While most of us are gearing up for ski season, a well-known river in Alberta’s Rocky Mountains is alive with surfers.
Carving their way through clear blue water, the surfers take turns “river surfing” through the perfectly formed, man-made wave without actually moving along the river.
River surfing is a growing trend for surfers around the world who don’t live near an ocean. Located on the Kananaskis River, the Rocky Mountain wave is permanent and free of charge to use. It’s an experience that Neil Egsgard, leader of the Surf Anywhere group that built this wave, calls “fast, powerful, and smooth.”
Building the surfer’s paradise wasn’t a simple project – nor was it a cheap one. It took Egsgard about a decade to get the permission and the time needed to build the wave because the process meant placing boulders in the river to form a channel. He told CBC that the project came with a $25,000 price tag.
Apparently, that’s actually a good thing.
“Building a good wave for $25,000 is an incredible achievement. River waves historically cost between $200,000 to millions,” he told CBC.
Check it out for yourself:
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