After Team Trials I was stoked to get back to the Valley and cash in on all the water that was pouring into the rivers from every where. I was a little bummed to  get to the river to find it in between the levels of Gladiator Wave and Big Bus. A couple big water runs down the river and I was ready for some big wave surfing. 
So to get our fix we went to champlain bridge ... ha ha just kidding, well we actually did go to Champlain but it did nothing for our big wave fix as its only a half meter tall wave thats really slow.  But we had to go and represent at the Level Six Cup, which is an awesome spring time event put on by Level Six at the Champlain Bridge. 

    The event went well and when all was said and done my boy TC came up with a well fought victory. The highlight of this, as with most rodeos, is the after party and getting together with friends after a long winter of travel. A hot topic of the party was when the water would co-operate and give us something to surf. And then at some point in the day came whisperings of a gigantic garb style wave a mere kilometer up stream from the Champlain Bridge wave.  Could it be true?

    With the confirmation coming early the next day, it was only a short time before there was a crew of the boys camping beside the wave and completely dominating it. Ferrying out form the shore above the decrepid remains of an old mill, you make it over to Bird Island and the eddy above the wave. Its here you get to see and feel the true size and speed of this monster wave. And as mentioned, it is truely a giant garb wave, with 2 perfect reactioanry waves peaking at the top of the wave forming a long speed way for a trough. This is with out a doubt the fastest water I have ever paddled on. It was nearly impossible to just sit in a front surf, as the water ripping under your boat was so fast and hard it would pop you straight into the air. However if you could find yourself at the top of this huge runway the sky was the limit. 

    It was here I first witnessed the sickest stylish move I’ve seen. Benny Marr takes the credit on this one, getting to the top of the wave it was a series of flash back - clean blunt - clean back stab - clean blunt - clean back stab - clean blunt - clean back stab.  

    A big thanks goes out to the Ottawa Lads who found this Wave!!! You guys rule. I am really sorry for sticking with the Ruin Wave name, but when the boys were killing it on the wave there was no one else out or around, and it didn’t have a name the Ruin Wave was the perfect name. 

Enjoy some pics from the Ruin Wave and the Level Six Cup at Champlain. 

TYLER FOX
Photos: Tyler Fox and Dave Nieuwenhuis The Ruin Wave
The Ruin Wave and Ruins
Tyler mid flight
Dave ... What!
Benny doing his thing
Pat laying it down
Dylan feeling the beat
Logan slaying the monster
clean 5000
its a plane
cleaning it of the rib
vertical points
flying down the wave ... Top Speeed
going the distance
then back for more
standard front surf
nice and clean
Tyler ripping it at Champlain
I swear my paddle didn’t touch
Dave getting crushed by the wave
Pat keeping it clean
sweet flash back
TC owning the comp
all tweaked out
sneaky little helix
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