Skookumchuck Narrows is one of the most randomly-beautiful places on Earth. Just down channel from the tiny sea town of Egmont in British Columbia, getting to Skookumchuck (the native word for heavy water) requires a ferry from Vancouver, then an hour car ride up into a random arm of the Northwest Passage. That’s before a three-mile hike to get to the Narrows, where tidal flow pours over a rock shelf to form a joyful place for surfers of all craft.
That’s the adventure that professional ocean athlete Anthony Vela found himself on in May. And it was worth every hard-earned step to see–and surf–one of North America’s greatest tidal rapids. Vela is used to a little adversity: a former L.A. County lifeguard and national champion in lifeguard racing disciplines, he knows how to suffer for results. Now a paddling coach and event producer, Vela takes us on tour as he tries to figure out a wave that combines currents and tides in a completely unfamiliar way.
Presented by Chacos
