The 2025 BC Wakesurf Provincial Championships, presented by SWS Marine Group, were held over the weekend at Lake Koocanusa.

“From seeing a number of brand new riders in their first competitive event, to incredible runs from the top riders in B.C., and watching the spirit of camaraderie within the surf community, it was another stellar event,” said Waterski and Wake Sport BC Wake Surf Committee member Loree Duczek.

“In spite of the cloudy, rainy weather we also had a number of people lining the course on shore and several boats cheering riders on from the water, which was so great to see.”

The Provincial Championships were held on Saturday, August 16 at Koocanusa Village. In total, 34 athletes competed in several different divisions including Juniors, Amateur, Masters, and Pro with riders coming from as close as Koocanusa Village to as far away as Victoria.

A number of East Kootenay riders stepped onto the podium, including in the Pro Divisions, with three local riders squaring off in Pro Women’s.

Following two solid passes, Fernie’s Caroline Villeneuve took first place, edging past Koocanusa-based surfer Emily Agate in second and Randall Savarie of Cranbrook in third.

In Pro Men’s, it was once again a battle of the bros as Cranbrook’s Ryder and Dagen Duczek threw down alongside Noah Goulding of Calgary. In the end, Ryder edged past Dagen to take first place by 0.5 of a point with Goulding taking home third in his first professional outing.

Other East Kootenay podium finishes went to Cranbrook’s Hudson Tily and Colten Gauer of Kimberley, who both at the age of six, took home second and third respectively in the Junior Boys 2 Division.

In Amateur Female, Olivia Sombrowski of Fernie took home the Provincial Championship, while Cranbrook’s Lauren Jensen had her first podium finish, taking home third.

In Amateur Mens’ 1, Fernie’s Oliver Pogubila took his first Provincial Championship, edging past Jack Mailloux of Baynes Lake who took second.  Cranbrook’s Nicholas Jensen laid down a solid run that earned him second place In Men’s Amateur 2.

In the Masters Division, Jason Willamson and Matt Boehm, both from the South Country took first and second in Masters Men’s, while Cindy Salter of Wardner stepped onto the podium with a third-place finish in her first competition.

The competition course included two one-minute passes between the designated buoys, and as a fun way for riders to cap off their ride, the final buoy was an inflatable moose that riders could choose to try to land on.

“We had some pretty epic attempts to wrangle the moose and in the end a father and son, Matt and Casen Taylor, tied for best dismount with one landing on the moose headfirst and the other landing on it feet first.  It was definitely an entertaining way to cap off the course,” added Duczek.

“We’d like to thank all the sponsors and volunteers who stepped up to make the day possible. We couldn’t have done it without them.”

The event title sponsor, SWS Marine Group, is also the presenting sponsor for the upcoming Canadian Wakesurf and Foiling Nationals being held September 6-7 in the same location at Koocanusa Village.

This two-day event will feature the best surfers and foilers across all divisions. It is open to all ages and abilities, and registration is open here with a reduced rate in effect until August 26, and registration closing on September 2.

Lead image: A group shot of all the talented riders who took part in the 2025 BC Wakesurf Provincial Championships at Lake Koocanusa.  Photo by Aidan Jones

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