The comeback kids are doing stellar here on the wild West Coast of British Columbia, Canada. Just ask Amie Shimizu what it feels like to come off triple surgery ankle injury and win a National Title.
“I did it. That was crazy. I haven’t had a lot of time on surfboards since the injury and I was not feeling a lot of confidence in myself, so it was harder to catch waves and ride it as I felt like I remember my body doing,” said Shimizu after winning the Master Women final of the 2026 Vancouver Island (VI) Longboard Classic at Wickaninnish (Wick) Beach in the Pacific Rim National Park.
“I actually wasn’t going to enter at all. In my mind, I was going in with low expectations of myself. It had been just over two weeks that I’ve been back on my longboard,” said the hard working mom and co-owner of Howler’s Family Restaurant in Ucluelet.
But when she paddled out into tropical-like Canadian waters on June 14 for the finals heat, the stars aligned and the bubbles sprayed.
“Trust your body and really be so clean in your body and mind that you can feel your body. And have high goals,” she encouraged.
“I was told that more than likely that I wouldn’t be able to get back to surfing the same way I did. That really stuck in my mind and I really wanted to prove the surgeons wrong. But I also didn’t want to hurt myself, so I was just kind of going with the flow. We can set our own small goals and try to surpass them,” said Shimizu.
Or ask Emily Ballard what it’s like to return to competitive surfing after a leg break and she’ll gush about seeing butterflies and ladybugs out in the line-up.
“We’re surfing in a National Park. It’s a treasure. It’s incredible. It’s the best place to surf in the world, hands down,” said the Tofino-based longboarder.
Caitlin Young
Ballard narrowly nabbed the VI Longboard Classic Open Women title by a wee 0.33 points.
“So stoked. It was amazing. So much fun. I was in fourth and then all of sudden I bumped into first. I was so happy. I talked to one of the judges and he said a certain move that I did just blew everyone away, so I’m real happy,” she said. “It felt so good to be back in the water. I’ve been out of the water for a while, but I still got it.”
Mackenzie Arndt thought she was in last place throughout her entire Nationals Longboard Women final heat, but then walked out of the ocean a champion.
“It was a really nice surprise. I wasn’t expecting that and a lot girls were surfing really well all weekend,” said Arndt.
“The cool thing about Canadian surfing is that so many of us really want it. I’ve surf travelled a lot, and a lot of other waves are a bit more consistent or a bit better quality, and it’s not like zero degrees in the winter. I think it’s cool how hardy and hardcore Canadian surfers are,” she said.
Caitlin Young
While VI Longboard Surf Classic founder David Schiaffino was second best beside Rusty Goyer in the Open Men and Nationals Men divisions, he cross stepped his way to glory in the Master Men.
“The vibe has just been amazing. I have so much gratitude for everything we have accomplished,” said Schiaffino.
“I surfed six heats today, so I’m destroyed. My arms are toasted. I think that’s like 60 waves, you know, 10 waves a heat,” he grinned.
Nursing a Lucky Lager with his parents after winning the Nationals Men crown and a ticket to World Championships, Goyer said the waves delivered. He rode a 9’8 Joel Tudor Springfield, shaped by the late Hank Byzak, to the top of the podium.
“That’s probably my last time surfing this board. It’s about to have a lot of stress cracks, so I was going to retire it after this competition. That board has really served me well. It helped me win the last two Nationals. Shout out to Mr. Hank Byzak. He’s a legend,” said Goyer.
Then there is Matt Westcott who proved that even when you lose, you can still kind of win. Westcott was eliminated in the first round of the Open Men, but surfed his way to the top of the Last Chance Champ leaderboard. A fan favourite and unique division to the VI Longboard Classic, the Last Chance Champ gives any surfer who loses in Round 1 a second chance to battle for a title without re-entering the main draw.
Related: Sneak Peek: Canada’s First Wave Pool Reveals One of the World’s Most Scenic Surf Parks