The bitter winds of winter bare their teeth over Kananaskis River rapids. Water temperatures drop to zero, and at 3 p.m. on a Halloween Monday, tourist river rafters and fair weather kayakers have long gone into hibernation.
This is now the domain of hypothermia, as the damn-controlled waterway drops 100 cubic metres of icy cold water per second over its features.
This is now the time for neoprene-clad surfers. Boards underarm, they follow a familiar path from the Canoe Meadows parking lot, beyond the kayak slalom course, where ‘The Mountain’ beckons them.
A 24-foot wide channel with an eight-foot green and glassy face, it’s considered one of the best man-made river waves in the world, and ground zero for the sport in Canada, which, if river enthusiasts get their way, could one day expand to Canmore and Banff.
Two young women – both Calgary doctors – are already there when Angela Knox, Brandon Olsthoorn and Jacob Kelly Quinlan show up at the 1.5-metre feature.
All three appear as if they just walked out of a Surf Tofino photo shoot. Olsthoorn runs a standup paddle boarding business in Canmore and shows up an hour early to catch a few waves before this interview. Quinlan, the VP of Alberta River Surfing, just got back from a U.S. surf trip, and chats easily about surf culture, while Knox, a Canmore acupuncturist, vacillates between the spiritual elements of surfing and pure joy for the water.
They zip up their 5.6 mm wetsuits, install their ear plugs, and await their turn to catch the best wave in Alberta. After a few warmup attempts, their style begins to shine through, as their sport mode evolves into artistic expression.
Knox effortlessly weaves yoga into her surfing, while Quinlan unloads an arsenal of acrobatics. The vibe is extremely mellow, with all of the surfers cheering one another on. There’s no hint of localism, which is common among ocean surfing communities, as inclusivity is the law of the water on the Kananaskis.
A full setup for a board, wet suit and boots can cost about $1,000, but rentals are available. Water safety is extremely important, but the sport is also about balance, strength and agility.
“There’s something about surfing that’s really soulful. Being able to meet that in the Rocky Mountains covers everything … except for warmth,” Knox said.
Across North America, the sport is at the forefront of a boom and active mountain communities are at the cusp of what they hope is the next surf revolution. Bend, Oregon just built a wave, as did Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Denver, Colorado and Boise, Idaho. In Kananaskis, lines at the wave can reach 30 deep in summer as crowds continue to grow.
The river association has an application to build a beginner’s wave downstream from ‘The Mountain’ and also improve the trail to the surf spot.
Knox says the sport has a skill set similar to snowboarding, but obviously has its roots in the ocean.
“River surfing and ocean surfing is like ying and yang. River surfing is cold water, it’s a standing wave. It’s coming towards you. It allows you to go deep and build your skills,” said Knox. “You get to know the wave. Ocean is another thing altogether. It’s (usually) warm, it’s salty, it’s coming from behind you. All that water coming at you, it’s very exhilarating.
“The feature that creates this wave is shallow so you can see a boulder right below you. That is really freaky for people, but the power of the wave is pushing you back, so you won’t hit it.”
Boulders are integral to proper wave design, and since the Kananaskis River essentially shuts down every day, it’s become a wave laboratory of sorts.
“Here we have a river that turns off, so we have got an incredible amount of testing and changing and direct feedback. We can feel on the wave how one rock makes a difference. It’s the foundation to allow other communities to build their own waves,” Quinlan said. “Building waves is very difficult. But with every successful project we have, it becomes easier and easier.”
Building whitewater parks first began in the ’60s, and spread throughout the USA once whitewater kayaking became an Olympic sport. Even though kayakers are looking for different features in their waves, they can share research and huge strides have been made in construction.
So as the sport grows, will there be a day when Bow Valley residents bike to their local wave?
“Canmore could absolutely have a wave,” said Quinlan. “There are a number of conditions that need to be met. The physical condition of the river has just a small role in that. The bigger job is to unite a community. We see more and more surfers from Banff and Canmore on ‘The Mountain.’ The more they break off to do their own fundraising and awareness raising; it’s a very likely possibility. There are grants available. If a group is motivated, it’s a real possibility.”
Neill Egsgard, president of the Alberta River Association, is the matter-of-fact mind behind river surfing. He said it’s possible to build a wave for $200,000. Rocks from local quarries are often used, and volunteer labour was used to keep the cost down on ‘The Mountain.’
Other communities have measured the economic impact of urban waves at $750,000. Worldwide, the number of surfers has jumped from 26 million to 35 million, so there’s no shortage of demand.
“You need strong community support for these waves,” Egsgard said. “There are grants available and waves are usually run by the municipality. You don’t need much, just a half metre of drop in a channel or on a river. The design is not incredibly hard to build, but does require some expertise,” Egsgard said.
A wave on the Bow River would require approval at the federal, provincial and municipal level, but Egsgard said they’ve managed to navigate those regulations in other communities, such as Quebec City.
“We’re looking to identify areas to do this, and it’s a huge fit for tourism in communities like Canmore, Banff and Cochrane,” Egsgard said. “Surfing will be in the Olympics in 2020, and river surfing, there is no comparison, it can be a great training ground. I’d love to see surfers at the Olympics from the Canadian Rockies.”
High performance sport is just one aspect of river surfing, because for surfers like Knox, it’s much, much more a question of community and passion – especially in freezing water.
“I’ve fallen into a tribe of people who really have that,” Knox said. “It’s a sport that requires balance and tenacity. It’s something that kind of picks you … Brandon brought me to a wave and I jumped right in there. It was really beautiful and I just knew it was for me.”
For more details, visit riversurfing.ca/arsa/.
