A wave of competitive energy cascaded across Tofino’s backdoor over the weekend as the Rip Curl Nationals barrelled into Cox Bay.
Supporters and fans filled the sand to cheer on the country’s top surfing stars from May 9-11 with hometown legends basking in the stoke alongside budding groms as divisions ranged from Under-14 to 40+.
“It’s at home and all of the kids and surfers around Tofino all come together for this one event…It showcases all of the young talent who often can’t go compete internationally. They get to show how good they are here and also some of the older competitors get to show how good they still are,” Ocea Green told the Westerly News after taking the Under-16 Girls Division’s top crown.
“The surf scene in Tofino for the younger generation is getting way better. It’s crazy seeing all of these young kids. They’re all so good and they’re all surfing together so they’re all pushing each other to do better. I think that’s really important because it pushes the older kids to stay on their game and keep getting better because they see these little kids coming up behind them getting better and better. It heightens the level everywhere, across all generations.”
Green crushed the waves to score 17 in the U16 division’s final heat, besting Camille Cortazzo, 11.04, Teagan Sandvig, 10.07, and Jade Rosene, 5.67.
“For me, it’s not about beating the other surfers, it’s about surfing my best. In each heat, I just want everyone to be able to catch a few waves where they surf their best. I feel like the heat will go how it’s meant to go, but as long as I catch a few waves where I surf good, then I’m happy.”
She added she was excited to just be able to compete in the event after suffering a concussion about two weeks prior.
“I was really happy because I feel like I’ve put in a lot of work this past year and then I got the concussion and I was really bummed. I thought I wouldn’t be able to compete, but then I competed and that made me really happy,” she said.
Green, 16, has been surfing in Tofino since she was around 7 years old, but began really getting into it during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
“During lockdown, I wasn’t in school or anything and I just started surfing every single day. It was one of my favourite things to do just because every day was different and every day I learned something and I loved it,” she said. “I think I love it the most because everyday you paddle out, it’s different.”
Green also won the Under-18 Girls Division and finished second to Mathea Demphle-Olin in the Open Womens Division finals.
Demphle-Olin agreed with Green about the future of West Coast surfing shining bright.
“Each generation just gets better and better, so it’s always really exciting to see the next generation just pushing the limits,” she said, adding she loves competing in Tofino.
“It’s my home, so I love surfing here. The waves aren’t the best, but you can find little gems everytime you go out. It’s a challenge, but it’s lots of fun.”
Tanner Sandvig, who travelled to Tofino from San Clemente, California took the Under-16 Boys Division’s top spot with a score of 13.63, narrowly eking out Samuel Weber’s 13.37.
“It feels really good. I finally got it this time. The competition is pretty hard. There’s a lot of good surfers here,” he said, adding he loves making the trip out. “Tofino is an amazing place. It’s super beautiful here and the waves are really fun.”
Shea Bruhwiler took home the Under-18 Boys Division crown. Meanwhile, Shannon Campbell Brown, head coach of Canada’s National Surfing Team and was stoked to score his first ever Canadian national title, winning the 40+ Men’s Division .
“The top dogs around here are so good it’s really hard to get a win. I don’t feel bad about losing to those guys, but I just feel so happy to get a win,” he said.
“I’ve been coaching for over a decade here and all the kids that I coach are on the beach, so it’s nice to show them that I can do it a little bit.”
He added competing in the annual event is a blast with top talent travelling from across the country and beyond to go toe to toe.
“It’s just so fun to catch up with your friends, surf together, put the jerseys on and go out and get elbow to elbow and fight for a little bit, then get back on the beach, high-five and have a beer. It’s beautiful.”
