The flows have changed at our beloved play park known as Brilliant, the Columbia has come up and the Kootenay has come down. The result is a smaller more consistent Solstice, a finicky Brilliant, a down right trashy Lucky 13 and much to my surprise a totally playable Organ Grinder.
With a wide grin on my face I surfed Solstice like it was an eternal ocean wave. Every once and a while the curling wave would build and crash on top of me and send me skipping down the face, while edging hard to my left and a few well placed power strokes I was able to maintain the shoulder and surf until my cheeks hurt from the giggles. The blunts and backstabs are less spectacular at this level but easier to land and link other tricks.
Lucky 13 is a little angrier at this level. I found this out during an unintentional loop that held me in the foam pile and tested the waterproof ness of my dry top. The feature was hard to get into; you have to pretty much miss Solstice on your right and plummet into the monster hole.
Me (Chris Ryman) on the Organ Grinder
Brilliant wanted nothing to do with us; every time we approached the wave it flattened out and set us up for the Organ Grinder. The OG was the best I have ever surfed it. Usually, the Organ Grinder is a angled mess that builds and crashes causing paddlers to view the sub laminar flow of the Brilliant corridor. At this level, the wave was totally surfable for up to 45 seconds at a time and a launching platform for those who like to air it out.
Hayden rockin to Led Zepplin with no idea of what is to come....
If anyone has any concerns about a potential swim ask Hayden for advice. Our young ripper took one for the team and swam down almost to the confluence of the Columbia and Kootenay. After an alleged skirt implosion and some karma payback, Hayden tried with all his might to stay in the sinking boat but had to pull out and use it as flotation to survive the whirlies. Thanks to the help of some anglers, the RCMP, Search and Rescue, and the paddling team of Bradd, Colin and myself, Hayden came out unscathed with only a pair of booties donated to the River Gods.
The boyz (and girl) in Blue
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