Friday, January 1st, 2010
THE ENDLESS WINTER
BY ROD O’CONNOR
PHOTOGRAPHS BY COREY HENGEN
“YEAH, I THINK WE’LL CATCH SOMETHING TODAY,” says Mike Miller, as we cruise down lakefront Broughton Drive in Sheboygan, Wis., on a cold Saturday morning. “The winds are still pumping from yesterday.”
Once we reach North Beach, we hop out of Miller’s red truck and into the crisp 40-degree air. The Lake Michigan water isn’t much warmer than that—it’s tough to believe it’s only October. However, for a small but passionate group of Great Lakes surfers who hit the beach all winter long, the temperatures are downright balmy. We grab our boards, sprint across the sand and paddle into the wind as chest-high waves crash the shoreline.
While many know Sheboygan as the home of the famous Johnsonville bratwurst, this town of 50,000 is better known among surfers as “the Malibu of the Midwest.” That moniker might be a tad misleading—there are no celebrities here, and no one would mistake today’s bleak and unseasonably frigid weather for sunny California. But the area’s 22 different breaks along a five-mile stretch make it a mecca for those who refuse to let the simple fact that they live in the middle of a continent stop them from surfing.
“Lake Michigan is 22,440 square miles of open water,” says Larry “Long-board” Williams, 56, a longtime local surfer who looks every bit the part with his slick blonde hair, forearm tattoos and harpoon-shaped necklace. “We don’t refer to it as a lake. We refer to it as an inland ocean.”
Sheboygan’s central location on the west coast of Lake Michigan puts it in the perfect geographic position to catch wind-powered waves from every direction. In fact, when the winds are cranking at 20 or 25 miles an hour, waves can range from two to upwards of 10 feet. So the rule of thumb is: the nastier the weather, the better the surfing.
“When you get the winds with the rain coming sideways, and it’s cold and blustery … who in their right mind would go to the beach?” jokes Williams, who paces the shore while his twin brother Lee (nicknamed “Water Flea”) paddles through the rolling waves.
Because they’re so dependent on the weather, many surfers operate as amateur meteorologists, monitoring storm patterns with online satellite readings so they can pounce when surfing conditions materialize. But unlike coastal surfers, the ones on Lake Michigan need a healthy amount of patience.
“Here, you have to sit and wait,” says Tom Schmidt, 36, who traveled three hours from Baraboo, Wis. “You have to know when a low pressure system is coming through. You can’t just pick a day and say, ‘I’m going to go surfing.’”
DESPITE THE INHERENT CHALLENGES, SHEBOYGAN’S surf scene is gaining popularity. According to locals, out-oftowners have been showing up from throughout the Midwest. Some of the regulars are not entirely happy that their secret is out. But according to Miller, co-owner of EOS, Wisconsin’s only surf shop, there’s plenty of room for everybody. “Plus, when it gets really cold, an ice shelf builds and that gets kind of hairy,” he says. “That scares off most of the crowds.”
Surfing in the Midwest isn’t unique to Sheboygan; clusters of hardy souls surf in cold weather up and down the coast of Wisconsin, as well as in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota and Ohio. But other than having what’s generally regarded as the best surf breaks on the Great Lakes, Sheboygan has something those other areas don’t: tradition. There’s been an active surfing community in Sheboygan since the early ’60s, when a group of locals started the Lake Shore Surf Club.
Back in those days, surfers protected themselves from the frigid water by wearing bulky scuba gear. Among those who noticed this eccentric crew were the then-13-year-old Williams brothers, who quickly took to surfing.
“There was always a bonfire going on the beach,” Larry recalls. “And plenty of beer and music playing … that’s where the romance truly began.” The pair, along with some buddies, started their own surf club. Now known as “Team Blatz,” it’s named after a cheap local beer that’s a popular choice after a long day out on the water.
In 1988, the Williams brothers launched the Dairyland Surf Classic, an annual Labor Day weekend gathering where surfing tribes from throughout the Midwest hang out, tell stories and, if the weather cooperates, hit the waves. The event has garnered attention from television stations and newspapers from as far away as Hawaii, which has in turn sent more and more people searching for this strange-sounding town in Wisconsin where you can surf.
Today, nearly everyone who has ever surfed in Sheboygan has a story about the first time they met Larry or Lee, or how the brothers helped a newcomer find the best breaks or lent a board or a wetsuit to a surfer in need.
“Here, all the guys are helpful,” Schmidt says. “You don’t get that kind of stuff anywhere else.”
BACK AT NORTH BEACH ON SATURDAY MORNING, Miller and I are joined by a half-dozen wetsuit-clad bodies bobbing in the water. Looking down from the tree-lined bluff overhead, one might think Wisconsin is in the midst of a small-scale aquatic invasion. There were six-foot-high waves yesterday, but they were choppy and never fulfilled their promise, so we packed it in early. But thanks to some west and southwesterly winds, those who chose to head out this morning are treated to consistent, medium-sized waves that, every so often, peel off and send someone gliding across the surface.
“Paddle, paddle, paddle!” Miller yells out. My arms are numb, but I finally feel somewhat comfortable navigating my 12-foot-long board. I pivot toward the shore and sense a wave approaching from behind. Almost instinctively, I pop up and ride it a good 30 yards. I’ve just caught my first-ever wave. And even though my hands are freezing, the feeling is incredible.
On the beach, I strike up a conversation with a 48-year-old Englishman named Rick Dodgson. He’s surfed all over the world. And when he moved to Sheboygan several years ago, he was ecstatic to discover that even though it was landlocked, he would still be able to surf.
“It’s just pleasurable to be in the water … it’s the perfect getaway,” he says. “Every surfer is always looking for the perfect wave. You never know, you might find it here.”
SURFING CONDITIONS
If you think you’ve got what it takes to surf Lake Michigan in 20 m.p.h. winds, you’ll need a few things before hitting the waves. Mike Miller and Greg Hering, co-owners of EOS (www.eosoutdoor.com), an adventure and surf shop in Sheboygan, offer the following advice for beginners:
GET A WETSUIT. Miller recommends one with a hood, and says booties and gloves are usually a good idea. In below-freezing temperatures, you’ll need a winter wetsuit.
FOLLOW THE WEATHER. Starting in August, check out sites like www.wunderground.com, www.iwindsurf.com or visit www.sheboygan.com (the Blue Harbor webcam shows real-time conditions).
DON’T SURF ALONE. Novices should head out with a seasoned surfer the first few times. Hering recommends calling his shop; he will pair you with a local who can show you the ropes.
