MT365: Day 32 - Surfing in Montana

While most people think of Bozeman or Whitefish when anything “extreme” comes up, you may be surprised to know that Missoula, besides being a cultural hub, is also the home to all sorts of “hardcore” sports stuff. And the people to match. And despite the proximity to the mountains, Missoula’s main action sport isn’t skiing. It’s kayaking.

It makes sense, I guess. A river runs directly through the center of town, and many others surround the city. World class gets thrown around a lot these days, but I don’t know of a better way to put it. And smack in the heart of downtown is the artificially-created kayak feature known as Brennan’s Wave.

Named after professional kayaker and Missoula native Brennan Guth, who passed away in a kayaking accident in Chile in 2001, Brennan’s wave is the perfect way to practice up before you take your boat into the real big stuff. And it’s even been known to attract ambitious surfers to put on a show for the passing crowd.