Winter conditions forecast for Tofino as the surfers gather for the O’Neill Cold Water Classic Canada
THE MOST NORTHERN, THE MOST SOUTHERN, THE WILDEST, THE COLDEST &
THE MOST CLASSIC SURF CONTEST ON THE PLANET
Vancouver Island, Canada, October 24, 2009
As the town of Tofino on Vancouver Island, Canada gears up for the fourth stop on the O’Neill Cold Water Classic Series, conditions are also lining up for what looks like a spectacular surfing competition week ahead.
While the sun is currently shining and a consistent two-meter swell is forecast for the week, not all is as it seems in Tofino for this 6 Star ASP WQS competition.
Cold Water Classic Series contest director Matt Wilson sees the week ahead as one of the toughest on the entire series following the wilds of Tasmania, Scotland and South Africa.
"I’m learning that the weather systems move through really quickly here. There is no stable condition, it can seriously change by the hour," says Matt.
"There’s no shortage of swell," he said "But this area has a ‘storm watching season’, which means there is also going to be no shortage of wind."
Event ambassador and local surfer Noah Cohen emphasizes the point; "The swell reading at the bouys never really gets below 10 foot at this time of year, but there are a lot of storms that come with it. And the water is pretty cold."
This isn’t billed the coldest event in professional surfing for nothing. "It can get down to about 5 degrees here… sometimes even 4 degrees," says Noah. "Right now isn’t even properly cold yet! It’s about 10 degrees. I’m thinking of wearing a wetsuit hood though, otherwise I end up with brain freeze in these conditions from all the duck diving."
The surfers have all started gathering in the small Canadian town, and as the Cold Water Classic Series starts its penultimate stop, the competition promises to be fierce.
Series leaders Blake Thornton, Jarrad Howse and Adam Melling, along with fifth placed Nathan Hedge, have all turned up for the chance at the $50,000 prize money for the overall series winner, which will be decided next week at the last competition in Santa Cruz.
However, it isn’t the cold conditions the surfers have to look out for…
British surfer Sam Lamiroy was inducted into the wilds of Tofino with a bear sighting. "I was with my wife and son at a river down the road, when this bear appeared not 5 meters away from where we were standing," he said. "Luckily it was too engrossed in all the huge salmon in the water to even notice us."
The first call will be made at 8am on Sunday October 25th
VISIT www.oneill.com/cwc/canada for more information and to follow the competition.
The O'Neill Cold Water Classic Canada brings the first professional surfing competition to Vancouver Island
THE MOST NORTHERN, THE MOST SOUTHERN, THE WILDEST, THE COLDEST &
THE MOST CLASSIC SURF CONTEST ON THE PLANET
Vancouver Island, Canada, September 8, 2009
From its inception, the O'Neill Cold Water Classic Series was never going to be a conventional
surf contest. And as it heads to British Columbia, Canada – an area more closely associated with
skiing and snowboarding than surfing – it continues to push the limits.
On the west coast of Vancouver Island in Tofino, freezing water and air temperatures, bears on
the ground, whales in the water and even the chance of snow, awaits 144 professional surfers
from around the world for the O'Neill Cold Water Classic Canada – the coldest event in
professional surfing.
"It's not uncommon to paddle out in incessant sleet rain, which feels like sand-paper against any
part of your skin which isn't covered by 6mm of rubber," says event ambassador Noah Cohen.
"But it's worth it," says the local Tofino surfer. "Because what you get is uncrowded waves, some
of the most spectacular scenery in which you will ever surf and often perfect beach and reef
breaks."
When the O'Neill Cold Water Classic Series comes to Canada on October 24th the 6 Star ASP
World Qualifying Series event will be the first professional surf contest to hit the Canadian shores.
As the fourth event of five on the O'Neill CWC Series, Tofino lives up to all that the Series has
promised – a competition that breaks boundaries, ventures that little bit further into the wild and
explores that extra level for the best waves on offer.
The Tofino region on the west of Vancouver Island in British Columbia is characterized by its
beautiful untouched cedar-lined shorelines with majestic snowcapped mountains. Its testing surf
breaks will provide the stage for the event that every surfer wants to be part of.
"Canada has been the event on everyone's lips since the schedule appeared at the start of the
year," says Australian former World Tour surfer, Jarrad Howse. "Everything about the place
stokes me out, the surf, the scenery and the wildlife. I can't imagine surfing with a backdrop of
snow-covered mountains, orca's in the water and black bears roaming around on land. Are you
kidding, this has to be the coolest competition professional surfing has ever witnessed."
Following Tofino, the Cold Water Classic Series then heads straight to the birthplace of O'Neill –
Santa Cruz, California – where the overall series winner will be presented with the $50,000 prize
money and the first year of the groundbreaking contest in search of wild, remote and quality surf
will be completed.
It is Blake Thornton who is currently leading the race following his win in Cape Town at the CWC
South Africa and his third place finish at the CWC Scotland. Sitting behind him in second position
is Jarrad Howse, and rounding off the all-Australian top three is the CWC Scotland winner Adam
Melling.
All three will be present for the last two Cold Water Classic events in Vancouver and Santa Cruz.
Joining them will be the three Gudauskas brothers – Patrick, Tanner and Dane, former World
Tour surfer, Cory Lopez, big wave charger Mark Mathews and the young Hawaiian talent of John
John Florence – promising a scintillating competition ahead.
VISIT www.oneill.com/cwc/canada for more information and to follow the competition.
