For the unfortunate surfers of the world who don’t live near an immediate coastline, all you need is a little creativity and some plywood to replenish your stoke. That’s what a group of guys from Sweden did when they built essentially a skate ramp and dumped in a fast moving river to create their own makeshift version of a standing wave.
After spending a couple nights building the ramp and a custom surfboard, Daniel Risberg, his brother David and their friend Alex had everything they needed to create their own surf spot a few miles away from Umea in northern Sweden. With no idea whether their Frankenstein creation would work or not, they headed to the waterway, plopped the ramp down, and crossed their fingers.
“When we first dropped it in the water, with a lot of hopes and expectations, it was quite a disappointment to see that our wave was surfing itself,” Daniel told SurferToday. When I pulled it in towards the side, and it finally caught water, it was the best moment ever! So good to see that something you put a lot of effort into works, especially without previously knowing if it would work.”
From there, the guys took turns testing out the creation. A ripped wetsuit, a broken fin, and many smiles later, their efforts were a success. Like Victor Frankenstein himself, you can basically hear them screaming into the heavens, “IT’s ALIVE!” And because it worked so well, Daniel and the guys plan to be back. But next time, it’ll be even better.
“The next one is due when the spring flood hits, or maybe once it has calmed down just a little bit,” Daniel said. “The idea is to use the old one, plus another section at least as wide, and a bit higher, possibly try to make it barrel a bit at one end or something fun like that.”
You have to commend their ambition. But somewhere, Kelly Slater is shaking his head and laughing.
