Tow Surfing, Monster Wave, Cool Music: a Video

"Big wave surfing to great music-www.myspace.com/dogbonemusic"

tchouser1, YouTube (August 21, 2007)
video, 3:06

"Guy gets towed into a 50 ft wave to really cool surf music. www.myspace.com/dogbonemusic"

I nearly didn't stay with this video. There isn't much for the first 40 seconds except some mildly-promising music and simple credits: and I've seen too many wannabe videographers whose work is a long-running set of credits followed by maginally-viewable content.

This isn't one of those.

Checking out YouTube's "Related Videos," I learned that water skiing with a personal watercraft and surfboard, catching up with a monster wave and riding it in is called tow surfing. I'll get back to that.

The video's a good blend of music and action: I trust the fellow made it to shore. The one on the surfboard, that is.

I've got too good a grip on what I can and can't do, to think about trying something like riding a 16-yard-high moving hill of water. But I think I understand why people do. It looks like - fun.

We don't get waves like that, here in Minnesota - but water skiing with a surfboard should be doable. I wonder if anybody's worked out a way of controlling the PWC from the end of the tow rope. And, if any that sort of thing is legal. We've got a rather 'protective' state government here.

Anyway, researching this post: I found TowSurfer.com, "dedicated to extreme surfing and those who dare." My guess is that many of the visitors to that website are in the 18-24 male demographic.

TowSurfer.com has - understandably - a disclaimer on its home page. A long one. It says, in part, that:

anyone and everything remotely involved with the website "harmless against all and any two wave hold downs, loss of breath, drowning, hyperventilating, choking, vomiting, loss of blood, extreme headaches, loss of vision, loss of a limb, severe cramping, hypothermia, dizziness, blackouts, concussions, open wounds, excessive bowel movements, uncontrolable fear for life, lock jaw, brain aneurisms, continuous wipeouts, free falling from the sky, Uncle whitey attacking you or your rescue sled, broken leashes, broken boards, damaged PWC and what ever else the Hellman may or has experienced, against any and all claims, judgments and losses, due to information and content supplied and featured in this website. In other words, everyone is on their own...."

Given the nature of the sport: a legal necessity these days. And - although I'm sure they're quite serious - done with a touch of good humor.