Nova Scotia surf coach Adam Tory will represent Team Canada on May 7 in the International Surf Association World Longboard Championship in Surf City, El Salvador.
As a youth coach, Tory is being supported on his journey by his club of young surfers, the Grom Squad, who started a GoFundMe to help cover his travel costs.
“I see a huge opportunity for youth in Nova Scotia to get into competitive surfing,” Tory said.
“But it’s worth mentioning that the Canadian Surf Association doesn’t really do anything in Nova Scotia. So, we sort of have to figure things out on our own, and I felt like giving kids competitive experience in surfing is, if they want to go down that route, just the best way to do that.”
Juniper Balch, a member of the squad, said the Groms wanted to return the favour after Tory fundraised for them to go to Nationals in B.C. last year.
“I placed second in the first heat that I went to, so that put me in the final heat, and then I got fourth in the country,” Balch said. “Adam’s great, he’s really energetic, he’s fun and he’s really good at helping us, teaching us, and knowing where we’re at.”
Balch was the only Black female youth surfer at Nationals. Her mother, Lisa Scott, said Tory was the one that really made it possible for the Groms to compete.
Tory thanked the Groms for helping him on his journey to Surf City, saying that this year, the roles were reversed.
“They didn’t get the chance to go (to Nationals) this year, and so they’re the ones supporting me,” Tory said. “And watching the YouTube live stream, and commenting ‘Go Adam!’ — it’s just quite touching.”
Tory is one of two Nova Scotians on Canada’s four-person team, joined by Dartmouth surfer Claire Parsons. He said he set his sights on Worlds quite a few years ago, not thinking he would become eligible so soon.
But after riding a wave into fourth place at Nationals in April, Tory said a spot was offered to him.
“I just had a little freak out when I saw the email, and I was like, ‘Oh my god, this is happening,” he said.
This will be the highest-level competition Tory has ever been in. He said his goal is to progress through multiple rounds and leave a meaningful score for Team Canada on the board.
“Longboarding I think is often overlooked, and is a bit underappreciated in the sense that people move on from longboarding too quickly,” Tory said.
‘Best thing ever’
The misconception about longboard surfing is that it’s a beginner craft, Tory said, but in reality, competitions can get really intense.
“The really exciting thing about it is the nose ride,” He said. “Where it looks and feels like you’re levitating off of the nose of the board.”
Tory said he began surfing at 10 years old when his family would visit Tofino.
“It was kind of one of those hooked moments, where you’re just like — epiphany, like ‘Oh my god, this is the best thing ever,’” He said. “And from then, I was always trying to surf.”
Living in London, England, at the time, it wouldn’t be until Tory graduated high school that he would move to B.C. to pursue surfing.
“I lived in Tofino for about six or seven years, and I heard tales of good times and good waves in Nova Scotia,” Tory said. “So I went on a road trip to check it out and ended up not leaving.”
Tory recently started his own surf company, Hurricane Surf Co., where he said his goal is to offer lessons for all abilities in the Halifax area.
He had done some youth coaching previously in Nicaragua, which is where he got the idea for the Grom Squad. From there, Tory said he began holding weekly meetups to mentor young Nova Scotians who want to get into competitive surfing.
Balch said Tory has taught her a lot, including different ways to train for a competition, such as skateboarding.
“When there’s no surf, we’ll go to the skatepark or a pump track,” Balch said, adding that it was an eye-opener to train on wheels.
Tory said he wanted to give young surfers the same opportunities in sport as he had as a kid, after witnessing the positive impacts firsthand. For Balch, these positive impacts come in the form of relaxation.
“It really releases my stress,” Balch said “It’s like really calming, especially when I’m on a longboard and I’m just going down the line.”
Tory heads to Worlds on May 4, and Balch said the Grom Squad will be cheering him on from home.
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