About
Making Waves Aquatics Club
Welcome to Making Waves Aquatics Club, Edmonton's Masters swim club and water polo team for the 2SLGBTQ+ community and their friends. Since 1999, we have fostered participation in aquatic sports in a inclusive environment that is supportive of all athletes.
We encourage participation regardless of ability, from those who are just starting to competitive swimmers. We promote the Master's Swimming Canada values of "fun and friendship, health and wellness, and participation and achievement."
We offer two coached swimming practices and two coached water polo practices each week, additional uncoached practices, and regular social events.
History
Edmonton's first gay and lesbian swim practice was held at the University of Alberta in conjunction with Calgary's Different Strokes Swim Club on January 9, 1999. This practice, organized by Dan MacGregor from Calgary and Darren Bates and Jeff Goth from Edmonton, welcomed swimmers from both Edmonton and Calgary. Shortly after that, recognizing a need for a swim club for gay and lesbian swimmers, Making Waves Swim Club was founded.
We started a water polo team in 2014, initially with members providing coaching as we learned the basics of the sport.
In 2015, our name officially changed to Making Waves Aquatics Club to recognize the two sports in which we participate.
In 2016, we hosted the IGLA Championships in Edmonton, an event two years in the making that welcomed nearly 500 athletes from 4 continents to Edmonton!
IGLA+ Championships
Making Waves has a long history of participating in the IGLA+ Championships and Gay Games. We have been represented at the following competitions:
2023: London, England
2022: Palm Springs, California
2019: New York, New York
2018: Paris, France (Gay Games)
2016: Edmonton, Alberta
2015: Stockholm, Sweden
2014: Cleveland, Ohio (Gay Games)
2013: Seattle, Washington
2008: Washington, D.C.
2006: Montreal, Quebec (World Outgames)
2002: Sydney, Australia (Gay Games)
2001: Toronto, Ontario
Affiliations
Making Waves is affiliated with provincial and national swimming and water polo associations as well as international 2SLGBTQ+ aquatics associations. Our affiliations include:
Swim Alberta, which is a member of Swimming Canada
Alberta Water Polo Association, which is a member of Water Polo Canada
IGLA+ which is a constituent member of the Federation of Gay Games
Additionally, Making Waves Aquatics Club is a federated member of Team Edmonton, which is an organization of more than a dozen 2SLGBTQIA+ sports teams and clubs in Edmonton.
Advocacy
Making Waves has always been engaged in working to make our sports more inclusive for all athletes. We worked with our provincial sport governing bodies to develop gender-inclusive policies.
Recently, we have advocated against provincial policies that could limit participation by trans athletes in sport.
Policies
Refund Policy
The Club fee and sport governing body fees are non-refundable.
Monthly passes may be cancelled at the start in the month following a request. Annual passes will be refunded on a prorated basis to the start of the month following a request. Requests should be made to the Club treasurer. Drop-in passes are non-refundable.