The newest extreme sport: glacier surfing

Given the fearsome projections about the pace of global warming and the now ubiquitous scenes of melting polar ice caps, Alaska may soon become a popular destination for surfing enthusiasts. When massive glaciers start to melt, huge chunks of ice crash into the sea, resulting in gargantuan waves. And where there are waves, there are surfers. The Daily Mail links to an amazing YouTube clip of glacier surfing in Alaska, in which two daredevils (Garrett McNamara and Kealii Mamala) become the first people ever to ride a wave caused by a glacier:

“McNamara and Mamala, one on a surfboard and the other riding a

jetski, brace themselves at the foot of the Child’s Glacier, in

south-central Alaska, as the thunderous roar of the crashing ice

falling into the sea begins. As the freezing wave pounds towards the extreme sports enthusiasts the

camera zooms in to reveal the sheer magnitude of the 400-ft glacier.

For a moment the surfer is completely immersed in the rolling

water and the cameraman, unsurprisingly, questions his friend’s safety. […] The surfers would wait up to several hours in the icy water for a

glacier to fall, then chase down the ensuing wave on their jetski and

attempt to ride without being injured or killed by ice and rock debris.”

Since being uploaded on August 15th, the YouTube clip has been viewed more than 302,000 times.

[video: Glacier Surfing Alaska]