A surfing community is emerging right here in landlocked Calgary thanks to a spot underneath the 10th Street bridge, where contours at the bottom of the Bow River formed by last year’s flood have created a permanent wave. But what is river surfing? Neil Egsgard, president of the Alberta River Surfing Association, gives the Herald’s Manisha Krishnan an overview of the burgeoning sport.

What is river surfing?

You have the water flowing down the stream, it goes over a certain contour in the river bottom and it makes a little hill. You balance out gravity pulling the surfboard down the wave and the water trying to push you off the back of it. So you face upstream, and then you can surf up and down a wave and side to side.

Where is river surfing most popular?

Germany, Austria, Montreal, Missoula, Mont., the Western U.S. Essentially wherever you have a good wave, you have river surfing.

What kind of wave are you building in Kananaskis?

It’ll be about 25 feet wide and three to four feet high, and it’ll be customizable and very smooth. You’ll be able to get more ride time in a week in Kananaskis than you could in your life in the ocean doing trips.

We’re hoping to have it done in September or October. Once it’s done, it’ll be a world-class wave and Calgary will be a pretty big surf town.

What are the differences between river and ocean surfing?

You’re not paddling out into the ocean and waiting. The wave is always there, so you can ride for as long as you can stay on the wave. On good waves, that’s forever.

The waves also tend not to be as steep or as powerful as an ocean wave, but you also don’t get smashed into the bottom the way you do in an ocean wave if you screw up.

What are some of the dangers?

The biggest danger is if you wear a leash (a cord that connects your ankle to the board). Getting your leash caught on a rock or something underneath the water . . . can kill you.

How long is the river surfing season?

The main season is from spring to the fall. But with the Kananaskis wave it’ll be every day of the year.

Do you expect the sport’s popularity to grow?

Absolutely. As soon as you build a good wave, you start building a community. You could build waves throughout Calgary that would be safe during flood season and for normal users to go through. And it would also create excellent features within the city to encourage environmental awareness.

How can people get involved?

You can take lessons at Rocky Mountain Surfing (rockymountainriversurfing.com). Other information can be found at: riversurfing.ca.

mkrishnan@calgaryherald.com

Twitter.com/manishakrishnan