North Beach Surf Shop — Haida Gwaii
Eighteen years of North Coast surf history — now a clothing brand.
The story
North Beach Surf Shop opened in Masset, Haida Gwaii in 2008 — the islands' only dedicated surf shop, and Canada's most northerly. It outfitted the October–May surf season at North Beach and ran the Expression Sessions, an annual non-judged surf gathering (2009–2019) whose poster artwork became a visual archive of Haida Gwaii surf culture.
The shop began because beginners on the islands had nothing local — no boards or wetsuits to rent, and about $2,000 to buy in. Michael, a surf lifeguard since 1989 who first surfed Haida Gwaii in 2003, built it beginner-first: boards, wetsuits, SUPs and gear to buy or rent, lessons, and the "Ride the Tide" SUP tour into Masset Harbour. Entry-level lessons for kids and women grew the local scene — in Michael's words, "Every kid that wanted to had a chance to go for free with us."
The Expression Sessions were community, not competition: movies, prizes, open mic, beach yoga, and fires on the beach. At their heart was Adopt-a-Grom — free lessons for kids ages 10–16, with free wetsuit and surfboard rentals — later joined by Adopt-a-Mom. By 2014 the festival was being called "an institution here on Haida Gwaii… an overall celebration of surfing, surf culture and ocean life."
Today the brand lives online as a clothing and artwork label, built on that archive: the Expression Sessions poster series (2010–2019), a decade of T-shirt designs, and the shop's eagle and wave marks.
The brand today
- The collection is online now: tees, hoodies, hats, stickers, and archive poster prints — printed on demand.
- A decade of original Expression Sessions artwork is the heart of the brand.
Contact
Michael McQuade, owner
haidagwaiisurf@gmail.com
250-626-SURF (7873)