The Mountain Wave at Lower Kananaskis River, approximately 45 minutes west of Calgary in Kananaskis Provincial Park, adjacent to the Barrier Lake Visitor Information Centre. (Travel Alberta)

By Jordan Davidson

surf's up

Surfing enthusiasts hope to ‘hang ten’ on the Red Deer River

Aug 9, 2021 | 3:21 PM

Central Alberta surfing enthusiasts might soon be able to hang ten on the Red Deer River.

Todd Rutledge, head of the Red Deer Surf Society, wants to bring this new twist on surfing to the Capstone area.

River surfing involves riding the naturally forming whitecaps in rivers and streams, much like surfers do on the ocean. While waves are generally much larger on the ocean, they’re also more fleeting, whereas river surfing allows surfers to ride the continuous wave for as long as they can.

Rutledge says there are already a couple places in Alberta where surfers can try their hand.

“It’s taken off and the popularity is increasing over the last few years. It’s now to the point where the City of Cochrane is looking to put in a recreational wave, and there’s already a wave in Calgary called the 10^th Street Wave, which is a man-made waves, but they’re looking at improving it. They’ve also built a bridge there for spectators to hang out and watch the surfing.”

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He adds that a group specializing in finding new, unique places to surf called Surf Anywhere evaluated the Red Deer River, and said the area near Bower Ponds would be the best place for river surfing. It’s also nearby where the City has planned to build a pedestrian bridge, something Rutledge believes would be easy for them to piggy-back on.

“When it goes in, they’ll already have heavy equipment putting the rocks in and putting the bridge in, so we could manipulate it and make a wave on one side. There’s an island in the middle, and you’d be able to have all the floaters, jet boaters and other recreational river users go by on one side. On the other side, underneath the bridge, is where people can stand and watch the would-be wave.”

Rutledge points out that environmental damage would be minimal, given that the riverbed and banks are modified from logging operations in years past. He adds that the infrastructure needed to create a wave would mostly be hidden under the water and out of sight.

Since Rutledge first started looking at this idea, plans for the pedestrian bridge have been pushed back by the City, but with the growing excitement around prairie surfing, he’s confident people will be surfing within city limits sooner than later.

He admits, however, that while Capstone is ranked the most ideal, there are other parts of the river that could be suitable.

“There are a couple areas, but they’re more out of sight of the general public. It could be out by River Bend Golf & Recreation Area where there’s a boat launch and a downhill slope with rapids. In fact, that’s where the best rapids in town are.”

However, that site wouldn’t be the most the spectator-friendly, he notes.

An information session is being planned, says Rutledge, to continue drumming up interest.

“The seed of the idea has taken off. People are interested and starting to pay attention. I’m stoked that people are starting to look our way.”

For more information, follow the Red Deer Surf Society on Facebook.