Bore Surfing
January 18, 2011 6:56 PM Subscribe
5 miles, on a surf board - Tidal bore surfing is limited to about 100 rivers. This short video from the Cook Inlet, Alaska may cause you to buy a board. (previously)
Also related to this are the standing-waves that exist in some rivers such as The Snake.
posted by blaneyphoto at 7:34 PM on January 18, 2011
posted by blaneyphoto at 7:34 PM on January 18, 2011
related: Standing wave surfing at Skookumchuck.
posted by Mei's lost sandal at 8:25 PM on January 18, 2011
posted by Mei's lost sandal at 8:25 PM on January 18, 2011
Just in case it isn't obvious, at Skookumchuck that is the tide coming in (or out), not a river.
posted by Mei's lost sandal at 8:27 PM on January 18, 2011
posted by Mei's lost sandal at 8:27 PM on January 18, 2011
Boring.
posted by AsYouKnow Bob at 8:38 PM on January 18, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by AsYouKnow Bob at 8:38 PM on January 18, 2011 [3 favorites]
Two mama grizzllies for every dude!
posted by Danf at 9:04 PM on January 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Danf at 9:04 PM on January 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
I lived near the Severn Estuary for a while which gets one of the biggest bores (mentioned in the Nat Geographic link) and I think a few distance surfing records have been set on it.
posted by Abiezer at 10:04 PM on January 18, 2011
posted by Abiezer at 10:04 PM on January 18, 2011
wow I'd love to try that
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 11:19 PM on January 18, 2011
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 11:19 PM on January 18, 2011
On the one hand, it's nice that people ride all these. On the other hand, Christ these are shitty waves.
posted by nicwolff at 11:54 PM on January 18, 2011
posted by nicwolff at 11:54 PM on January 18, 2011
The Severn bore is actually somewhat endangered; the proposed barrage which would generate (roughly) an absolute shitload of power would put an end to it, which some conservationists are sub-thrilled about. The Government announced late last year that the barrage would receive no public funding, but the word on the street is that it might still go ahead if private investors are willing to stump up.
Bores are really quite cool, actually, they basically crop up when a river is roughly aligned with the direction of a tidal flow. Tidal waves (by which I mean waves generated by tidal variation, not really big waves) can be standing or moving, and with moving waves you have a peak and a trough. If you care to work through the shallow water wave equations (do not do this, it's really boring), you'll see that shallow water flows slower than deep water, so with a sufficiently long distance to go - up a river, for instance - eventually the peak catches up with the trough and we get a tidal bore.
posted by Dim Siawns at 12:23 AM on January 19, 2011
Bores are really quite cool, actually, they basically crop up when a river is roughly aligned with the direction of a tidal flow. Tidal waves (by which I mean waves generated by tidal variation, not really big waves) can be standing or moving, and with moving waves you have a peak and a trough. If you care to work through the shallow water wave equations (do not do this, it's really boring), you'll see that shallow water flows slower than deep water, so with a sufficiently long distance to go - up a river, for instance - eventually the peak catches up with the trough and we get a tidal bore.
posted by Dim Siawns at 12:23 AM on January 19, 2011
Used to go standing wave surfing on Anglesey and in the French Alps when I was a student, in a canoe though, which is more fun as you can roll and playboat in it.
posted by arcticseal at 12:49 AM on January 19, 2011
posted by arcticseal at 12:49 AM on January 19, 2011
What SUP. It's the new surfing sport that anyone can do. Even my 70 year old relatives could do it after a few minutes.
posted by asok at 1:58 AM on January 19, 2011
posted by asok at 1:58 AM on January 19, 2011
Yeah... although it's not really new, this sport definitely picking up steam. Over the summer, I went out and tried it with one of the guys who's really serious about SUP racing in San Diego -- even for a beginner, it's super fun.
posted by ph00dz at 3:05 AM on January 19, 2011
posted by ph00dz at 3:05 AM on January 19, 2011
About 20 years ago I watched some people riding the Rogue River in Oregon by tying a tow line to a tree and riding a standing wave using a round flat board (not made for the purpose). Looked really, really fun until the guy tried a trick and fell in. Half a dozen people then dashed around trying to fish the guy out before he was washed too far downstream (water not deep enough to drown in, but swift enough to drag one's ass over lots of jagged basalt).
A bore wipeout has to be a serious bummer, especially if you're on a lonely stretch of river with no chance of picking up another wave.
posted by kinnakeet at 7:44 AM on January 19, 2011
A bore wipeout has to be a serious bummer, especially if you're on a lonely stretch of river with no chance of picking up another wave.
posted by kinnakeet at 7:44 AM on January 19, 2011
Looked really, really fun until the guy tried a trick and fell in. Half a dozen people then dashed around trying to fish the guy out before he was washed too far downstream (water not deep enough to drown in, but swift enough to drag one's ass over lots of jagged basalt).
Standing waves are intensely mesmerizing when you are surfing one. That's the cool thing. The seriously uncool thing is the hydraulics that form them/are formed by them can trap you like a washing machine if you're in the wrong place at the wrong time. Usually, it's better to get spit out than held in.
posted by Benny Andajetz at 12:11 PM on January 19, 2011
Standing waves are intensely mesmerizing when you are surfing one. That's the cool thing. The seriously uncool thing is the hydraulics that form them/are formed by them can trap you like a washing machine if you're in the wrong place at the wrong time. Usually, it's better to get spit out than held in.
posted by Benny Andajetz at 12:11 PM on January 19, 2011
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