Is This Montana’s Newest Popular Outdoor Sport? It’s Wild
This is one sport I would never imagine would be popular in Montana, but we're all wrong sometimes, right?
Montanans will make any excuse to get outside and have fun. From hiking to kayaking to fishing, there are all kinds of things to do during the summer months. What about during the winter? Montana is limited by the elements, but skiing, snowboarding, and ice fishing are all popular winter activities. Now, we have one more winter outdoor craze you might want to try.
Grab your wetsuits and find a surfboard because surfing is the new outdoor sport to try in Montana. That's right, surfing. When people think of surfing, they think of California, Hawaii, or even Australia, where guys are on twenty to thirty-foot waves. No one associates water sports with Montana—especially not during the winter. But apparently, surfing in Montana isn't new.
The Red Bull surfing team comes to Montana every couple of years to surf on the wild rapids of the Yellowstone River. The surfers are pulled by a jet ski while going down the rapids in 45-degree water. Now, this might seem intense (and cold), but according to the Red Bull surfing team, it's a worthwhile experience.
People actually surf all over the state. During the spring and fall, you can catch people surfing rapids in the heart of downtown Missoula. If you walk over the bridge on Higgins Avenue and look down, you will see a handful of brave souls rocking wetsuits and surfboards waiting to shred the water.
I grew up on Flathead Lake, and my dad, who is from California, would always bring one of his longboards out on the boat and have us pull him slowly on the lake. He made any excuse to get on his board and paddle on the water.
So is surfing in Montana that crazy? Apparently, not really. The only downside is trying to find a place to buy a surfboard in our landlocked state. We've got to give it to the people brave enough to dip into the cold fall and winter waters. If you've got a wetsuit to keep you warm, try it out for yourself!