By Jen Dart

It looks like there will be unseasonably warm temperatures in many places in Canada this season, but Tofino is definitely one of the best places to experience a green Christmas. While it has been known to snow here at this time of year, the chances this year are looking quite slim. You’re more likely to enjoy a little wind, maybe some rain, and definitely some beautiful beach walks.

You’ll also enjoy getting away from all the hustle and bustle to focus on times with loved ones.

Leading up to the Christmas season, the community of Tofino hosts a number of fun, festive events. Christmas craft fairs and bazaars as well as some fundraising events help us all get in the spirit of the season.

The Pacific Rim Hospice Society Radioathon took place Dec. 9th. Over $10,000 was raised for this valuable west coast organization that provides much-needed end-of-life care and assistance. If there is a loved one you’re missing during this holiday season, visit Hospice’s Remembrance Tree at the Tofino Post Office and place a tag with their name on it.

Each year, the local Food Bank on the Edge organizes a Christmas hamper program for families in need in our west coast communities. The estimated cost of the program is between $7,000 and $8,000, and it is roughly $75 to sponsor a family (if you wish to donate please send a cheque to: Food Bank on the Edge, Christmas Hamper Program, Box 1146, Ucluelet, BC V0R 3A0).

The food bank also teams up with ReMax Mid-Island Realty’s Christmas Angel Program and the BC Liquor’s Christmas Bear program to provide children’s toys along with the hampers. Simply purchase a bear at the Liquor Store (with each bear purchased, one will be donated), and contact ReMax for information on how to get a toy to a west coast child.

For your own celebration, many local restaurants will be open during the holidays (check with them and it’s a good idea to make reservations at this time of year). If you prefer to do the cooking yourself, check this month’s issue of Tofino Time magazine for Tofino chefs’ own picks for holiday feasts. Most Tofino restaurants will also be offering New Years Eve special menus (reservations definitely recommended!).

A Christmas or Boxing Day surf or hike might in order to work off all the eating and drinking. Many surf schools are offering lessons throughout the holidays.

For hikes be sure to check the tide guide before heading out as conditions can change quickly. Low tide is always the best way to avoid potentially dangerous – and wet – conditions. Rolling logs are a danger at high tide, and there may not even be a beach to walk on!

However you spend your days, the Christmas season in Tofino will be well accented by finishing the day cozily in front of the fireplace in your condo overlooking Tofino harbour.

Happy Holidays from the Shore!

Photo: Roland Tanglao

Tags: The Pacific Rim Hospice Society, The Shore Tofino, Tofino Activities, Tofino Christmas
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By Jennifer Dart

In 2009 town council named Tofino the “Surfing Capital of Canada,” after it hosted the first ever Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) event on Canadian soil. But in the minds of many Canadians, this area held that distinction long before the O’Neill Cold Water Classic came to town.

Not only is Tofino one of the only consistent and accessible surf spots on the west coast, it is truly a beginner’s dream because of the sandy bottomed beach break conditions at local beaches.

Because of these conditions, and a surge in interest in the sport over the past decade or so, five local surf schools have sprung up to cater to the droves of visitors looking to learn to surf. The schools offer safety training as well as surfing instruction so beginners are equipped to continue on with the sport after their initial lesson. The first part of the lesson is conducted on the beach, followed by further instruction-while-doing in shallow water where waves are breaking.

Something everyone taking a surf lesson should learn – and instructors will teach you – is surf etiquette in the water. The basic rules are: the surfer closest to the “peak” (the point where the wave is breaking) has the right of way; do not “snake” or drop in on anyone already riding the wave; when paddling out aim away for the whitewash or away from others surfers; and never lose control of your surfboard.

Not surprisingly, most people take lessons during the summer when Tofino’s visitation is at its highest. It’s an ideal time to learn, as swell is typically smallest during the summer months.

Winter surfing presents challenges best left to more experienced surfers. From November to February, wave heights often reach 15 ft. (4.5 metres) and higher, and this means to keep yourself safe you have to be easily able to paddle harder and do more duck dives. Bigger waves also mean bigger “drops” than in smaller swell. At this time of year, etiquette becomes even more important to keep all surfers safe in the water.

Local surfers (if they haven’t left town for a sunnier surf spot) wait for these big swell windows when not only are the waves bigger, but there are fewer people in the water competing for them.

Although it’s colder outside this time of year, the water temperature off Tofino normally doesn’t fluctuate more than 10 degrees all year long, so a good wetsuit is all you need. That and a soaker tub in your Shore condo for after your session!

Visit Tofino Time for a list of surf schools and rental outlets in Tofino.

Title image credit: Pat Ong

Body image credit: Jennifer Stoddart

Tags: O'Neill Cold Water Classic, Surfing, surfing lessons, The Shore, Tofino, Tofino Activities, Tofino beaches, Tofino surf schools, Tofino surfing
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