All we needed was a car and some rope

and a launch pad...

and a driving team

The canal was frozen solid a week before

You could make some nice small turns and get some nice speed depending on the driver

The temperature was about 1 or 2 degrees celsius

Grant and his frozen member jumped in for a.fresh n breezy canal surf

Naked surfing up Napoleans canal

Nick Van Hoppe – ‘Bloody good award’

This mission started in a pub called Bauhaus in the very old city of Brugge in North West Belgium near the border to Holland. While sipping Hoegarden, Joken mentioned that he had a surfboard that he has put foot straps on and has been eying up a nice long canal. All he needed was a car and some rope and we can have a 2 km tow ride down Napoleons canal. My brother Jarred and I had just hired a 4x4 Car so the mish was on.

Napoleons Canal is a very beautiful canal with huge trees running down each side and loads of history. Napoleons forces made it. There was only a small 2km clear space without trees and signs in the way and a slightly elevated road running parallel to it. I guess this was in Napoleons design plans for us. Cheers mate. The canal was frozen solid a week before so the temperature was about 1 or 2 degrees Celsius.

We pulled up and had a couple of locals gathering around to see what these stupid tourists were doing. Yoken, Grant, Simon and I all had a turn each. You had to kind of jump off a barge while the car took of. If your timing was out you ended up in the drink. By then your hands were frozen so it was really hard climbing back up. The actual riding was great. You could make some nice small turns and get some nice speed depending on the driver. For the driver and the audience it was temping to step on the gas just to see what would happen.

Now Grant, a kiwi boy, loves to streak. I have heard stories of him biking through the whole center of Brugge stark naked. So Grant and his frozen member jumped in for skinny dip canal surf. The local ladies watched with there big eyes and Grants smile just got bigger. He made the whole 2 km run without fail. Then staggered back into the car boot and we raced him home for some more beer. Nice one mate.

Nick Van Hoppe