June 15th, 2016, at 2:45 p.m. Glenwood Springs, Colorado.
Surfs up, miles away from any beach.
A warm and sunny afternoon near Aspen, CO brought out many water enthusiasts to the Glenwood Spings Whitewater park. River surfing in the Roaring Fork Valley, and nearby Eagle County, is becoming a hot destination during the snow melt runoff of the early summer months.
This man-made endless wave was described by one local surfer, Dan Setzke, as a “surfing treadmill.” The rapids were flowing at a rate of approximately 17,500 cubic feet per second and created an ideal opportunity for those brave enough to enter.
Recreation on rivers is far from new, and there are many generations of proud “river rats“. These swift water gurus build a lifestyle around the pursuit of the perfect eddie, rapid or wave. Like many sports enthusiasts, they keep up to date on the latest and greatest outdoor gear, trends and fads. Rafting gear is available from multiple retailers, many of which can be found here.
Rivers also offer a more leisurely experience for some who just want to relax. Commonly known as “tubing“, the practice involves getting a group of friends together and organizing a lazy float trip down the river on inner tubes. Allowing the current to effortlessly take you downstream is very soothing. When the sun gets too hot, a quick dip in the chilly water is just what you need to cool off. Frequently, there is one tube that is dedicated for a cooler of beer/food and one for a portable sound system. During a tubing trip, the inner tubes are ususally lashed together loosely, to keep the pod floating together and within shouting distance. What begins as a sober sunny day, often ends up group of laughing, silly drunks with red-lobster sunburns, and memories made for a lifetime.
Many of the whitewater athletes used surf boards. Others favorited stand up paddle boards. Stand up paddle boarding has seen rapid growth in popularity over that past few years.
There were even a few kayakers who shared the endless wave too. Occasionally, some light surface debris and the odd rafting group which had to be dodged, but it was not an issue for the surfers. A small crowd gathered on the banks of the river to watch the surfers each take their turn battling the frigid and frothy water.
Visiting from New Jersey were the surfing brothers and YouTube creators, Ben and Tucker Graeff.
They were passing through Colorado while on their way to L.A. to film a pilot TV episode for MTV. A tip from Denver river surfing organizer, Setzke, and the brothers detoured off I-70 for a few waves.
“If you’re alive, you’re living the dream,” said Ben as he took his turn warming up in the sun and filming his brother for their Youtube Channel, NUBTV. The brothers were in a positive and universally Earth-centric mood while they challenged the roaring water.
Even when Ben became frustrated with his own performance (Ben is a rider on the professional surf circuit and holds himself to extreme standards), he remained cheerful. Brother Tucker explained:
“It’s not the same as riding in the ocean. It’s a totally different sport. You need a different board. Surfing on fresh water, as opposed to the salt water, you need to adjust for the difference in buoyancy. A fatter, wider board works better in this environment.”
Ariel footage provided courtesy of Rocky Mountain Aerial Media, www.rmam.tv
Local talent prevails on river
Two other talented surfers in the water had the same logo on their boards, and they were Brittany Parker and Spencer Lacy. They were using BADFISH craft and clearly had a command of their sport.
Spencer Lacy has been surfing at the Glenwood Springs whitewater park for about three years, and Brittany Parker for about five. I mentioned to to Brittany that we had the opportunity to interview Diah Riahu, professional female surfer from Bali, and wanted to get her opinion on women in surfing.
Slickster: Why aren’t there more female river surfers?
Brittany Parker: I think they fear the water and the consequences of making mistakes. This water is powerful and it’s unpredictable behavior is always changing. I also feel that there is a lack of instructional resources for river surfers.
How can women who are interested in river surfing overcome their fears and get involved?
They should get to know people in the scene. Talk to knowledge people about the sport and be safe. Don’t go out alone. Get in the water!
Dan Setzke works to keep river surfing in the Roaring Fork Valley organized.
One such river surfing organizer is Dan Setzke. He is a surfer, board sculptor and community advocate. His organization, Colorado Surf Supply has a mission to “make river surfing more accessible, and introduce people how to participate safely by sharing knowledge and understanding of the required gear, and the river environment.”
Based out of Denver, Setzke has been surfing land locked for about seven years. Using the internet to connect people, he is spreading awareness of this rapidly growing sport.
“River surfing has been around since the 60s”, says Setzke.
When asked if there were any models or mentors that he was looked to for inspiration with the Colorado river surfing scene, he replied, “In Montana there is the Strong Water Mountain Surf shop and in Boise, Idaho, you have the Corridor surf shop.”
“We want to build a culture and give people another outdoor sporting option,” says Setzke. McLaughlin White Water design is nearing completion of a new in channel surf park near Denver. It’s supposed to be complete in mid-July 2016. Surf’s up!”