Canada's insider blog

With bald eagles soaring overhead and sparkly skies turning Tofino, BC’s surf into small rolls of glitter, the second annual O’Neill Cold Water Classic in Canada ended last week. Tofino’s hometown hero and 2009 champion Pete Devries didn’t come out of the chop wrapped in a Canadian flag this year; instead, the $20,000 first prize purse went to Australian Josh Kerr.

Chosen for its extreme weather, punishing winds and a nippy 11 degree C temperatures, the final day was all too balmy for competition director Matt Wilson, who was part of the O’Neill team of scouts that considered the waters off Nova Scotia and Newfoundland as a potential Canadian location before settling on Tofino as one of the competition’s five official stops.

“This competition is all about punishing elements and testing your boundaries,” said Wilson who hails from Australia’s Gold Coast, “but look at today . . . not a cloud in the sky, little six-foot waves. Sure, we’re still in our booties and gloves—but it’s far from the brutal conditions we promised our boys.

“But we’re coming back in 2011,” confirmed Wilson. “The spirit of this community and the rugged beauty of the beaches we can choose from are tough to beat.”

Exactly what the crestfallen locals tried to focus on as they smudged out “Go, Pete, go!” signs from sandwich boards and took Cold Water Classic tacos off the menus.

While Devries and fellow surfing brothers Raph and Sepp Bruhwiler will winter in Tofino’s waters, the rest of the pros move on to Santa Cruz, CA for the final round in this year’s world qualifying series.

Read more on travel to Tofino, BC.
Read more on surfing in Canada.