What do you do when a loaded raft is barreling down the river at you? Lean back, hold on, and ride it out bro!
Prior to my move to Southern Appalachia, I spent six years of my life surfing in North Florida. Surfers are a tough and annoyingly proud breed. We pretend we own the beach, the ocean, and the breaks. Ownership isn’t dictated by how good you are at surfing. That’s irrelevant. It’s dictated by how long you’ve lived there. You know, “local’s only bro.”
I’ve always wondered if this mindset is shared by our landlocked friends, in particular, river wave surfers. Do you have the same arrogance? The same localism and pride? I’d imagine it’s hard to share a lineup when you’re relegated to surfing the same wave, in the same spot, all the time.
My question was answered, when I saw this riverboarder hold his own as a loaded raft of people barreled down the river at him. Like a boss, he leans back, get’s bucked into the air, and rides it out with style. A little look back to see if anyone other than him survived (they are all fine), and he’s right back to surfing.
I’m sure that’s the most air he’s ever gotten on a river wave.
In a video that went viral this week, our friends at Mammoth Clothing Co. were rafting down the Chattahoochee River in Columbus, Georgia. In a trip guided by Whitewater Express, they were coming into the last rapid of the day when they ran into the riverboarder.
“We didn’t see him until we were coming over the top of the first rapid,” says Josh Julian, Co-Founder of Mammoth Clothing Co. “We were completely sideways coming down on that rapid and he [the riverboarder] had the biggest grin on his face. It was pure fear for all of us.”
Josh and his team were visiting the area for a whitewater kayaking competition. They have since connected with the riverboarder and he’s invited them to come riverboarding the next time they’re in town.
What’s even better is that they are taking their epic bail in stride! If you enter the promo code JOSHGOTTRASHED you can get 15% off your online order in their store.
Just remember…Try to snake someone’s wave and you’ll be flipped over, floating down the river.
See you in the lineup!
