Hannah Ray J has been around rivers her whole life. As a child, she fished and kayaked the waterways close to her family’s farm in Manchester, Iowa.
Then, one day, she saw someone standing on a surfboard in the middle of a river in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
“I thought: That looks really fun; I want to try that,” she says. In the years since she has turned that chance encounter into her life’s passion: surfing America’s rivers.
She’s not alone. River surfing is emerging as the next big thing in outdoor recreation across the Midwest.
An urban whitewater park is expected to open next summer in Norfolk, Nebraska, and a surfing area is being planned for Cedar Falls, Iowa, as part of a wider river recreational project.Authorities in West Carrollton, Ohio, are poised to build a large development around a new whitewater river park on the Great Miami River, while a similar project is underway in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
These new facilities can potentially attract thousands of river recreators— and their tourist dollars—aiding the economic development of many small, land-locked communities. Some experts have even called river surfing “the future of surfing” due to its fast-growing popularity.
Badfish SUP, a Colorado-based paddle and surfboard company, says sales of its river surfboards have rocketed since the pandemic.
“We have had far and away our best year ever this year,” says Mike Harvey, its co-owner. “I’ve never seen this level of excitement from any other river-based activity I’ve been in.” The company has even named one of its boards’ Wave Farmer’ as an homage to the people who live and work the landscapes surrounding this emergent activity.
Here‘s what you need to know about the rising popularity of river surfing and its potential impact on local communities.
From fringe to mainstream
River surfing, a niche sport with roots in the 1970s, began in Munich, Germany, on the Eisbach River. Initially an underground activity, it gained popularity as enthusiasts sought alternatives to ocean surfing in landlocked regions.
Unlike ocean surfing, where waves come in sets, river waves are constant, allowing surfers to continuously practice and refine their skills without waiting for the next wave. These waves form when fast-moving water flows over a submerged obstacle, like a rock or a constructed feature, causing the water to rise and create a surfable wave that remains fixed. The boards used in river surfing are generally shorter and wider than traditional ocean surfboards, often with more volume to provide buoyancy in freshwater.
(Here’s what it’s like to surf the world’s largest waves.)
Over the decades, technological advancements in wave generation and surfboard design have transformed river surfing from a fringe activity into a growing mainstream sport.
This growing interest is what Laura Hunter, one of the people behind WOKA, a new $33-million whitewater park in northeastern Oklahoma, hopes to see more of. Last month, the eight-feature park opened on the Illinois River, and the public response, she says, has been amazing.
“We’ve had north of 4,000 cars in the park to date; it’s more than what we anticipated,” says Hunter. “It’s pretty unreal.”
Visitors to WOKA can rent surfboards, kayaks, personal flotation devices (PFDs), and other whitewater gear at the park. WOKA’s website has live webcams so that guests can check wave levels and water conditions ahead of time.
What’s been just as exciting, she says, is the community buy-in.
“We’re already seeing businesses that support whitewater (activities) coming into the area,” she says. One is Eddyline Kayaks, which is moving its headquarters from Washington State to Siloam Springs, Arkansas, a town linked to WOKA by a three-mile paved trail. Ozark Mountain Trading Company, a local outdoor gear store, has added a ‘WOKA section’ of gear to its website.
In some cities, residents have gone farther. In Dayton, Ohio, local surfers unable to travel during the pandemic took their love of surfing and turned it into a thriving business. Communities in Austin, Minnesota, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and elsewhere hope to build whitewater parks on their own rivers in the years ahead.
Riding out the wave
While river surfing may be a social and economic boon to Midwestern communities, there are challenges. Trash, storm runoff, and felled tree branches can all impede a good surfing experience or present dangers to surfers.
River flows that dictate wave levels can vary daily, and with drought conditions dominating much of the Midwest last summer, low water is a challenge some whitewater parks have had to deal with. Also, like with any activity involving fast-moving water, there are risks.
(What happens to the U.S. Midwest when the rivers and lakes dry up?
Still, that isn’t deterring most, and new technology to make surfing waves adjustable to changing water heights is coming onstream. What’s more, the broader goal of whitewater parks is to attract more than just surfers: In Oklahoma, WOKA’s eight drops are spread over a 1,200-foot stretch of river and cater to kayakers, tubers, and people who want to watch the fun unfold from the riverbank.
Want to try river surfing?
Whether you're a seasoned surfer or a beginner looking for a unique water sports experience, river surfing in the Midwest offers an exciting alternative to ocean surfing. While ocean surfing can have a high barrier to entry or offer no more than a couple of seconds of thrill for novices, river surfing waves are constant, meaning once you fall off your board, you can get back on the wave again within a few minutes.
You only need your surfboard, helmet, and personal flotation device, says Brandon Burress, who lives in Indiana and regularly plays on the river surfing waves in Dayton, Ohio, a 150-minute round-trip drive from his home.
Places like Montrose Beach in Chicago or St. Anthony Falls in Minneapolis offer surfing on rivers or lakes. In Chicago, Lake Michigan can create waves for surfing, while in Minneapolis, the Mississippi River’s rapids make for exciting rides. Missoula, Montana, and Sheboygan, Wisconsin, also have spots for river or lake surfing.
