Unusual

77 people surf the same river wave

Gif from huffpost

Tidal bore wave in France ! Around 77 people surfed the same wave whether they were surfers, kayakers, paddlers, etc. It happened in the south-western part of France, at Dordogne river.

People are waiting for the wave to happen...

Surfing the wave...

What is a tidal bore ?

" Tidal bores are endless waves that occur at the mouth of a river when a full or new moon brings the rising tide in so strongly that it flushes the river with water. This generates waves that travel upstream, temporarily reversing the river's course. "

Tidal bores can be very dangerous. The National Geographic explains:

" A tidal bore can be quite violent. The bore often changes the color of the river from blue or green to brown as it whips up sediment. Tidal bores can tear vegetation like trees from their roots. This makes the recreation sports of river surfing and kayaking very dangerous. Surfers from China to Alaska have been pulled into the river, bay or ocean. Even watching a bore can be dangerous: Tidal waves have been known to sweep over lookout points and drag people to the churning river. "

As an example: the spectacular sight of Qiantang river tide (China) usually comes on the 18th day of the eighth month in the Chinese lunar calendar. Every year this tidal surge creates a huge wave that charges up the Qiantang River with the largest reaching a height of 29.5ft (around 8 meters) according to local media.

This year, it has been affected by the supermoon and the tide came with strong bores. It injured spectators after surging over the bank. People tried to escape the waves, fell on the ground after being hit, etc. Some people even died while watching this impressive phenomenon...

Pictures from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

 Tidal bores create 10-to-13-foot waves and last longer than usual. That is the reason why they attract so many surfers.

The windsurfer Robby Naish rode the Pororoca bore in the Amazon river 1,476 feet from bank to bank, setting the Guinness World Record for the widest ride of a river tidal bore.

Check it here !

If you want to check out other famous bores, have a look at the Alaska's Turnagain Arm.

Unusual surf spots

You are looking for untypical spots to surf? 

Here is a list of 9 uncommon places to experience, guaranted thrills and hapiness !

Antartica

To surf you'll need very high protection (protective gear) for very low temperatures. If you like surfing alone with an amazing landscape around and freezing temperatures, you know where to go.

Norway surf

Severn bore, Gloucestershire, UK 

Unusual muddy spot. The waves occur when the rising tide from the Bristol Channel forces waters up the Severn Estuary. The phenomenon usually happens in March, September and October. The results represents around 2 meters height waves that can potentially be ridden for up to seven miles.

Lake Michigan (Etats-Unis)

There are generally 10 surfable days per month between June and August. This lake is the only one which gets enough wind to generate a swell.

Eishbach river, Munich 

Far away from sand, any ocean or sharks... The standing wave of the Eisbach River in Germany can reach a height of two metres. The flow rate is about 20 tons per second, so this spot is not for beginners.

Namibia skeleton coast

Consistent swell hits the coast of Namibia. It makes it a perfect place to enjoy African waves.

Pororoca, Brazil

This tidal bore whose name means ‘great roar’ starts where the Amazon river meets the Atlantic Ocean. This spot has its own competition: the National Pororoca Surfing Championships.

Seven ghosts, Kampur River, Indonesia

This river bore can be up to 10 foot. The wave, with a temperature around 27 degrees, travels up to 50 kilometres.

Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh

Cox’s Bazar beach is considered as one the world’s longest sandy beaches (75 miles=120 kilometers). This place is growing as a surf spot in this islamic country were women surf fully clothed.

In 2005, Surfing the Nations organised the first surf competition there.

Surfing in New York City

Let's go back to this crazy event !

A video uploaded to Youtube in 2012 shows two guys in wetsuits surfing the streets of New York City on motorized surfboards. First time something like this happens !

Along their way, they give high-fives to people in the street and grab hot dogs while on their surfboards. Of course, I mean, what a cool way to enjoy a city !

Here is the video of the two surfers of NYC:

Apparently this video was made as a marketing tool to support the film Chasing Mavericks. This is an american biographical drama movie about the surfer Jay Moriarty. It was directed by Curtis Hanson and Michael Apted. The actor playing Jay Moriarty was Jonny Weston.