The Skookumchuck Tidal Rapids, near the tiny town of Egmont a few-hours drive north of Vancouver, is one wild place. Once a month or so, the tides get high enough, and move fast enough, to send seawater plummeting over a giant rock ledge, forming one of the most famous standing waves on the planet.
I’ve ridden almost every type of watercraft imaginable out there, from a kayak to a surfboard and even a SUP. The subtle beauty that surrounds you when riding this wave is almost over the top. It’s easy to find that beauty in the three-mile hike in from the parking lot, carrying your kit through the dense British Columbia rain forest. Things can seem a lot less subtle when you take a boat down to the rapids, with the waters in the narrow inlet moving in all directions with the powerful tide changes.
The rapids form slowly as the tide begins to rise, and the speed of the water picks up. The one tool I haven’t seen used at Skookumchuck is a foil. That all changed recently when a group of foil surfers invaded the wave using a Jet Ski to tow onto the face.
Surfing the smooth wave is one thing, a study in pure bliss really. And these four surfers were able to actually ride the bump even before the actual wave formed. That main wave can get rather steep and I’m sure even more challenging on a foil. But the bliss of the wave can turn into a nightmare if you end up “on tour” in the rapids below, the current carrying you hundreds of yards down inlet. Head-high waves pummel you as you reach for your leash to find your board and help bring you to the surface, all the while whirlpools wait to drag you to the depths. I’ve seen more than a few scary swims at the place.
Brian Grubb, Matt Elsasser, and Isaac Levinson had what looked like an absolutely insane session at the place. And got to experience the gnarliness. “Foiling waters moving at these speeds was a challenge, the turbulence felt like riding a jackhammer,” Matt told us. “But every so often, a big sheet of clean water would float through, and you could lay into some smooth turns. The speed coming out of each turn was an unreal feeling. The whirlpools behind the wave were like nothing I had ever seen before. You could fit a car into some of them. Brian got sucked into one and looked like he had seen a ghost when he popped up. We took every safety precaution possible. It’s no joke out there!”
Indeed. Look for an upcoming film on the mission from Myles Cameron.
