Bend surfer ‘chasing that first wave’, seeking to make US river surfing team

(Update: adding video, comments from surfer)

Our Noah Chast tried to 'rip' at river surfing, and ... well, take a look

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Austin Fernand, a 21-year-old OSU-Cascades student now living in Bend, is trying to make the U.S. river surfing team.

“You’re kind of always chasing that first wave, that first feeling -- it feels like you’re floating,” Fernand said.

Fernand has been coming to Bend and surfing at the Whitewater Park since 2018.

“The coolest thing is to go mountain biking at Bachelor, ride the river, check out all the trails and the climbing,” Fernand said in praise of Bend. “Pretty cool. Awesome town.”

He first picked up the sport in his hometown of Boise, Idaho.

“I’d always see these cool skaters down there in the river, and one day I just got the gall to take out my clean board and try it," he said. "And I did it -- first try -- and it's been history ever since.”

He's since river-surfed across the country and across the world, competing in Germany, Italy, Switzerland and Austria.

Now he’s looking to join the U.S. river surfing team for an upcoming international competition held in Chelan, Washington.

“It would kind of prove to myself that I can make something out of this really niche hobby,” Fernand said. “Because nobody’s really done it yet, and I think it would be cool to make a life out of river surfing.”

He says the welcoming culture around the sport, especially here in Bend, is what makes the sport special to him.

“Any race, any gender from any background can river surf,” Fernand said. “That’s the coolest thing -- once you put on that wetsuit, you’re just another surfer -- doesn’t matter.”

While teaching sports anchor Noah Chast how to river surf, he explained what you need to know as a beginner. 

“The biggest thing is to strip yourself of your ego and get ready to learn a new sport,” Fernand said. “A lot of people mess up or get hurt or get discouraged because they think that they’re going to rip right away.”

Noah certainly didn’t rip right away, but Fernand encouraged him to keep trying.

“You’re learning something completely brand new, you just want to ask for help and really focus on what the locals or more experienced people are telling you,” Fernand said. “Nobody out here wants to hurt you, they just want to see you succeed so. As long as you can take advice well, I think you’ll rip.”