The Surf Art Project which is taking place at Camp Brunswick in East Chezzetcook from July 23-31.

Ten teenagers from the Eastern Shore are getting a crash course in all things surfing during a nine-day youth camp which is taking place at Camp Brunswick in East Chezzetcook.

The camp, called the Surf Art Project, is being supported by local surf artists and surfers, who are mentoring teens ages 14 to 19 as they learn to shape and sand their own boards, design the art which will decorate their board, and learn to surf.

Led by expert shaper Brent Seamone, local surfer/educator Juel Maerz and HRM Recreation instructor Jenny Thornhill, the program was designed by the Nova Scotia Sea School, an organization devoted to promoting Maritime seafaring traditions and values to young people.

Now in its second year, the goal of the Surf Art Project is to provide youth with a life-changing opportunity to work as a team and push their personal limits as they build something beautiful and functional with their own hands.

Another goal is to inspire community development while focusing on creative art and recreation.

With the generous support of The 4Cs Community Arts Foundation and local partner HRM Recreation, the program utilizes the talents of local surf culture including the Quiksilver Surfschool, One Life Surf School, Burnside Fiberglass Marine Supply, Fist Fulla Fives, the Surfing Association of Nova Scotia (SANS) and numerous volunteer artists, shapers, surfers and youth alumni from the 2009 program.

“This is an amazing opportunity for participants. They not only get to build their own surfboard, but they are building great memories and relationships that will last a lifetime!” said Doug Murphy, Community Recreation Coordinator for HRM.

“They say Nova Scotia is Canada’s Atlantic Playground, and this program introduces the ocean as a whole new place for youth to play, right in their own backyards!”

This year, the Nova Scotia Sea School and its partners have incorporated new creative elements into the program including video/photo documentation, zines, and surfboard art.

Surf art by Daina Deblette Scarola

The closing reception of Beaches and Blossoms art exhibition takes place this Saturday, July 24 from 6-8 p.m. at the Seaforth Community Hall, 6060 Highway 207, Seaforth, Nova Scotia.

The exhibition, part of the the Seaforth Local Art Series, features artworks by Daina Deblette Scarola, who will be present at the reception. Original artwork, Giclee prints and art cards will be available for sale.

The event is public event and children are welcome.

Kitesurfing at Conrad's Beach, Nova Scotia.

Summer rolls by and the (Fl)atlantic has few quality bumps far between. We go a little crazy. Our grades get better. We’re never late for work. Some of us become functioning alcoholics. Those lucky enough to score a bump have to compete tooth and nail with the summer surfers.

Don’t we all love summer surfers?

You know how I’m talking about. We’ve all seen them piling five guys into a car, rocking up with surf-techs, wearing ridiculous board shorts on-top of their wetsuits.

And let’s not forget about them in the line-up. (What line-up?) They scratch around, get in our way, bump into each other. Thank God for all the surf schools pumping these morons out. Thank you surf brands. Thank you Hollywood. Good bye etiquette, hello stink eye.

Winter purges the water of all those who didn’t belong there in the first place. In the meantime, I suggest you switch gears.

Something funny happens at 2 p.m. on a hot summer day in Nova Scotia. The wind actually turns on. It can go from dead-calm to 12-14 knots in five minutes. You don’t have to be a good forecaster, or lucky. You just have to be at the beach at 2 p.m. and you will score perfect wind conditions. It’s not rocket appliances…frig (thanks Ricky).

You might have seen the kiteboarders at Conrad’s Beach. We have fun. That’s what this is all about right? Fun? If anyone tells you NS isn’t good for kiteboarding, agree with them. It isn’t good, it’s perfect. To compare, it’s like having a perfect 6-foot, 12-second wave every day in your back yard. Well, almost.

The neat thing about kiting is that crowds don’t matter, age doesn’t matter (oldest kiter in NS is 66), strength doesn’t matter. It reminds me a bit of what lures people to surf. Anybody can show up with all their gear, get out and be on the water for two hours and feel like a rockstar.

There’s a catch. This sh*t ain’t cheap. You need about 1,500 clams to get into kiting. Then you need lessons. (Yes, you definitely need lessons.) And then you have general danger associated with being strapped to a 14m kite. Go and YouTube ‘kite accident’.

Need some motivation? Check out the pics below. You’d be crying if you showed up to the beach today without a kite. None of use are very good. All of us are super-stoked (66-year-old and all).

Getting started:

• Lessons: MyKiteBeach.ca
• Gear: Ocean Rodeo is a Canadian kiteboard company that makes arguably the best kites out there.
• You want a 14m kite if you weigh over 150lbs
• You want a nice big board. The ocean rodeo mako 150 is ideal.

Created by four Nova Scotian surfers, the CSFF will be a celebration of surf films and Canadian surf culture. The three-day event will include screenings, presentations and receptions.

“When I hear about a surf film screening in town, I get excited,” says Keith Maddison, CSFF co-founder. “Everyone shows up and is stoked to be there. So we wanted to create an event around surf films in our community.”

Renown surf photographer and filmmaker Yassine Ouhilal is also a co-founder of the festival.

“Surfing in Nova Scotia has been around here since the Sixties and with the CSFF, we will honor that heritage by showcasing classic films as well as exciting new releases,” says Ouhilal.

Included in the CSFF will be a competition for Canadians to create short 10-minute surf films with the best ones premiering at the festival.

“We want the community to be involved,” says Walter Forsyth, another CSFF founder, “and what better way to participate than to make a film.”

Deadline for submissions is September 3. For complete details, check out the recently-launched CSFF website.

The Canadian Surf Film Festival is also partnering with the Surfing Association of Nova Scotia (SANS) and the Coastal Access Committee to help raise awareness of their efforts.

“We would like to see the local surf culture to continue evolving in positive ways and we think an annual festival can contribute to this,” says Maddison. “Plus, if the ocean is flat, it’s the next best thing.”

In addition to festival details, the CSFF website includes a forum for surfers and surf culture enthusiasts to discuss surf films and culture and to promote their own surf art. It will be updated frequently in the coming months.

For more information, sponsorship, volunteer or competition details please email: info@canadiansurffilmfestival.com

No aggro, no drama, only good karma.

The first ever “Why Can’t We All Just Get A Longboard” Contest will take place on Saturday, August 21, 2010 at Martinique Beach.

The contest is being presented by Happy Dudes Surf Emporium and the Surfing Association of Nova Scotia (SANS) and sponsored by Quicksilver/Roxy.

The contest will feature men’s and women’s divisions and possibly a masters’ division. Those who would like to participate can sign up at Martinique Beach at 9 a.m. on the day of the contest. Cost to enter is $20.

Following the contest, there will be a barbecue at the Happy Dudes Martinique location.

Topics on the meeting agenda include the annual budget, contests, membership, special events, and coastal access.

New board members will also be elected during the meeting. If you are interested in joining the SANS Board of Directors, please contact Amy Schwartz: amylaraschwartz@gmail.com.

Immediately following the meeting, SANS will be screening the classic surf movie North Shore.

All current and future SANS members are welcome to attend the AGM and the movie screening.

If there is no surf, the contest will remain on hold until the next weekend in September with decent waves.

Divisions will include: Junior Men, Junior Women, Women’s Open, Men’s Open and Open Pro. Registration will take place between July 17 and August 14, and will close once the cap of total contestants (80 amateur, 20 pro) has been reached, so be sure to sign-up early.

Surfers who would like to participate can register at the following Nova Scotia surf shops: Dacane Surf Shop, Entity Boardshop, If Only Surf Shop, Kannon Beach Surf Shop and Rossignol Surf Shop.

Each sign up location will have limited number of sign up forms. The heats will be posted online once registration is complete.

More information about the contest will follow in the coming weeks.

“We expect to see a lot of people from past summers. They’ve been waiting all year to get back out and ride the waves. They will be bringing family members and friends to share their excitement and love of the activity,” says head surf instructor Michelle Richards.

The surf program has grown immensely every year since it’s start in 2002. This year will be no exception. With the increase popularity of Point Michaud beach the Richmond County Council past the motion to have life guard service in place for the summer; $15,000 has been funded to build a lifeguard station and operated this lifeguard service.

There will now be designated surf and swim zones. Point Michaud has 3km of usable beach for surfing and swimming. The majority of the people enter the water in front of the parking lot area. Only this area will be sectioned and designating accordingly.

“This will be a good thing,” says Richards. “We really don’t want swimmers getting run over and hit by the surfboards. The boards have large fins on the bottom, which people forget about. Surfboards also have up to 20 feet of reach from the surfer when control is lost.

“Swimmers can now go in the safer swim zone if they choose to be supervised by a trained lifeguard. They also have the option of the remaining long section of sand beach.”

The lifeguards for oceans need more training then other lifeguards. The county has hired three lifeguards, whom have been on duty since July 1. This date also coincided with the start of the surf program.

For anyone wishing to participate in the surf program offered, lessons are 1.5 hours and include a wetsuit, board and surf instructor. The registration fee is $35 for each person. Alternatively, individuals can sign up for a package of four lessons at $100.

For those just looking for surf gear they can rent a wetsuit and surfboard for $15 an hour or one of these items at $10 per hour.

The Department of Natural Resources constructed a 12 x 20 wood platform in addition to the Life Guard Station for this summer. The platform is located at the end of the parking lot beside the boardwalk, showers and change rooms. This is where all surf registrations will be received.

It is advised to call the Surf Report line (902) 227-1230 before driving to the beach. Classes will run everyday from July 1 to August 31 but are cancelled on days of extreme wind, lightning and/or heavy rain. .

“If the message says tell your boss you need the day off because you have surf fever, that means the surf is pumping and you better get to the beach,” says Richards.

Joining Richards this year will be returning surf instructors Matt O’brien and Christopher Oake. Also helping in the surf tent will be Nicole Boudreau.

The program has lowered it’s age to anyone five years of age or older.

“I’ve really master the technique for getting small children to ride waves,” says Richards. “I ride on the back of the board with them. If they are progressing then I let go of the board once they are balanced. I’m close by if they do fall and will scoop them up quickly to place them back on the board.”

Point Michaud is one of the best spots to learn how to surf in Nova Scotia. Because of the shallow sandy bottom that rolls with sandbar after sand bar it produces mellow waves and provides ideal and consistent waves for everyone.

Michelle Richards is a professional surf instructor. In addition to running the surf program for eight summers at Point Michaud with the Richmond County Recreation Department, she has been surf instructing in Sayulita, Mexico during the winter season for the past four years.

“I am fortunate to guide a lot of surf trips when in Mexico. I take people to unique beautiful places to learn how to surf. Many places we travel to by boat, as you can not drive right to them.”

Richards was a big winner in Sayulita this year winning the local Sayulita Surf Contest in women’s longboard. She also placed third in a Pro Event hosted by Punta Sayulita.

“Those contests were exciting. It was a great way to end my season in Mexico before returning home. The large trophy was a bit tricky to pack.”

Point Michaud will also host a surf contest the last weekend of August. The two-day event will be the 7th Annual Point Michaud Surf Classic for 2010. It is a fun event that encourages everyone to participate.

Divisions are offered in everything from skim, body and surf boarding to kayak and body surfing. Saturday night the rock band Double Overhead will entertain with a rock show.

“We are happy that Double Overhead will be performing for their third time at the surf classic. They truly do rock,” says Richards.

The band is quickly becoming one of the most popular bands of Richmond and Inverness County on Cape Breton Island.

Band vocalist and guitar player John Kennedy is one of the original surfers of Point Michaud and still loves to hit the beach for some waves. You can find a photo of him and his family surfing online at  in the Cape Breton’s Heritage Coast Visitor’s Guide. The Guide has lots of other activities and events happening in the area.

“We have been very fortunate to have the Richmond County Department of Recreation, Tourism and Culture support the Summer Surf Program at Point Michaud Beach. We now have many surf enthusiast in the area because of it,” says Richards. “See you at the beach.”

CAC member Sean Kelly taunts a pile of trash collected during the 2009 Cow Bay Clean-up.

The annual Cow Bay Spring Clean Up organized by the Coastal Access Committee (CAC) will take place this Sunday (July 4, 2010) in Cow Bay.

During the clean up efforts, the volunteer who collects the most amount of garbage by weight will win a new pair of running shoes from Aerobics First.

In addition to the clean up, the Nova Scotia Lifeguard Service will be hosting a 6km Fun Run, Walk or Wheel. The event will begin at 9:30 a.m. at Rainbow Haven Provincial Park.

Registration for the run is $5 until July 1 at the following surf and run shops: Dacane Surf Shop, Kannon Beach Wind & Surf, Aerobics First and Mountain Equipment Co-Op. Registration on race day is $10.

All proceeds from the run will be donated to the Coastal Access Committee to establish boardwalks at the proposed new park near the Minutes and Backyards surf breaks.

The Coastal Access Committee will also be selling engraved boards on the proposed boardwalk for $100 each. Donors will have their names, names of loved ones, or that of a business engraved on the right-hand side of boards on the boardwalk.

For more details on the event, click here.

Photo by Doug Colson

Worship on Waves (WOW) is an annual surf event for youth ages 11 to 18 held at Lake Echo Fellowship Baptist Church (LEFBC) in Mineville and Martinique Beach, Nova Scotia. This year the teen event will be held on August 20-21.

Event rundown

It all starts Friday night at LEFBC with surf theory; the teens learn about the ocean, waves, wind, surf gear and safety. The teens then watch a surf movie before heading to bed at the church.

Saturday morning comes quick at 7 a.m. with a big breakfast to start the day off and more surf talk before heading to the beach. The day is spent at the beach, starting off with learning how to catch a wave and pop ups.

Instructors take the teens out into the surf and guide them into catching a wave. After they have caught a few waves on their own successfully and are confident, they have the rest of the day to practice.

Everyone is called out of the water for lunch on the beach to take break and refuel. Most continue to surf in the afternoon while some chill on the beach for the remainder of the afternoon.

Late afternoon everyone is called out of the water to pack and everyone loads up and heads back to the church for pick up. There is a $45 fee for the weekend which covers rental fees (board and wetsuit) lodging, meals and transportation to the beach and back.

Anyone can participate in the camp; you don’t have to attend church to be able to attend.

The starting of something new

It was the beginning of something new in 2005 when the first Worship on Waves retreat was held. Not only was it something new for a church to be involved with but was something new for the surf community as well.

It began as a weekend for teens to learn to surf with friends in a safe way and now has become a weekend many teens look forward to year after year. Some come back to get coaching tips, others come to enjoy being in the water with friends who are learning to surf for the first time.

Like any new thing WOW had a small beginning with only three teens coming out to learn to surf at Lawrencetown Beach the first year. But as the sport has grown in interest and participants pass on the news about the WOW retreat, the retreat has doubled each year; last August 23 attended.

Colin and Craig Colson, 14 and 16, have attended WOW retreat for four years now and learned to surf at their first retreat in 2006. Each time they have returned, they have shown strides of improvement and continue to bring more friends with them each year.

“My favorite part is surfing with my friends and being out in the water and learning about God,” said Colin Colson.

Other events

The driving force behind the Worship on Waves (WOW) camp is Lawrencetown surfer Bridget Turner. In addition to her efforts with WOW, Turner is helping establish the first Canadian chapter of the Christian Surfers organization here in Nova Scotia.

Christian Surfers is an organization that was started in California in 1984 and has since been established in 18 other countries. WOW is essentially one of the first events of the new Canadian chapter.

Christian Surfers also puts on a “Kids Learn to Surf Day” at Martinique Beach for elementary school ages, which takes place on July 10. There is also a “Ladies Surf Retreat” on July 23-24 in Lawrencetown for all ages.

If you want more information on these events email worshiponwaves@hotmail.com.

Photo by Doug Colson