UVic prof's 'Geographies of Surfing' course teaches students on the beach
Vancouver Island is a surfer's paradise, but the University of Victoria campus? Not so much.
Less than a kilometre away lies Gyro Beach, which is lovely, but not exactly conducive to hanging 10.
The world-class surf is on the other side of the Island, in Tofino.
So what's a surf-loving geography professor to do?
If you're Chris Darimont, you create a course that marries your hobby and your academic specialty.
Darimont is the instructor for a course in UVic's geography field program called "Geographies of Surfing."
It's not a surf class, per se. Participants don't have to get on a board to complete their studies.
They do, however, have to be accepted into the UVic Department of Geography's Clayoquot Sound Field Semester program, a collection of courses offered on-location along Vancouver Island's west coast.
"(The classrooms are) the beaches and the rainforests of the Tofino area," Darimont said. "They'll learn a little something about surfing, but they'll also learn about oceanography and weather and the history and culture of our relationship with the ocean."
Surf culture, too, is part of the program.
"We'll dive really deep into surf culture and, in fact, there's a lot of surf culture right here on Vancouver Island," Darimont said.
The professor stresses, though, that the course is hard work. Hollywood surfer stereotypes need not apply.
It's also selective. The program received a flood of applicants for the current semester, but only 20 were accepted.
With files from CTV Vancouver Island's Jordan Cunningham
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway.
BREAKING Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza’s vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as ceasefire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife’s edge.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
Have you been removed from your family doctor’s patient list for visiting an Ontario walk-in clinic?
Some Ontarians are expressing frustration after they said that they were removed from their family doctor’s patient list for visiting a walk-in clinic in a process being called “de-rostering.”
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.