Great Outdoors: Surfing in Lake Superior

Great Outdoors: Surfing in Lake Superior

The North Shore of Lake Superior is iconic to Minnesota, but it’s not just the beauty people appreciate.

Dedicated surfers brave the cold to ride the waves of the greatest lake.

In this week’s Great Outdoors, we’ll take you to the world of surfing.

The waves come out of deep water and they hit that shallow rock parlor out there and they break just so beautifully,” said Eric Wilkie.

The waters of Lake Superior get frigidly cold in the winter, but that doesn’t stop local surfers from getting in the lake when the waves are big enough.

Wilkie added, “A lot of us have grown up with the surfing from one place or another, myself southern California.”

Some days the waves are smaller and the conditions are nicer.

On others angry waves rush on to the rocky shores.

“Real cold temperatures and big waves, very close intervals, heavy currents,” said Wilkie.

The surfers wear thick wet suits to stay warm.

I’m not cold at all, but in the winter time, the part of your body that’s in the air, can start to freeze up,” said surfer Randy Carlson.

Even with icicles clinging to their faces, many of the surfers can stay in the water for a surprisingly long time

“I could go probably 4 hours,” said Carlson.

In the winter everything is slick.

The rocks are slippery with ice, and the wet suit booties slide on the snow. But it’s all part of the game.

“Anybody who goes out here gets energized by the whole, you know, entire experience, ” said Wilkie.

The surfers say they keep their eyes on the forecast daily so they can get out on the water at any chance they get.

The group has a public Facebook page called “Minnesota North Shore Surfers” where they can share about everything surfing.