The first thing that comes to mind when you think about surfing is the huge Pacific swells and the Hawaii 5-0 theme. Maybe California, South America or Australia. But Central Canada? Surfing in the land of hockey heroes on frozen lakes? Well, cast your stereotypes and misgivings aside, my friends. Surfing is alive and well in Canada, as is Stand-Up Paddleboarding (SUP), an emerging sport with a growing following in the Great White North. Located on Georgian Bay in Wasaga Beach, Ontario, Blu Wave designs and manufactures quality boards in shapes that provide optimal paddling in a variety of conditions that are commonly found in Canada. It was founded in 2010 by avid traveler, paddler and surfer, Aaron Pilon. Pilon discovered stand-up paddleboarding on a trip to a surf town on the Pacific Coast of Mexico. He figured that a combination of his two favourite sports — surfing and kayaking — would be a hit in the lake-rich cottage countries across Canada. This abundance of lakes and a cottage culture provide the perfect canvas for a number of different surf-related activities. For example, the Blu Wave website explains that the smaller cottage country lakes of Ontario offer a great venue for flat water paddling, a zen-like activity that offers a tremendous fitness benefit. And with a favourable wind direction and intensity, and the Great Lakes can provide some pretty sweet waves and a unique and exciting surfing experience in Canada. Spotlight on Business Magazine spoke with founder and owner Aaron Pilon about SUP around the world and Blu Wave’s support for the exciting and very accessible sport.
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SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • APRIL 2018
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