River surfing
Make waves!
His dream? To make Montréal the world capital of river surfing. His name? Lavictoire, or “victory.” Prophetic, you say? It just may be! Because his dream is born of pure enthusiasm, yet makes a lot of sense. While he waits for surfers to show up by the thousands in the rapids of the St. Lawrence, Hugo Lavictoire would like nothing more than for you to come surfing with him. It’s easy, and it’s only a stone’s throw from downtown … So go on! Make waves with Hugo!
“Englischer Garten from Munich holds the prize for urban river surfing,” Hugo Lavictoire from Kayak sans frontières (KSF) says straight off. “But only because Montréal is not yet recognized as a playground for river surfers. The Eisbach and the Wittlesbach are little channels compared to the St. Lawrence. We could create waves from scratch on the St. Lawrence like they’ve done in Australia by installing structures that play with the flow of the river.”
The 67
River surfing is totally different from ocean surfing. In the ocean, waves come toward the surfer and end on the beach. In a river, waves never die, and surfers can zigzag endlessly on their crest. The “67,” so named because it rolls just behind Habitat 67—an architectural and residential monument designed by a young McGill student for Montréal’s Expo 67—is two metres high and 20 metres high, and its rate of flow varies between 7,000 and 10,000 cubic metres of water per second. “It’s incredible,” Hugo says. “You’re not moving, and still you feel your field of vision shrink with the speed.”
Do the wave
You do the wave to show your enthusiasm at sports events, but now you can do it for real from May to October! Maybe you’re saying: Nope! Not for me! No way, no how! But you don’t need the physique of a professional athlete or of a blond surfer from Hawaii to take on the 67! A half day of training and you’ll be up and standing on your board and ready to test out the waves. And in just one day, you may be able to take on Hugo, although you won’t quite be ready for the thundering rollers of the Lachine Rapids, where KSF’s base camp is located..
 With KSF, you learn in small groups of six. They explain surf vocabulary and the sign language your instructor will use on the wave, because the wave makes a lot of noise! Plus, they provide you with:
- a wet suit;
- the board and accessories;
- cold beverages;
- crudités (raw vegetables), chips and dessert;
- Just “Bring your own sandwiches”.
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André Quenneville
2008-04-16
Experience Québec
