The Hook

When most Canadians envision the Olympic torch making its way through their community leading up to the 2010 Winter Games, it's safe to suggest they don't usually think "surf's up!"

But those two words were on everyone's mind Sunday night as the flaming torch took a ride on a surf board in the resort community of Tofino, B.C.

Residents turned out in droves for an impromptu beach party and didn't mind getting a bit wet as the tide rolled in, soaking those in attendance to their knees.

"It's real west coast Canada," said Tofino resident Sarah Platenius as she stood in the water with her family. "Pretty cool."

The torch, which had already travelled by canoe, wheelchair, mountain bike, and float plane since it arrived in Victoria on Friday, continued its journey along Vancouver Island by riding a wave.

Ruth Sadler, 72, waded into the chilly water carrying a lit Olympic torch and waited for local and professional surfer Raphael Bruhwiler to surf by.

It took two attempts but when their torches finally met, Bruhwiler's flame was lit and sparked a loud roar from the throng on the beach.

Before the torch arrived in Tofino, where it was also transported by skateboard, it traveled through Port Alberni and Parksville.

The torch relay ahead of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics will visit more than one thousand communities by the time it arrives at the opening ceremonies for the Games on Feb. 12.

The relay route is 45,000 kilometres, making it the longest domestic relay in Olympic history.

The first day of the 106-day relay was capped by a protest involving several hundred people in downtown Victoria on Friday night, forcing security officials to divert the route and cancel the runs of several torchbearers.

Dirk Meissner reports for The Canadian Press.