Surfing in Hangzhou, China, The Qiantang River Tidal Bore Story

This has to be the illest non X Game related video I have ever seen. Thank God a corporated sponsor is not behind this video. Everyday--twice a day--in the City of Hangzhou (pronounced "han-joe"), a tidal bore wave rolls upstream on the Qiantang (pronounced "kwin-tang") River. And each year, in September, the wave is at its largest.

To witness this awesome sight, hundreds of thousands of Chinese people come to the annual Wave Watching Festival in Hangzhou. And this year, they're here to see surfing for the very first time.

Hangzhou, China, The Qiantang River Tidal Bore Story - September 2008 from paul c barranco on Vimeo.

A tidal bore (or just bore, or aegir) is a tidal phenomenon in which the leading edge of the incoming tide forms a wave (or waves) of water that travel up a river or narrow bay against the direction of the current. As such, it is a true tidal wave (not to be confused with a tsunami).

Bores occur in relatively few locations worldwide, usually in areas with a large tidal range (typically more than 20 feet (6.1 m) between high and low water), and where incoming tides are funneled into a shallow, narrowing river via a broad bay. The funnel-like shape not only increases the height of the tide, but it can also decrease the duration of the flood tide down to a point where the flood appears as a sudden increase in the water level.
Bores take on various forms, ranging from a single breaking wavefront — somewhat like a shock wave — to ‘undular bores’ comprising a smooth wavefront followed by a train of secondary waves (whelps). Large bores can be particularly dangerous for shipping, but also present opportunities for river surfing.