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Vans Duct Tape Tofino | A Gallery by Timo

Dane Reynolds, The Gudangs, Knosty, Tudor & pals spread temperate rainforest stoke

Canada first shot to fame as a country in 2001 when Trailer Park Boys, the greatest series of all time, debuted on TV.

Prior to that, it was a little-known 10 million square mile expanse at the top of America, home to fugitives on the run from the FBI, denim on denim, and also the place where Americans said they were from, when asked, while travelling overseas during times of their country’s various foreign military campaigns.

Today though, Canada is widely accepted as being awesome, home to beautiful wilderness, charismatic macro fauna, delicious maple syrup and of course, great surf.

So when Vans Duct Tape Invitational announced they were were headed to the Vancouver Island surf spot of Tofino with some of the most interesting wave riders on the planet, like Dane Reynolds, The Gudangs, Joel, Knosty, etc and asked us if we fancied tagging along, we said,

“When bears shit in the woods, does it make a fricken sound?!?”

They said, “Er, mixed metaphors…”

And we said, “Sorry! Yes please!”

Timo promptly made himself a Bryan Adams playlist, packed his camera gear and jumped on the next bus to Biarritz Airport.

Aside from discovering a beautiful, unspoilt island, hanging with grooviest of surf cats of them all, learning about surfcraft, not showering or changing clothes for the entire trip and not winning Vans’ media photo contest due it being rigged*, he also had a chance to check out Vans’ new Ultra Range, which, if you haven’t already, you can do here, right now.

The new Vans UltraRange will be available across Europe from August 1st, 2017.

“Today, Canada is widely accepted as being awesome, home to beautiful wilderness, charismatic macro fauna, delicious maple syrup and of course, great surf”

* May not be true.

Photography and captions by Timo

Dane, seemingly stoked on all the surrounding wilderness, tranquil lakes and just a phenomenally the blue sky.

‘I’m gonna panorama shit outta this beauty of a lake.’

Dane in mad rush to get a few not-so-cold peelers on some Canadian-made 3 fin bonzer.

Dane at the pit stop for a board change from Tudor’s mid-length to something else just as random.

Lip line floater with his own hand shape. Apparently his board has a ton of ‘flaws’, like wonky rails and such, but the word from these guys mouth was that you shouldn’t really worry if your board doesn’t end up just like you envisioned it… It might actually end up being better.

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Local flow

Coast Guard showed up to add some crossed out lines into Cox Bay’s beachie. Another random dude taking advantage of Knost’s log in calm conditions.

Alex Knost and a board that’s way more fun than it might look.

Shapers’ round table discussion. Main theme: why everyone should attack a blank with a planer. Knost said “Powertools aren’t that dangerous, they’re sold for the general public. They won’t necessarily chop your fingers off – just go shape yourself a board or three.”

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Some of the craft on display for anyone keen to get wet to use.

Joel Tudor beach stroll after quite few longish left hand peelers.

Tent city.

Arch that soul.

Dane G and his better half amped to destroy some bumps in the Pacific.

Alex Knost all about the rouge.

Tanner G and his 4’4″ creation, varial pop shove it / backside hack.

My feet are size US 12 and that board is 4’4″.

Dane G craging out there with Knost’s Barry Kanaiaupuni influenced single fin shooter.

Tanner G backside blast.

Local flow take two.

“Powertools aren’t that dangerous, they’re sold for the general public. You probably won’t chop your fingers off – just go shape yourself a board or three.” – Alex Knost