Hang 10: Surfing nationals to splash down on Wickaninnish Beach
The Surf Canada Nationals, featuring the newest Olympic sport, come crashing in with the breakers May 4-7 at Wickaninnish Beach.
“It’s a change of venue as they have mixed it up a bit for us,” said defending national men’s champion Pete Devries of Tofino, noting that big national and international events have usually been held on Cox Bay in the past.
“Swell size and direction are fairly similar, but Wickaninnish is more variable, which could change the outcome of events.”
This year’s nationals are just two years out from surfing’s much-anticipated Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020.
“What the Olympic inclusion has done is put the sport on more people’s radars,” said Devries.
“People who live in the middle of any country are obviously not going to know much about surfing. The Olympics will introduce more people to the sport. Hopefully, the conditions in Tokyo will showcase it well.”
Already a Canadian surfing legend, the chance to become an Olympian comes late in the 34-year-old Devries’ career.
“I’ll put my best forward in the qualification process,” he said.
Other men’s Island greats also competing next month in the Surf Canada Nationals, and longer-term vying for Tokyo 2020, include Noah Cohen and Michael Darling.
The women’s side features 14-year-old Tofino prodigy Mathea Olin, who last year at the Pan American championships in Peru, won Canada’s first-ever international surfing gold medal in longboard. Olin, who will no doubt receive considerable attention as she crests toward the Tokyo Olympics, is the No. 9 junior woman in the world and is both the defending Canadian senior women’s and U-16 champion. Younger sister Sanoa Olin is also upcoming on the Canadian female side, as is Hanna Scott and Leah Oke.
Events at the nationals will include men’s and women’s open shortboard and longboard and U-18, U-16 and SUP Surf categories. The national championships will act as the trials to select the Canadian national teams for international competitions in 2018.