Surfing
Surfing
Get to Know Canadian Surfer Sanoa Olin
Canadian surfer Sanoa Olin is no stranger to the water. She's been shredding waves since she was six years old and is now making her presence known on the global surf scene.
What sport first comes to mind when you think of a Canadian athlete? Hockey? Skiing? Snowboarding? Maybe curling? Canada is synonymous with winter sports of every kind. But what if we told you that one of Canada’s next superstar athletes is a surfer — would you be surprised?
For anyone who knows, has met, or has heard of Sanoa Olin, it comes as absolutely no surprise. If anything, it’s only been a matter of time. The 18-year-old from Tofino, British Columbia has been taking the surfing scene by storm and is continually proving herself competition after competition.
01
Growing up in Canada and getting her start surfing
It can be tough to find the motivation to slip on a wetsuit, paddle out into freezing cold water, and rip the next swell that comes in. Surfing cold water can be much different than surfing warm water, but in a lot of ways it’s always been a part of Sanoa Olin. As one-half of Canada’s well-known surfing sisters, she and her sister, Mathea, were pretty much born in the water.
Sanoa got her hands on her first surfboard at only six years old and quickly followed in the footsteps of her older sister and mother, relishing in the thrill and power of the ocean, no matter the weather conditions. Rain, shine, snow, sleet, or freezing cold temperatures — it didn’t matter.
Sanoa Olin Surfboard Portrait
© Marcus Paladino / Red Bull Content Pool
Rumour has it that the first-ever wave Sanoa rode came after she decided to sneakily follow her sister and mother out past the break. In a scenario that most of us would find terrifying, her natural instinct kicked in as she started to paddle, launched herself up, and rode the wave all the way in. After that, her passion for surfing grew exponentially.
With an incredible ability to shred in the water, Sanoa has consistently found herself at the top of podiums in different surf competitions. As she continues to hone in on her craft, she is making her presence on the WSL Qualifying Series known and represents Canada on the Championship Tour.
02
Gaining attention and earning respect
Many of us were mixing and matching Play-Doh and attempting to colour inside the lines at 10 years old. But passion is passion, and once you find it — no matter the age or what it is— nothing else matters and you become enamoured by everything it has to offer. Sanoa found her passion the moment she stepped on a surfboard and experienced everything the ocean had to offer.
She was inspired by its prowess, power, unpredictability, and being surrounded by the presence of nature in its most natural form. In every way possible, she’s a product of her environment. Sanoa was quick to follow in her sister's wave by competing at Vancouver Island’s Queen of the Peak competition and winning the Princess of the Peak title at age 10.
Sanoa Olin on a perfect right
© Kyler Vos
A few years later, Sanoa competed at the Tofino Rip Curl Pro Nationals, a multi-day surf competition that acts as a stomping ground for Surf Canada to find the next up-and-coming surfer for the National Team. She became the youngest female surfer ever to win the event, putting not only the Canadian surf scene on notice but the whole world.
This achievement not only helped solidify her as a rising star but also underscored and showcased her innate ability to navigate some of the most challenging waves with complete precision and finesse.
03
Sanoa Olin's career milestones to date
At only 18 years old, Sanoa is just getting started. But she’s already been stacking up the accolades and podiums in her pursuit of surfing greatness. Here are some of her most notable career milestones to date:
- 1st Place - Queen of the Peak (2016)
- 1st Place - Rip Curl Pro Open (2017)
- 2nd Place - Queen of the Peak (2019)
- 2nd Place - Rip Curl Pro Open (2022)
- 2nd Place - SLO Cal Open (2023)
- 1st Place - WSL Qualifying Series (2023)
- 2nd Place - Pan American Games (2023)
Sanoa was only the second Canadian female surfer to ever win a Qualifying Series event in the World Surf League. Finishing in 2nd place at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, is an incredible achievement, but with that podium finish Sanoa also secured a provisional qualification to the world’s biggest sporting stage next summer in Paris, France.
She will officially secure her spot at the next Olympic Games after competing at the ISA World Surfing Games in early 2024 in Puerto Rico. Barring anything significant getting in her way, it’s almost guaranteed.
Sanoa Olin Surfing Cold Water
© Marcus Paladino / Red Bull Content Pool
04
What will surfing look like in Paris?
Surfing made its official debut in Tokyo 2020 and is back again in Paris. There weren’t any Canadians that qualified for Tokyo, but things are shaping up a little bit differently this time around. The surfing venue for Paris will take place on the French Polynesian island of Tahiti at the iconic Teahupo’o waves.
The event will include both men’s and women’s shortboard competitions, with shortboards offering the ability for surfers to maneuver in a different way compared to longboards. The result will be more breathtaking tricks, which will up the ante for the competitors and fans alike.
There will be 5 judges who will be looking at the difficulty of the tricks, the variety, and the overall type. On top of those criteria, surfers will also be judged based on their flow, speed, and power.
05
What the future looks like for Sanoa Olin
Sanoa Olin has been making waves of her own for years, but she’s continuing her meteoric rise on the surfing scene and will no doubt continue to rewrite the record books. She’s no longer following in her sister's footsteps, but instead becoming a trailblazer in her own right as she showcases the fearless spirit of a Canadian surfer who is destined for greatness.
With her sights now set on the ISA World Surfing Games in Puerto Rico at the end of February, Sanoa will be looking to officially secure her spot for next summer, where the best athletes from around the world will converge on Paris and look to wave their country’s flag from the top of the podium.
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