Laguna Beach, CA – December 27, 2025 20:33:00
River surfing Gets a Twist: Local Pro Takes the Slide at Aliso Creek
A Laguna Beach skimboard champion recently traded his board for a natural waterslide at Aliso Creek, showcasing a unique way to ride the novelty wave.
- When conditions are just right, a rare “river wave” forms at Aliso Creek in Laguna Beach, attracting surfers, skimboarders, and bodyboarders.
- Three-time skimboard world champion Blair Conklin recently took a different approach to the wave, riding it like a natural waterslide.
- The creek’s unique flow can create dangerous rip currents when high tides and surf combine with the river’s outflow.
Forget carving turns – sometimes, the best way to ride a wave is to let it carry you. That’s the lesson Blair Conklin demonstrated recently at Aliso Creek in Laguna Beach, California, where a unique river wave forms when the creek breaches it’s sandbank and flows into the ocean. The resulting surge, often aided by eager wave-riders with shovels, offers a thrilling, unconventional experience.
A Novelty Wave with a Local Expert
Aliso Creek isn’t alone in offering this type of experience. A similar phenomenon occurs at Waimea Bay on the North Shore of Oahu,drawing enthusiasts of unconventional wave riding. But no one knows the Aliso creek wave quite like Laguna Beach native Blair Conklin. The three-time skimboard world champion is a master of this unique spot. Recently, though, Conklin opted for a different approach, going *upstream* and letting the current propel him down the wave like a natural waterslide.
