Surfing in the forest and year-round glamping: L’Expérience Boréale 

The new owners of Camping du Domaine Lausanne, bought only a year ago, quickly got things moving and now offer a wide range of outdoor experiences all year round. Among the offerings of this new tourist attraction you’ll find, starting this summer, a wave pool that allows for surfing in mid-forest. It’s a first in Canada.

Etienne Avon, president and owner of Camping du Domaine Lausanne, to which have been piggybacked the centre de plein air L’Expérience Boréale(outdoor centre) and the all-new Surf 117 company, wanted to create a diversified offering that would attract families.

Mission accomplished for the new owner, who trained as an industrial designer.

“Our outdoor centre targets mainly families,” explains Etienne Avon. “Our hiking and mountain biking trails are at the beginner to intermediate level. And our wave pool will permit young people to start surfing from the age of four. The wave will be about 1.2 metres in height,” he adds.

Designed by Etienne, the 200-metre pool represents an investment of more than $1.5 million. Open to the public starting this summer, it will provide two sliding lanes and a constant wave about 150 metres in length. “Perfect for getting started at or really devoting yourself to water sliding,” says the young entrepreneur.

Year-round glamping

In only one year, 43 ready-to-camp units have been added, bringing the number of this kind of accommodation units to 75. Here you’ll find cabins floating on the lake, trailers, yurts, teepees and “cozy bubbles”, as well as various kinds of tents and cabins in the forest.

“It’s the widest variety of ready-to-camp facilities in Québec,” Etienne notes, “and many are built to provide winter accommodation in the midst of nature.”

The art of diversification

As well as the surfing facility, trails for mountain biking and hiking plus five alpine hiking trails have been added. These latter provide an elevation change of 100 metres, “which will mean about 160 metres of sliding in the forest,” Etienne Avon concludes.

campingdudomainelausanne.ca