The Sea to Sky corridor connecting Vancouver to Whistler is paradise for outdoor adventurers, and it’s about to get another facility for thrill seekers: Canada’s first surf park. “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.” The local developer is partnering with Wavegarden, a company based in Spain that’s become a world leader in surf parks. “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 company has built 13 surf parks in Europe, Australia, and the U.S., with 10 more currently under construction. It’s been eyeing the Britannia Beach location for years for its first Canadian venture. “I visited probably 50 different sites over the last ten years for potential Wavegarden projects, and it is truly one of the most spectacular and beautiful sites,” said Young. “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,” Young said. While the main customer base would be locals, it’s hoped Wavegarden would be a draw for tourists as well. “Our first facility that opened in the U.K. and then in Australia, people were flying in from other countries around Europe and in Asia to go and visit the surf park,” said Young. “We expect that it will be capturing that crossover market of people who ski and snowboard and mountain biking. They want to surf as well,” added Petricevic. Construction on the Wave Garden surf park just south of the Britannia Mine Museum will begin next spring, with a residential and commercial component planned for later. “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 centre development, we just felt the fit was absolutely right for us,” said Young. Wavegarden at Britannia South is scheduled to open in 2029. “We are excited, it’s been a long time coming,” said Petricevic. “It’s all becoming very real, and I can’t wait to get on site and turn it into a reality.”
