We are also working on a new membership strategy to improve how we recruit, maintain and communicate with SANS members. We’d like to hear from past, current and prospective members of SANS about their experiences with the organization to help guide this process. The survey should take no more than 5 minutes of your time to complete.

Your participation in this survey is ANONYMOUS, but there is an opportunity for you to provide your contact information at the end of the survey. This information will only be viewed by SANS Board Members and will not be shared with a third party.

To participate in the survey, please click here.

The province’s Department of Health Promotion and Protection (HPP) has deemed the Surfing Association of Nova Scotia (SANS) eligible for government funding.

The decision was based on an application submitted by SANS under the HPP’s Recreation and Physical Activity grant program.

Having been deemed eligible, SANS will now apply for actual funding. If successful, SANS will receive core funding over the next four years.

Once allotted, funding will be used by SANS to fulfill goals outlined in its strategic plan. The goals include helping build the province’s surf community, supporting recreational and amateur surfing and promoting coastal protection.

“Basically what this funding would allow us to do is put the rad back in radical,” said SANS Co-President Graham Bondt.

With the eligibility decision, SANS has passed the most difficult phase of a long, complex application process that began more than two years ago.

In addition to HPP, SANS has been approved for full membership in Sport Nova Scotia, a non-profit association comprised of provincial sport governing bodies.

As a member of Sport Nova Scotia, SANS will have access to support services, such as fund-raising, planing and marketing expertise, which it can drawn on to help achieve its strategic goals.

Over the next few weeks, SANS will be surveying its members to determine their experience with the association and what benefits they would like the association to provide.

To participate in the survey, please click here.

Team Canada’s three surfers were in the water today at the 2010 Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship in Auckland, New Zealand.

The surfers include Nomme and Diego Mignot, who are competing in the under-16 category. Both boys live in Mexico and hold Canadian passports.

The third surfer is 16-year-old Jacob Albury of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, who is competing in the under-18 category.

Canadian Surfing Association (CSA) President John Fluke is currently in New Zealand with the team and sent back this report:

“Yesterday was the first day of the competition and the conditions have changed from sweet waves to a wind-blown mess.

Our boys in the 16 and under (Nomme and Diego Mignot) put in a strong showing but did not advance into the second round. They will be surfing in the repercharge this afternoon.

Jacob Albury drew two of the best surfers in the world in his heat – Conner Coffin (USA) and Dane Staples of (South Africa). But this did not stop him from putting in a strong showing. Jacob will be surfing today in the boys under 18 repercharge.

I would like to take this opportunity to let everyone know that the level of surfing Team Canada has shown has been the best in all the years I have been coming to these events as Canadian President.

That’s all from New Zealand.”

Nomme Mignot

Nomme Mignot and his cousin Diego Mignot will be representing Canada in the under-16 division at the 2010 Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship in Auckland, New Zealand (January 20-28).

The two surfers currently live in Mexico but hold Canadian passports. Both surfers regularly compete in Mexico and are nationally ranked.

Canadian Surfing Association (CSA) President John Fluke announced on Thursday that Nomme and Diego would be joining Team Canada. Last week, it was believed that Nomme would be representing Mexico.

Sixteen-year-old Jacob Albury of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia is the third member of the team. Albury, who was born in Ontario and has lived in the Bahamas and Nova Scotia, is in Grade 11 at Park View Education Centre in Bridgewater.

Albury took first place in the open boys division at the Shut up and Surf Classic contest in October at Cow Bay, Nova Scotia.

He will compete in the under-18 division at the World Juniors.

See more photos of Jacob at the end of the interview.

Sixteen-year-old Jacob Albury of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia will be representing Team Canada at the 2010 Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship, which takes place January 20-28 in Auckland, New Zealand.

Albury, who is in Grade 11 at Park View Education Centre in Bridgewater, took first place in the open boys division at the Shut up and Surf Classic contest in October at Cow Bay, Nova Scotia.

ScotiaSurfer.com interviewed Albury through email this past weekend.

ScotiaSufer.com (SS): Tell us a little about your background.

Jacob Albury (JA): I grew up in Abaco, Bahamas but moved to Nova Scotia when I was 10, then moved back to Bahamas at 13, then back to Nova Scotia this summer. I get back to the Bahamas two, three times a year. Surfing in the Bahamas is definitely more convenient not having to change into wetsuits.

SS: How long have you been surfing for?

JA: I’ve been surfing honestly longer then I can remember. Anywhere between seven and nine years is my guess.

SS: Does anyone else in your family surf?

JA: My dad is an avid surfer who competed all over the world and helped found the Bahamas Surf Association and was president for quite some time. He has supported my surfing ever since I first started and always tried his best to make sure I was on the right boards and got to contests in the States, even if it wasn’t financially sound because it’s something he always wanted but never had as a kid.

SS: Where have you competed?

JA: I’ve competed in Bahamas, Nova Scotia, Florida and Virginia Beach. I qualified for NSSA Nationals in California but was unable to attend due to a variety of circumstances, mainly financial. I competed mainly in ESA and NSSA contests in Brevard County (Sebastien Inlet area, Central Florida) and the competition was always really tough.

Editor’s Note: The National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA) is the highest profile amateur competitive surfing association in the United States. The Eastern Surfing Association (ESA) is the largest amateur surfing association in the world.

It always felt good to do well in contests at a place synonymous with breeding talented surfers (Slater, Hobgoods, Kechele, etcetera). Competing at Sebastien Inlet was always an experience as I got to watch and compete against the best surfers on the East Coast which helped my surfing and put a lot of pressure on me to perform when I got home.

SS: How do you feel about competing in the ISA Word Junior Surfing Championship, and what does it mean to represent Canada?

JA: Competing in the World Juniors is a huge honour for me, and something I’ve always wanted to do. Representing Canada in an ISA event is something I never expected to happen; I always imagined representing the Bahamas. But after experiencing more of the surf scene up here, it’s something I’m proud to do. As Peter Devries showed a couple months ago, Canada is on the rise as a top surfing nation.

SS: What category will you be competing in at the World Juniors? Do you know anyone you will be competing against?

JA: Although I am only 16, I will be competing in the under 18’s due to the way my birthday falls under ISA policy. I know some guys on the U.S. team from competing against them at NSSA events, but no close friendships.

SS: What’s the surfing like in the Bahamas compared to Nova Scotia?

JA: The differences would be more crowds and almost every spot is a reef break. I like mixing it up surfing the beach breaks and point breaks in Nova Scotia as it’s something I didn’t get to do often in Bahamas.

Although you would think they are polar opposites, in my mind they are more similar to each other then anywhere else I’ve been. They both have underground rippers who don’t get the exposure they deserve, and the surfing communities are really tight in both places.

SS: Where do you surf in Nova Scotia?

JA: I surf the South Shore mostly – I won’t say any specific spots out of respect to the guys who showed me them – but I really like surfing Lawrencetown and Cow Bay whenever I get the chance.

SS: Any long-term goals?

JA: I would like to continue having fun in surfing and go as far as I can with it. I’m not sure of anything long-term except I know I will be surfing. I’m definitely interested in doing some kind of team manager work to help sponsor deserving kids who are under the radar or aren’t in the right place at the right time, something that I’ve had trouble with.

Click on thumbnail photos to enlarge

The Canadian Surfing Association (CSA) would like to thanks the following sponsors who are helping send a team to the 2010 Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship in New Zealand:

Tourism Nova Scotia
Quiksilver Canada
Rip Curl Canada
Ms. Pam Birdsall MLA for Lunenburg
Mr. Darrell Dexter MLA for Cole Harbour

Jacob Albury

Due to economic conditions, Canada will only be sending one surfer to the 2010 Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship, which takes place January 20-28 in Auckland, New Zealand.

Sixteen-year-old Jacob Albury of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia will be representing Team Canada at the contest. Albury took first place in the open boys division at the Shut up and Surf Classic contest in October at Cow Bay, Nova Scotia.

Albury has also competed in the Bahamas as well the U.S., including California, Florida and Virginia Beach.

A total of five surfers were invited by the Canadian Surfing Association (CSA) to represent Canada at the contest, four of which were from the East Coast.

In addition to Albury, the other East Coast surfers were 16-year-old Connor Marsh of Liverpool, 17-year-old Isaac Norman of Port Joli, and 15-year-old Kris Rambeau of Eastern Passage.

Unfortunately, the three surfers were unable to raise the funds necessary for the long trip to New Zealand.

The fifth surfer invited to join Team Canada was a 12-year-old grom named Nomme Mignot, who lives with his Canadian parents in Mexico. Mignot will still be competing at the contest, however, he has opted to represent Mexico.

CSA President John Fluke will also be joining Albury at the contest.

The Canadian Surfing Association (CSA) would like to thanks the following sponsors who are helping send a team to the 2010 Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship in New Zealand:

Tourism Nova Scotia
Quiksilver Canada
Rip Curl Canada
Ms. Pam Birdsall MLA for Lunenburg
Mr. Darrell Dexter MLA for Cole Harbour

SANS is offering a $2,000 contract to complete the work.

The successful contractor will possess excellent organizational and database skills, and have the ability to take direction and work independently to meet tight deadlines.

Preference will be given to applicants with experience developing membership strategies.

To view more details on the contract as well as information on where to send your resume and cover letter, please click here.

Born to Canadian parents, Nomme Mignot is a 12-year-old surfer based in Mexico. Mignot, who holds a Canadian passport, has competed contests in Mexico and California and has won events surfing as a grom.

Whether Mignot will actually represent Team Canada along with four East Coast surfers in New Zealand is currently up in the air. To date, the surfers have little success raising money necessary to make the long trip.

The team did have some people offer air miles, however, they cannot be put towards the flights to New Zealand, said CSA President John Fluke.

Those who might be interested in donating to the team are asked to contact the CSA at jfluke@ns.sympatico.ca or (902) 488-4252.

Nomme Mignot Date of birth: May 31, 1997 Born: Panama Lives: Mexico (holds a Canadian passport) Stance: Goofy Favorite break: Sayulita (somewhere in Mexico) Favorite board: HX Future Heretics Previous contests: Mexico, California Favorite surfers: Mick Fanning, Clay Marzo and Julian Wilson Hobbies outside of surfing: Tennis, football

Getting to the other side of the globe is obviously very costly and all four kids are looking for funding and donations to help get them there.

Those who are interested in donating or would like more information can contact Canadian Surfing Association President John Fluke at jfluke@ns.sympatico.ca or (902) 488-4252.

Jacob Albury Date of Birth: September 4, 1993 Born: Guelph, Ontario Lives: Lunenburg, Nova Scotia Stance: Regular Favorite breaks: Japans, Bahamas; Gaff Point, NS Favorite board: 5′8″ Quiet Flight Previous contests: Nova Scotia Shut up and Surf Classic: 1st place Open Boys, Quarterfinals in Open Men Bahamas BSA Summer Series 2009 final standings: 1st Open Juniors BSA 2007/2008 Series final standings: 1st in Open Juniors United States 2008/2009 NSSA Southeast Region final ratings: 5th Open Juniors Qualified for Open Men’s division at NSSA Nationals 2009 (Lower Trestles, California) Quarterfinals in Open Juniors 2009 NSSA East Coast Surfing Championships, Sebastien Inlet, Florida East Coast Surfing Championships, Virginia Beach 2005: Semifinal finishes in Open Boys and Open Juniors NSSA East Coast Championships 2003 (Sebastien Inlet, Florida): 6th place finish in Open Mini groms Favorite surfers: Peter Devries, Dane Reynolds Hobbies outside of surfing: Xbox 360, skateboarding Links: Fundraising site Surf Bahamas Profile Surf Bahamas Article

Connor Marsh Date of birth: January 20, 1993 Born: Liverpool, Nova Scotia Lives: Liverpool, Nova Scotia Stance: Regular Favorite break: Jennifers, Western Head Favorite board: Simon Anderson IP swallow tail Previous contests: World Juniors in 2007 and 2008; Numerous local contests. Favorite surfers: Laird Hamilton, Rob Machado Hobbies outside of surfing: Major Midget AAA hockey, guitar

Isaac Norman Nickname: Donkey Date of birth: June 22, 1992 Born: Liverpool, Nova Scotia Lives: Port Joli, Nova Scotia Stance: Goofy Favorite break: Western Head Point Favorite board: 6′2″ x 18 1/4 x 2 1/4 JS Pintail Previous contests: World Juniors in 2005, 2007 and 2008; Many local contests. Favorite surfer: Rob Machado Hobbies outside of surfing: Soccer and hockey

Kris Rambeau Nickname: Rambo Date of birth: February 8, 1994 Born: Halifax, Nova Scotia Lives: Eastern Passage Stance: Regular Favorite break: Braces or any beach break Favorite board: JS 6′0″ Fat Fish Previous contests: Shut up and Surf Classic Favorite surfers: Julian Wilson, Taj Burrows Hobbies outside of surfing: Skateboarding, snowboarding

We all witnessed what West Coast surfer Pete Devries did at the recent international surfing event in Tofino, BC. The 26-year-old Canadian surprised the surfing world by winning the O’Neill Cold Water Classic.

Four young East Coast surfers dream of one day accomplishing similar feats. Those four kids hope to begin pursuing that dream in January at the 2010 Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship in New Zealand.

The four kids hoping to compete include South Shore surfers Connor Marsh, Isaac Norman and Jacob Albury, and Halifax-area surfer Kris Rambeau. All four were chosen by the Canadian Surfing Association (CSA) to wear the Maple Leaf at the upcoming international contest.

Albury recently finished first in the boys division of the Shut Up and Surf Classic contest held in Cow Bay last month; Norman finished second followed by Rambeau. Both Norman and Marsh represented Canada at the 2007 World Juniors in Portugal.

Getting to the other side of the globe is obviously very costly and all four kids are looking for funding and donations to help get them there.

Albury and his family have set up a website to help generate donations. On the site, you can find out more about Jacob as well as information about where to send donations. The other three surfers are also looking for donations. Those interested in donating can send cheques to:

Canadian Surfing Association
2 Hallmark Crescent
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
B2V 1Z9

Those who would like more information about donating can contact Canadian Surfing Association President John Fluke at jfluke@ns.sympatico.ca or (902) 488-4252.

If all four boys are able to raise enough money to get to New Zealand, Albury, Norman and Marsh will compete in the under-18 category, while Rambeau will compete in the under-16 category.

In 2007, Mazada Canada helped get Canadian surfers to the World Juniors in Portugal. However, last year the company was forced to pull its funding due to the economic downturn. As a result, there were no East Coast Canadian surfers at the 2009 World Juniors in Ecuador.

Four West Coast surfers – Kye and Janek Peladeau, Frazer Mayor and Simon Bauer – did manage to get to the 2009 event. Unfortunately, it does not appear as though any West Coast surfers will compete at this year’s World Juniors.

Besides the four East Coasters, a 12-year-old Canadian surfer who lives with his parents in Mexico may also represent Canada at this year’s contest. More on this later.