Tractor Unleashes Roaring River Wave in Australia (Video)

Originally posted on SURFER | By Dashel Pierson | Last updated Oct 29, 2025 5:34 PM ET

While YouTubers like Jamie O’Brien and Blair Conklin may seem like pioneers in the niche world of river wave surfing, the practice has been around for decades. First, kayakers discovered they could drift stationary, riding a fixed face of water, amidst a standing wave. And later, surfers followed – mainly in Germany with Munich’s famed river wave.

In the decades that followed, hordes of river waves have emerged – from JOB’s home spot at Waimea Bay in Hawaii, to Conklin’s preferred stream at Aliso Creek in California, to even Gerry Lopez, riding the waves of the Deschutes River in Bend, Oregon.

River surfing will always be a novelty, and yet, it consistently shows another side, another interesting method for riding a wave. And here’s a new one to add to the list: the Sapphire Coast of Australia.

With the help of a tractor, the berm is broken, allowing the water to flow and the waves to form. Lumber and debris drifts through the flood, as the wave begins to form. And eventually, like a hose siphoning gas from a car, the river flows without assistance. Cue the surfers to suit up, and attempt to ride the rush of water.

And there’s a lot of water moving. It’s a wide swath of rapids, making it difficult not only to find a point of entry, but also to locate one of the fleeting river waves before they die out. The surfers involved in the video have a tough time with it. Only a couple score successful rides, and even then, they’re not much to write home about. But still, there’s potential.

As the narrator of the video states:

“There you have it. Rivermouth opened. The boys were frothing. It almost looks like it was opened in the wrong spot maybe. Like, a bit too close to the rocks. But it seems to do that no matter where you do it – it flows out the corner.”

Not everywhere can be Waimea.

This article first appeared on SURFER and was syndicated with permission.

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