SURF’S UP!

There are plenty of good spots in Canada to try your hand at surfing. Here are a few.

TOFINO, B.C. Tofino has become the mecca of surf in Canada, with surf schools, surf shops, and several pro surf competitions, including Rip Curl Pro Tofino this past June, and Queen of the Peak on Oct. 13 and 14. Head to Cox Bay, Wick Beach, or North and South Chestman Beach for the best surf, or for the best spectating.

LAWRENCETOWN, N.S. Only a half hour from Halifax, this a small community that has embraced the surf culture in full force. Pro surfers and even rock musicians, including Matt Mays and Sam Roberts, can be found paddling in full wetsuits, catching breaks at Lawrencetown Beach, or further north at Martinique Beach.

KINCARDINE, ONT. You can catch nice waves all along the Lake Huron shoreline a few times a year. Great beach, too. Oh, and world-class sunsets.

MONTREAL There’s a small pocket in the St. Lawrence River (the Lachine Rapids) where the waters flow just right, allowing folks to surf in one spot for 10 or even 30 minutes at a time. They say the waves can get as high as two metres.

INGONISH BEACH, N.S. Located inside Cape Breton Highlands National Park, Ingonish Beach is a remote and well hidden spot many surfers call their own. The breaks aren’t quite as consistent as Lawrencetown, but during winter, and particularly hurricanes, this area can get crazy quickly.

LAKE ONTARIO There are times when big storms roll in and create some fine waves on the shores of Toronto. Bluffers Park in Scarborough is an occasional hot spot. Salmon Point at Sandbanks Provincial Park, about 200 kilometres east of the city, is also popular. With files from Corbin Fraser and Jim Byers