Surfers suiting up for cold contest in Nova Scotia

What's dubbed as the most hard core surfing competition in Canada is taking place Saturday in Lawrencetown, N.S.

The Nor’easter Surf Contest is one of the coldest surfing competitions in the world, according to coordinator Iaian Archibald.

"It’s pretty amazing," he said of surfing in such cold conditions. "I'm not going to lie, there’s a few ice cream headaches involved and sometimes you question why the heck you’re doing it.

"But it’s great, you feel alive. You’re in the sort of environment that’s super dynamic, the temperatures are freezing. You feel in the moment and alive. It’s great on some levels."

Storms have led to good surfing conditions over the winter, Archibald said.

There will be between 30 and 40 competitors, he said. In years past there’s been between 300 and 400 spectators.