Team Canada para surfer Victoria Feige has a shining gold medal to hang on the Christmas tree this year.

The 37-year-old adaptive athlete won her fourth straight world title at the 2022 Pismo Beach International Surfing Association (ISA) World Para Surfing Championship in California on Dec. 10.

FeigeB次元官网网址檚 fourth gold in the womenB次元官网网址檚 kneel division distinguishes her as the most decorated womenB次元官网网址檚 para surfer of all time. In other words, she is a G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time).

B次元官网网址淭he first one (in 2016), where I didnB次元官网网址檛 expect at all to win and I just went out there to enjoy surfing, I kind of got a surprise personal best. That was special because there was no pressure and it was just all the joy of surfing. This one, I felt the pressure,B次元官网网址� said Feige from her home on the North Shore of Oahu a few days after the historic victory.

B次元官网网址淲hat IB次元官网网址檒l take from (this win) the most is with the coaching from Shannon Brown, I have so much more to work on and so much more potential to explore. Even though I won four in a row, IB次元官网网址檓 so excited for my surfing future.B次元官网网址�

Feige, who is a Canadian-American dual citizen, described the conditions for finals day as B次元官网网址渟torm surfingB次元官网网址�.

B次元官网网址淚t reminded me a lot of Tofino. The wind and the rain was unusual for California. A tree fell over and knocked out a power conductor, but by that time we were all in the bar celebrating,B次元官网网址� she said, adding that during her final heat she couldnB次元官网网址檛 hear the scores in the water, so she thought she was actually losing until coach Shannon Brown communicated the scores from the pier.

B次元官网网址淚 signalled to her to get defensive and thatB次元官网网址檚 when she knew she was in first,B次元官网网址� said coach Brown. B次元官网网址淎t the end of the heat, when there wasnB次元官网网址檛 a whole lot of time left and she was sitting comfortably first, her job at that point is to defend her place in first. I was helping her move over and sit close to the athlete who was in second and take one (wave) opportunity away from her.B次元官网网址�

Feige championed a small team of five athletes at the Pismo Beach contest. Surfer Ling Pai claimed her third bronze in the visually impaired division, Nathan Smids made the semi-finals in the menB次元官网网址檚 stand division, and rookies Lisa Franks contested the waveski while Montreal-based river surfer Anne-Marie Paquet entered the stand division for the first time. Team Canada placed eleventh overall out of 28 national teams.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 hoping with more funding we can reach greater heights and our potential. WeB次元官网网址檝e only just scraped the surface,B次元官网网址� Feige said. B次元官网网址淚 want to build the Canadian Team. We had five spots filled of a possible 18. If more people with disabilities knew that surfing could be an option for them, I think we could fill out a team of 10 or 12 next year.B次元官网网址�

She encouraged any adaptive athletes interested in surfing to reach out at info@victoriafeigesurfing.com or to contact Surf Canada. Getting a backzip wetsuit thatB次元官网网址檚 easy to slip into and seeking out a certified surf instructor are the first steps to learning how to adaptive surf, Feige went on to note.

Coach Brown gave a huge shout out to the whole adaptive surf team and to Surf Canada for investing in sending coaching staff to the contest.

B次元官网网址淭hey are all like sponges. They are so stoked on learning. It was really easy working with them,B次元官网网址� he said.

Feige will be training on the North Shore all winter. She says the next step in her surfing progression is to work on barrels and airs. She told the Westerly she did her first little air at Haleiwa, but was unable to land it.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 the physics of it. If I can shift my body weight like able bodied surfers do, I wonB次元官网网址檛 be able to pop off the lip with my legs, but if I can get speed and hit the sections at the right time, itB次元官网网址檚 doable. If you can do it once, you can do it again,B次元官网网址� she said.

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