Bladder Wave in Idaho

Photos

By Devon Barker

Idaho had two white water festivals this month. The first was the Payette Boise Revival (PBR) and the second was the Payette River Experience. Both events had down river races, slalom, and freestyle contests. The organizers have been working with the dam operator of the Bladder Dam. 3 out of the 5 days the epic wave was in. The good news is that if the river is between 8 and 15 K the dam operator is able to dial in the wave. For the second event the water dropped below 8K and there was not enough pressure to hold the bladder dam down to make the crease for the wave. We hope to hold more events in Idaho on this great wave now that we know the flows that are needed to make it work.

The highlight was using my new Dynamic Duo. Ethan and I surfed it but Jimmy Grossman and his 7-year-old son Buey stole the show by entering the freestyle event in the Duo. They were great!

Enjoy the photos and stay tuned for more big wave competitions in Idaho on the Bladder Wave! Alec Voorhees and I are off to Couch Wave to surf the Duo. Come surf in Idaho with us. The season lasts all year.
Devon