They don't call it the Coldwater Classic for nothing. After an all night plane ride from Hawaii to Vancouver followed by a nine-hour bus trip I arrived in the small town of Tofino, Canada and the O'Neill Coldwater Classic. To say that this area is serene would be an understatement. Thick green forest, salt in the air and the friendliest of locals, Tofino is picturesque to say the least.

Except for the cold. But that's why I'm here.

Barely a blip on the surf world's radar a decade ago, Tofino has been growing in reputation among surfers as a place where you can score good waves without a crowd in some of the most beautiful scenery Mother Nature ever produced. Just make sure you pack a thick wetsuit. On the tails of the locale's prowess, O'Neill made Tofino the fourth stop of their roaming Coldwater Classic series this year, bringing with them the best and hungriest QS surfers around to don thick suits and battle it out for ratings points that accompany a 6-star event.

Under gray skies and freezing rain, the comp got underway yesterday with surfers clad head to toe in thick neoprene, bobbing about the lineup like seals at Cox Bay. The surf, by all means up to 'QS standards but nothing to write home about, left competitors exhausted and frosty upon leaving the lineup. Winning or losing, a 20-minute heat in Canada takes its toll.

Of the standouts yesterday, local surfer Peter Devries gave the hometown crowd something to cheer about when he proved that local knowledge always reigns supreme by winning his heat and taking home the highest heat score of the day.

Casey Brown of the Big Island also proved to be another standout when he won his heat with a string of backside reverses. After hanging up his jersey, a visibly frozen Brown said with a smile, "I'm not gonna lie, it's pretty tough out there. I didn't wear a hood and I've got a pretty mean headache right now from the water. I'm stoked I made it though. I was in trunks in Hawaii a few days and now I'm freezing over here...it's kind of a trip."

The forecast is calling for a steady deluge of rain in the coming days but the swell is expected to stick around. Stay posted as we bring you daily updates from the O'Neill Coldwater Classic Canada.