On June 1, 2023, Jefferson Sheriff Department and the Golden Police Department temporarily banned “body-surfers” from Clear Creek due to high water flows. The Denver Surf Report would like to interview Jefferson County Sheriff Reggie Marinelli and/or Golden Police Chief Joe Harvey on why they included “body-surfers” in the prohibition; but, we realize they have more important stuff to attend to than talk to a surf rag blog. Instead we were able to get some words about it from the best bodysurfer in the Metro Denver area, none other than “Longboard Bill”.
First, high flow rivers are no joke and need to be taken serious. With any river wave, do your homework on the spots you want to surf from the locals and outside sources such as Jake Voss’ Endless Waves page. Keep in mind higher flows make even easy safe waves into hard to surf and swim powerful river features…. Know your limits and risk tolerances… WHEN IN DOUBT, DON’T GO OUT!!!!
As for bodysurfing, it is the practice/skill of surfing on a wave without a surfboard either freehanded or with a surf plane. This style of surfing has been round since the caveman found his first surfboard.
Most of us who have ever been to the beach have done some sort of bodysurfing; however when the surf gets big and shore-pounds hard, bodysurfing is heavy and will literally break your neck if you don’t take it seriously. Some of the standout bodysurfing spots besides Hawaii are “The Wedge” in Newport Beach, Salt Creek in Orange County, Morro Bay, and many more surf spots in the world with steep waves.
River bodysurfing is tuff. Takes a wave of power and often consequences to be able to dive in and prone out with primarily just your body or with the assistances of a handplane, aka handboard that looks like a miniature surfboard about the size of your hand. The only person we know of who can pull off bodysurfing in Metro Denver is none other than the alternative surf craft master, Longboard Bill. He is more often seen riding rivers waves on one of his handmade paipos (see pic below) or his surfmat or cross stepping his longboard. But Longboard Bill can successfully bodysurf big fast days at Sixx or Benni’s with his self-made handplanes.
We asked Longboard Bill, who has been bodysurfing all his life starting as young child in Florida, what he thinks of “body-surfing” prohibition at Golden and in Clear Creek…
LBK: Longboard Bill, we just sent you the JeffCo Temporary Waterway Restrictions as the rivers in Colorado including the Clear Creek are running high this year due to large snowpack melt-off and and an unusually rainy. What’s your Thoughts?
Longboard Bill: “Ugh, another golden opportunity lost!”
DSR: Hah, we see what you did there. If you are pulled from the river in say Bingo Wave at Golden, what would you say to the park rangers. You know they can fine you like a $100 for violation of the restrictions.
Longboard Bill: “Does anyone else even bodysurf over there — wait, did they do this ban just for me?!”
LBK: Well you are basically the only person bodysurfing the river waves in Metro Denver. You do know ignorance of the law is no excuse.
Longboard Bill: “Why did the jeffco announcement put ‘body-surfers’ in quotes? It’s the only thing they put in quotes. Does that mean they don’t know what bodysurfing is?”
LBK: We agree, they probably don’t have a clue what is bodysurfing… But I’m thinking we might need to reach out to the ACLU for you to see if we can get you some free legal services… By the way, don’t you make your own handplanes (handboards) out of those wooden pizza shovels for putting the pizza in the oven. Think they are called a “pizza peel” that you find at Goodwill Stores.
Longboard Bill: “Yep — $5 well spent”
LBK: hahaha, that is so Radikal! Thanks for your insight Longboard Bill…
In the meantime, if you see Longboard Bill bodysurfing, give him a hoot and a shout. It is so rad he makes many of his alternative surf crafts that he river surfs.
Again, please be careful surfing these high flows people, and in reality, hopefully the park rangers at Golden are hip and understand the spirit of the Temporary Water Directive that is meant to keep the clueless, the unaware, and unprepared out of the fast moving water. Can’t really mean they are going to ban Longboard Bill or others like him and us from surfing the Clear Creek. We have surfed it before during these water directives past years and the park rangers were willing to let us stay in after we talk with them.
Here is the JeffCo Temporary Water Restrictions link for your comments below: https://www.jeffco.us/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=2075
LBK
The Denver Surf Report 