At some point each winter, we are handed the perfect conditions for surf here on the Great Lakes. Usually, it coincides with a brutal cold front. This day was no different with air temperatures hovering around zero, and with the wind chill between -10 to -20. A few of us hearty souls met up at the beach and punched our way through the snow to the waves. On mornings like these, the water is warmer than the air, which causes the lake to steam, or as we call it, “lake smoke.” The imagery from shore is surreal. I have always likened it to a giant gas planet far out in our solar system. Sessions like these are etched into one’s mind.
A couple days later, another big wind system from the SW lit up a classic break in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. The Elbow, which is affectionately dubbed the Malibu of the Midwest, is a point break one hour north of Milwaukee, Wis. With a small weekday crowd and waves in the four- to eight-foot range, surfers took turns catching perfect waves one after another. Things up here tend to gather ice quickly such as the shoreline, the path back up to the launch and our faces. On this day a small group of hearty lake surfers scored perfect conditions.
Check out more of Ryan Bigelow’s beautiful Great Lakes imagery on Instagram.
