Snow surfers on the Oregon coast recount ‘surreal’ experience
On Tuesday morning, Tim Vanderipe, Harris Knakal and Colin Boyd packed up and drove from Clackamas County to Pacific City for some mid-week winter surfing, lured by a forecast that called for good waves on the north Oregon coast.
The forecast also called for snow, but none of the three seemed to think much about it.
“We expected some snow on the pass to Pacific City, but as we got closer, we started realizing there might actually be snow on the beach itself,” Vanderipe, an Oregon-based travel filmmaker, wrote in a message Wednesday. “When we arrived, we were blown away by how much there was.”
Snow has blanketed the Oregon coast this week, with a winter weather advisory in place from Astoria to Florence until Wednesday evening. The National Weather Service said total snow accumulation could wind up being anywhere from 4 to 10 inches.
That brought people out to the beach for a rare chance to ski down dunes, make snow angels in the sand and, for at least a few brave souls, go out surfing.
The trio of surfers couldn’t contain their shock as they walked onto the beach in their wetsuits, greeted by a flurry of flakes. Cape Kiwanda and Haystack Rock, the town’s most recognizable landmarks, were hidden by dark clouds.
Vanderipe said surfing in the snow hadn’t been on his Oregon bucket list because he never imagined it was possible to do that here. But once he found himself on the beach, snowflakes falling on his head, he couldn’t pass up the opportunity.
“It was such a surreal feeling running into the ocean while snow covered the beach and flakes fell around us,” he said. “It felt like we were in another world.”
Surfing on the Oregon coast is always cold. Unlike tropical destinations, the Pacific Northwest waters require wetsuits, even in the summer. In the winter, the water can get even colder, dipping below 50 degrees. But that wasn’t an issue for Vanderipe or his friends Wednesday, all of whom were running on adrenaline.
“While it was definitely colder, the pure shock and thrill of what we were doing numbed everything but the excitement and gratitude I felt,” he said. “Sharing that unique moment with my friends made it even more special.”
His friends agreed that the moment was exceptional. Knakal called it an “unreal experience,” while Boyd said it was “unforgettable.”
“Snow and sand is something you don’t often come across,” Boyd wrote in a message. “Being out in the water while it was dumping snow is something straight from a movie scene.”
It’s hard to predict when it will snow on the Oregon coast, a region known for its temperate climate, where winter temperatures are often warmer than the Willamette Valley. But if anyone with the right gear and experience can time it right, this could be something to add to your Pacific Northwest bucket list, they said.
“Surfing the Oregon coast in the snow is something you don’t get to do often, and the feeling is truly indescribable,” Vanderipe said. “If you ever get the opportunity, you have to take it.”