“Pueblo’s New Wave“ Revealed May 16th, 2024!!!

Just by chance I had business down in Pueblo, Colorado the morning of Thursday May 16, 2024 and after a meeting I got word Chatty was going up to 1,400cfs and “Miracle Wave” was up… but I was in Pueblo. Kind of bummed I decided to go get some quality footage of “Pueblo’s New Wave” and to my surprise it looked surfable at 1,200cfs +/-.

I was about to suit up when it seemed like every Pueblo fire department truck showed up at the river where I was. Turned out they were just checking out the new Waterworks Park that we were at located next to City Park. Some cool discussions was had about the wave and river surfing with hip firemen and they green-lighted me to surf it.. Pueblo is rad!!!

So after a quick bite to eat, I suited up and picked from my quiver in the car, my 5’10” 41 liter INT fish foamie. That turned out to be the right choice.

I paddle in from the top and my lower body got immediatly pinned on a slight undercut on the top river drop into the wave but was able to wriggle my way out (not as bad as it sounds). Decided that was not the safest entry by any means. My fist drop flushed me out and I was able to grab my board before going into the secondary wave that had some power…. NO LEASH NEEDED!!’

I then had to figure out the eddy that unfortunately was on the other side of the river right fish ladder. The eddy is only about 30 to 40 feet long and if you miss it, you get swept away from the wave for an easy paddle to the shore before the new pedestrian bridge over the river. No big deals, just tired it again and skimmed over the fish ladder outflow and could easily catch the eddy ride up to the wave.

I stuck my second drop in (suitcase drop from the edge in front of the high step). Wave reminds me of Scout as a mellow flushy wave. The regular foot side is flatter than the other side (goffy footer hodad side, hahaha). I could stand in one spot and surf but it wanted to flush me, though I could wind up my turns and it surfed well. Not as steep as Sixx or old Scout 2.0 at higher flows but it is surfable.

What I found was the wave is very similar to Scout mellowness where you need to jump in hard and fast and make turns to stay on the wave. If I had more time at that wave, I would have been able to throw buckets for sure.

If you are going to surf Pueblo’s New Wave, scout the spot and walk up on the pedestrian bridge to look down river to note some hazards down river such as a shallow rock cropping, and a big tree river left a ways down. Really you should be able to stay safely up by the pedestrian bridge for easy exit out of the river. Scope any wave before you surf it!

To get to Pueblo’s New Wave put “City Park Pueblo Colorado” in your phones navigation. Parking for the wave is at the far end of the park near the pavilion at the dirt parking lot and then a steep longish concrete sidewalk path down to the wave. Look to your right and you will see the pedestrian bridge and the “New Wave”.

Well here is an informative vid of me navigating the fish ladder outflow to get to the eddy and then surfing Pueblo’s New Wave:

https://youtu.be/UNv5s_53-cs?si=uuZOBZzLoNcjb9N5

Now go surf Pueblo’s New Wave and support the surf scene down there!!!

LBK

PS, I met Pueblo’s surfing royalty on the bike path to talk river surfing, Mr Gogarty (Logan’ father). What a cool cat!!!