Two Bend athletes returning, one making debut on U.S. River Surfing team at Continental Surf Cup

(Update: adding video, comments from river surfer)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Two women from Bend will represent the U.S. for the second year in a row at the 2023 Continental Surf Cup, an international river surfing tournament.

And here's an update: 21-year-old Austin Fernand of Bend was also attempting to make the U.S. men's river surfing team, and he succeeded.

Megan Stevens said she worked hard to get back to this point.

“I think Team USA has a great chance of winning this year, and I’m really excited to be a part of that,” Stevens said.

The 23-year-old started river surfing four years ago, when she moved to Bend from the Oregon coast.

“As soon as I got here, that’s the first thing I did,” Stevens said. “I just fell, after fell, after fell -- and then I finally got it, and I was like, 'I want to do this every day!' It was addicting. I loved it!”

She was selected to the U.S. team for last year’s Surf Cup, and made it to the semis in her first-ever competition.

“I remember getting there and being like, One, I didn’t have the right boards, so I had to ride four other boards to get the right one. And I had to learn that wave, 'cause its so different than ours,” Stevens recalled.

She competed with Karissa Campbell, another river surfer from Bend, who finished third.

“Her and I have been helping each other out and trying to make ourselves better for international surfing,” Stevens said. “It's really fun to have another woman encourage me, and then encourage her. It's kind of fun. We need more women out there!”

She said the support the Bend river surfing community shows for both new and experienced surfers, is unmatched.

“It's probably the nicest river surfing community I’ve ever met,” Stevens said. “I grew up in the ocean, which is definitely way different than river surfing. Everyone's super friendly out here. In the ocean, we are kind of doing our own thing. Out here, everyone is doing everything with everybody.”

She expanded on the welcoming attitude.

“I just see all the men and women just help new women up and get them going, and it's so fun to see their self explode of, ‘Oh, my gosh! I can do this! Oh my gosh!’” Stevens said.

Come Labor Day weekend, Steven, Campbell and Fernand will show the international river surfing community what Bend is made of.

“I'm really excited to come with this Bend group, 'cause then it just feels like we’re bringing a part of us to there. And that’s really special, to have something in Bend, in Chelan, and then to share with the world.”

Megan leaves for Washington this weekend and will spend the week practicing at the wave park.

The competition will stream live on YouTube.

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