Helene Filion

STATS

Age: 29
Location: Sudbury, Ontario
Favorite Trick: Nose rides, floaters and snaps

ALL ABOUT HELENE

I began surfing 8 years ago during a trip to Tofino, B.C.  Since my first wave, I caught the surf bug, and have surfed various locations such as Spain, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Barbados (I LOVE the Soup Bowl..Kelly Slater's favorite break!), New Jersey, and the Great Lakes.  

I've been sponsored since 2012 with Californian company called Chick Sticks that shapes performance surfboards specifically for women.  They are fine tuned to the physical differences and strengths between men and women.  I am truly blessed to be a part of a really stoked community who surf the Great lakes in Canada and the US year-round.  Our winters get below 20 degrees and sometimes your eye lashes freeze together while surfing, but that doesn't stop most of us.  The closest surf break to where I live is called Manitoulin Island on Lake Huron.  I have discovered multiple breaks that are fairly secluded and only have trail access which makes the experience so much more wild. I started teaching people in my area and developing my local surf community a year ago and we now have 20+ regular surfers who are just as stoked as I am.  We hold beach cleanups for the environment and are working to increase surf tourism to help local economies on the island.  We opened You Surf, the first local surf shop/school, in order to achieve this goal and help get more people into surfing the Great lakes.  

On days where there are no waves, I always opt for my local skatepark to shred some concrete!  Every Spring we conduct a trifecta, where we get as many people to join for a one day event to surf, skate and snowboard all in one day.  I've been snowboarding since I was 14 years old.  I love freestyle riding and back country trails which we have so much of here in Canada, but lately I've taken a special interest in all day fun in the parks, it definitely adds a different aspect of balance and technique.