Local river surfer Ocky Koa blows the pū, a conch shell steeped in Hawaiian tradition and culture, as surfers paddle through rolling waves with scented lei flowers around their necks. The air is both heavy and celebratory as a tight-knit community gathers to celebrate a fallen brother.
That was the scene at River Run Park the morning of May 3. This sort of “water skate park” is home to a string of river-surfing waves on the South Platte River near the Broken Tee Golf Course on the border of Englewood and Sheridan.
More than 100 surfers and supporters from Colorado and beyond descended to the pavilion to remember and celebrate Nathan Ginn, who passed away while powsurfing (snowboarding without bindings) in an avalanche in February.
Below is a video of Nathan on that day, recording successful powsurfing runs before the final run did him in.
He died doing what he loved.
“I am super grateful to the surf community for hosting the memorial at a beautiful park that was one of Nathan’s favorite places,” said Phillip Ginn, Nathan’s twin brother, who came up from Santa Fe for the ceremony. “I was blown away by the heartfelt speeches of friends and family who shared stories and praised Nathan for living an exceptional life.”
Nathan was “a force” who lived on the wild side, always skateboarding, river surfing, powsurfing and lifting the spirits of everyone around him, his friends said. Living life to the fullest was a non-negotiable.
He would show up for river cleanup days, teach beginners the ropes and offer a helping hand, even when he wasn’t asked.
“Nathan was the kind of man who always let drivers go ahead of him in traffic,” said Carrie Ginn, Nathan’s wife. “He was conscientious of other people‘s happiness, and he went out of his way to help others enjoy life by offering to get them on any number of board sports he adored. Nathan knew all the neighbors, and he would go out of his way to chainsaw other people’s downed branches or run a ‘secret mission’ to shovel other people’s snow without them knowing it was him.”
During a traditional Hawaiian send-off, surfers will paddle out past the breaking waves to a calmer part of the ocean and form a human circle “out the back” by holding hands in a symbol of unity for a fellow wave rider who’s passed on.
“This was the first time I had seen half of the circle on shore and half in the water, a nod to the relative uniqueness of river surfing,” said fellow river surfer Jimmy Switzer. “The most touching part for me was the board drumming that happened towards the end. If you were ever in the lineup with Nathan, you’ll remember he would bang on his board like a drum whenever he was stoked about a move that another rider had just made or attempted.”
River Run Park was built in 2016, and immediately, a community for the sport came together.
Many traditional “ocean surfers” now live landlocked in Colorado, but that doesn’t stop them from taking the boards out.
“Once you start moving on that wave — it’s not that big — but once you start making those turns, our brains click to this dopamine, ocean surfing thing, and so, we’ve got a real strong community,” said surfer David Riordon.
Many called Nathan the heart of the community.
“Nathan was ocean style, but he took it to another level,” Riordon said. “He said he wanted to skateboard on his surfboard. He wasn’t an ocean surfer. He was a skateboarder turned snowboarder, turned snow skater, turned powsurfer. And so he brought a different level, but he brought a stoke (excited energy) that the surfing community just didn’t have, you know, just his love and his smile.”
Below is a tribute video for the event, plus more testimonials from those close to Nathan. For more, read Riordon’s blog about Nathan at this link.
“Nathan has always been such a welcoming and incredibly loving person in the community. His generosity and level of stoke was infectious, and I am inspired by the way he lived his life.. through love, passion, and deep care for others. I always got so excited to surf with him, and I still think of him dearly when I surf now. The paddle out was a mix of pure joy and excitement along with a background of grief. He is so missed, and at the same time he felt so present in the paddle out. It was beautiful to see how connected we are as a community, and a large part of that was what Nathan emanated.”
– Kenny Baron, close friend and river surfer
“I never saw Nathan not smiling. He was always full of positive vibes.”
– Matt Quam, close friend and river surfer
“Nathan was a big part of our community and a big part of the broader river-surfing community. He made a lasting impression on everyone he met as he had the ability to make us all feel acknowledged, accepted and appreciated. We are all heartbroken as he was special to all of us. It was great to see so many people at the paddle out to honor Nathan, support his family, and take part in his celebration. ‘Ride Like Nathan.'”
– Lane Ruotsala, owner of local river-surfing business “SalaSurf”
“Rodney Mullen, the famous skateboarder, his quote does really sum up Nathan’s spirit of life: ‘Find joy in what you do for the sake of it and recognize you’re being shaped in the process. Hopefully, you become a better person through it.’ “
– Carrie Ginn, Nathan’s wife
“He had a special friendship with everybody. And, you know, he’s not a perfect guy. Nobody’s perfect, but he really connected with everybody, and he made people feel welcome to come river surf or try snow skating or powsurfing. He would always be inviting and try to get them to do it. … It was a relief of grief, but at the same time, it was cheer and joy, not only of his life and each other’s life, but what River Run Park, what our surfing, means to us as a community. And sure, Nathan’s dead, he’s still there. You know, he’s his legacy is there and lives on.”
– David Riordon, close friend and river surfer
“The paddle out was an essential moment for us as a river surfing community because Nathan was in many ways the heart of our community. So it wasn’t just a moment to honor and express our love for him, it was a time to connect and express our love for each other and the community that he helped build.”
– Mike Deeble, fellow river surfer/snowskater/powsurfer
“The incredible turnout for our dear friend Nathan was awe-inspiring. We’re so fortunate as a community to have River Run Park, a place that brought so many of us together with him and will carry his legacy for years to come.”
– Eric Francisco, River Run Park waveshaper volunteer and friend
“Nathan was one fine example of a dude. He had the beautiful ability to manage patience and expectation.”
– Adam Tymn, River Run Park waveshaper volunteer and friend