the rapid growth of the sport, the International River Surfing Network was founded last year as an informal alliance of river wave operators and initiatives in Europe. Initiated by Janne Paul Schmidt, the founder of the Gießen Lahn Wave, the network aims to foster collaboration and support within the river surfing community:

“Our gathering here in Prague showcases the immense potential we have when we unite as an international river surfing community. This collective support and shared vision are the cornerstone of our sport’s exciting future.”

Looking Ahead

The 2nd International River Surfing Summit in Prague was a great success and highlights the enormous potential and growing enthusiasm for river surfing worldwide. The increasingly close collaboration on an international level between river wave operators, projects, and engineers promotes greater safety awareness, enables the faster realization of additional waves in the future, and drives technical advancements. With the support of organizations like the IGSM and the International River Surfing Network, the exchange of knowledge and experiences is intensified, significantly contributing to the development of the sport.

Inspired and motivated, the participants returned to their home countries to actively shape the future of river surfing. The next summit promises to be even larger and to include more nations in the growing community.

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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.

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