Canmore is known for its athletes, both professional and amateur. Everybody moves around here—climbing, biking, hiking, paddle-boarding. The love of sports is evident. Even so, the locals are always looking for new adventures. A recent tip from our neighbor led us to see the latest mountain trend. River surfing.

So, we took a drive to Canoe Meadows, which is located by the lower Kananaskis River in K Country. The parking lot was almost empty when we arrived at mid-morning. My guess is that surfers aren't necessarily early risers. Undaunted, we took a trail down to the river’s edge. This portion of the river was set up for canoe slalom. There were tons of gates, both red and green, positioned along the river amongst the rocks and rapids. Dave photographed a professional kayaker making her way through the course. Her name was Tracy Hines, and she was there for the ICF Kananaskis Canadian Nationals. She gave us some insight into the sport and what it entails, (besides a lot of strength). Think vectors.

We continued up the river to a deck that overlooked a large, standing wave. A lone surfer swam his way across the cold river and jumped up on his board. Regardless of location, it seems the ride often ends the same way. Wipeout.

For more information about river surfing in Alberta, visit https://albertariversurfing.com