TOFINO — Tofino on Vancouver Island's west coast has been named the best surf town on the continent by an influential U.S. magazine in its first annual Editor’s Choice Awards. [caption id="" align="alignright" width="225" caption="Image Compliments of PacificRimGuide.ca"][/caption] Outside magazine, which caters to readers with an “active lifestyle,” has a circulation of more than 600,000. The 2010 awards compile the magazine’s “favourite things into a rollicking compendium of capital ideas, sublime destinations, brilliant equipment and more.” Regarding Tofino, it says: “The best surf town in North America is in Canada. Who knew?” The list is also comprised of equipment, things to see, where to go, what to eat and drink in the outdoors. “It has to do with the fact that it's a fabulous surfing spot that was a secret for so long,” said Tourism Tofino executive director Sharon Lingenfelter. Only with the O'Neill Cold Water Classic international surf competition’s arrival, where local Tofino resident Peter de Vries defeated about 140 opponents, did the area catch international attention, she added. “O'Neill was so impressed with the experience that they're really looking forward to coming back soon this year, but we're determining when that will be,” Lingenfelter said. Although the water may not be for everyone, with the right gear surfing aficionados can get everything they're looking for, she said.