Severn Bore is firing!

[billie_morini]

Nearly rare occasion is upon the UK. Severn Bore is firing!

[jaffa1949]

ON Uncle Jaffa's bucket list as is the Mascaret, Bono and silver dragon.

[oldmansurfer]

So can they predict it or are they just waiting all year for it?

[jaffa1949]

All the Bores are predictable both for times and size and so everybody knows

[oldmansurfer]

I figured that but then anyone crazy enough to go chase a small wave in ice cold water might be crazy enough to wait for it. Here is the wiki article on it http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Severn_bore

[dtc]

So can they predict it or are they just waiting all year for it?

yeah, the bores waiting for the bore. 'do you think it will happen today'? 'well, let me tell you about the great bore wave of 1989. There were 9 of us bores on the bore and we discussed trains for several minutes'...

[oldmansurfer]

guy 1 "hmmmmm. Do ya think the bore will be coming today?"
guy 2 "I don't know but it's cold enough and there's nothing more that I enjoy than sitting around in cold water waiting for a tiny wave to show up."

Hey but I guess in UK you have to get what you can when it's happening

[oldmansurfer]

The French are doing it too. http://www.surfermag.com/blogs/random-happenings/tidal-bore/

[jaffa1949]

The French have a civilized system , meet at a wine bar, have a wine while waiting, catch the Mascaret ride up stream to the next wine bar,
There used to be an insane Mascaret in the Seine 10ft plus, it has been controlled.
The French navy will not serve rabbit because rabbits ate through the mooring lines and a Mascaret snk the ships and stopped an invasion of England , twice!
The Silver Dragon is the biggest known surfable bore now , possible followed by the Pororoca in the Amazon ( complete with Piranas and other nasties.

There are probably tidal bores in Nort Western Australia, but the crocs and the Sharks own them.

[benjl]

Some dude rode it for 1hr 17minutes, thats insane!!

[billie_morini]

Intrigues me to think about surfing in fresh water. Figured I'd try the great lakes In the northern central US some winter.

Jaffa: hope your bucket isn't like mine. Mine has a hole in it.

[jaffa1949]

Dear Liza sorry there a hole in your bucket, strangely a bucket we boil water in, in Australia is called a billy.
but not to bore anyone here is a picture of a wipeout on the Severn Bore, the worst part was the damaged ego! and no it wasn't Uncle Jaffa

[billie_morini]

Oh, I can just see & hear it now. Jaffa will bellow "Waltzing Matilda" when shootin' the Bore! In fact, the ride is so long he'll be able to sing all 23 verses of this bush ballad!

[jaffa1949]

Billy, I am seriously impressed, that fact that you know Waltzing Matilda, chapter and verse!
Billabong, jumbuk, swagman coolabah tree, . good to hear Aussie culture is being spread like vegemite.

[billie_morini]

Well, Jaffa, it IS Australia's unofficial national anthem!
And, Melbourne's singing group, The Seekers, popularized it with their 1963 album release!
Once in a great while, I'll even play a little of it on my guitar and sing some of it.
All the crazy words always mess me up and I never get very far!

For the uninitiated, here is:
The traditional original presentation by Slim Dusty -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2DSil5RriU
and, the modern version by The Seekers -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-tXGgzXT-o

[jaffa1949]

Waltzing Matilda ( January 1895 ) is older than either Slim or The Seekers, It was sung by Australian soldiers in WWI and WWII and has been recorded many times back as far as 1926.
If you want to really visit the the horror of those wars in song. have a listen to Eric Bogle's
" The Band played Waltzing Matilda".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WG48Ftsr3OI
Always brings tears to my eyes especially this original one and one by Joan Baez
WWI Australia lost 60,000 men from a population of 4 million in a country just 13 years old.
(independence and sovereignty 1901).