hiya wa howa aswat

Welcome to Salzburg. In landlocked Austria, the fourth largest city has a surprise for visiting surfers. What would you do in a 10-foot (three meter) wide wave? One thing's for sure, you don't have to worry about swell forecasts.

It's probably the narrowest wave ride in the world, but at the same time it's an endless one. Even the FlowRider will pump wider waves. The thing is, at least there's something to ride, and you just can't imagine how well this static wave is ridden.

The Almkanal is the oldest canal system in Central Europe and dates back to the 8th century. It connects the Old Town (Altstadt) of Salzburg underground, and it is 11 miles (18 kilometers) long.

In some spots, the Almkanal sees the light of day. And those exactly are the areas chosen by a group of hardcore Austrian surf enthusiasts to train surfing skills.

Quick carves, tail slides, mini aerials, 360s, and wipeouts. The Salzburg river surfers have learned to enjoy short and endless waves, whether it's cold or warm.


How would you perform in this wave? No matter what people say, surfing has it soul. In the Almkanal of Salzburg, the spirit of the waves runs endlessly, just like the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Tom Felber Surfing - Almkanal 2014