Wavegarden has a new project in the works near Vancouver, B.C. Image: Tiger Development
Canada has a surprisingly big surf scene, and it’s going to get a little easier for surfers to find waves. A new Wavegarden pool is in the works in the Sea to Sky Corridor, a beautiful stretch that connects from North Vancouver to Pemberton.
The area is already world famous for some of the best skiing and mountain biking in the world, but until now, surfers in Vancouver have generally taken a ferry or a flight over to Vancouver Island, where Tofino and some of the island’s southern breaks provide quality surf.
“You’ve got the best skiing in the world, you’ve got the best snowboarding, the best mountain biking, rock climbing — the only thing missing is surfing,” said Tony Petricevic with Tiger Development Corporation. “We had the land to do it, the technology’s gotten good enough, and it allowed us to create a unique project.”
Tiger Development has partnered with Wavegarden to build the pool. It’s just one of many projects the Spanish wave maker has in the works. With pools in Brazil, the Coachella Valley, and across five continents, Wavegarden is enjoying the booming popularity of an industy it is largely responsible for.
The Sea to Sky corridor has some of the best views on the planet. Image: Tiger Development
“So a Wavegarden park is probably the most authentic surfing experience you can have outside of the ocean,” said Sean Young, Wavegarden’s head of development projects. “We’re talking about a six-acre lagoon creating perfect waves. Small, tiny, open-face waves for beginners to learn, right on through to six-, seven-foot barreling waves for experts.”
The new pool will be located at Britannia Beach, a stunningly pretty coastal community on Howe Sound.
“I visited probably 50 different sites over the last 10 years for potential Wavegarden projects,” said Young, “and it is truly one of the most spectacular and beautiful sites. We’re excited about the opportunity to bring an authentic surfing experience to such a beautiful location right next to the ocean, and benefit from both the Vancouver audience, but potentially from the Whistler audience as well, and operate something all year round where you can surf and ski in the same day.”
Construction of the pool itself is slated to begin next spring, with plans to expand into residential areas as well as commercial.
“The fact that it’s the central feature of a much larger development in a new community with a thousand new homes and hotel and town center development,” said Young, “we just felt the fit was absolutely right for us.”
