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Local kayaker and river surfer Ken Hoeve catches a wave in a water hole in the Avon water as a crowd, including a group of construction workers, gathers to watch Thursday in Avon.
AVON, Colorado — When Colorodans want to surf, they usually head to places like Costa Rica or Mexico.
Not Ken Hoeve.
“I’ve been ocean surfing since I was a kid, and started river surfing four to five years ago,” Hoeve said. “There’s never been anything around here you could do it on, but now down in Glenwood they put in a new park and the wave is enormous.”
Earlier this week, Hoeve rode the Glenwood wave.
“It was about 7 feet and 75 yards wide. You can surf it for minutes. It looks just like an ocean wave,” he said.
Thursday, one day after paddling the entire Eagle River, Hoeve headed back to the Eagle, this time with his surfboard. At the Avon Whitewater Park, under cloudy, cold skies, Hoeve caught a wave.
“I rode it for about a minute at a time,” Hoeve said.
To catch the wave, Hoeve stood on a shallow rock about 10 feet away from the wave.
“I dove out and it shoots you across the current,” he said. “It helps to be a kayaker and a surfer to river surf. You kind of understand how to stay on the wave from kayaking.”
Hoeve surfed for about an hour, until the cold drove him ashore.
“I didn’t have any booties on and the water was so cold,” he said. “I couldn’t feel the board under my feet.”
There’s no word yet on whether Avon will have a lifeguard on duty this summer by the wave.
Sports Writer Ian Cropp can be reached at 748-2935 or icropp@vaildaily.com.
Not Ken Hoeve.
“I’ve been ocean surfing since I was a kid, and started river surfing four to five years ago,” Hoeve said. “There’s never been anything around here you could do it on, but now down in Glenwood they put in a new park and the wave is enormous.”
Earlier this week, Hoeve rode the Glenwood wave.
“It was about 7 feet and 75 yards wide. You can surf it for minutes. It looks just like an ocean wave,” he said.
Thursday, one day after paddling the entire Eagle River, Hoeve headed back to the Eagle, this time with his surfboard. At the Avon Whitewater Park, under cloudy, cold skies, Hoeve caught a wave.
“I rode it for about a minute at a time,” Hoeve said.
To catch the wave, Hoeve stood on a shallow rock about 10 feet away from the wave.
“I dove out and it shoots you across the current,” he said. “It helps to be a kayaker and a surfer to river surf. You kind of understand how to stay on the wave from kayaking.”
Hoeve surfed for about an hour, until the cold drove him ashore.
“I didn’t have any booties on and the water was so cold,” he said. “I couldn’t feel the board under my feet.”
There’s no word yet on whether Avon will have a lifeguard on duty this summer by the wave.
Sports Writer Ian Cropp can be reached at 748-2935 or icropp@vaildaily.com.
