We have surfed freshwater waves in Wisconisn, Illinois, Indiana and Michegan in the last week! Which brings our total of states surfed to 20! This is a very nice round number and makes us feel good! We are really acomplishing things and getting back on track time wise!
Freshwater surfing was amazing! Plus we were very lucky to be able to have swell in all 4 states when we arrived there! The Great Lakes (a group of 5 lakes bordering the USA and Canada and holds 90% of earth's freshwater), produce some world class waves, but very irregularly. There sometimes is only 50 days of the year when it is surfable...and only 10 or so days of the year could be great waves. But there are thousands of hardcore and dedicated lake surfers who brave below freezing conditions just to make the most of every wind swell the lake produces.
We surfed in Sheboygan, Wisconsin with the 'Blatz Crew' who name themselves after a cheap local brand of beer (and have jackets for all crew members, complete with nicknames). We stayed with Lee "H2O Flea" Williams, who with his twin brother Larry "Longboard" Williams run the largest freshwater surf contest/event/party every year in Sheboygan called the Dairyland Surf Classic. These guys were featured in the awesome surf movie 'Step Into Liquid'. We had small, messy waves after a couple days of waiting, but surfers from all around the area all showed up to surf with us, laugh and cheer each other on, and drink a few beers afterwards.
We met Lester Priday, and ex-pat from Manly, Australia, who has been living on the Great Lakes for over 20 years and he took us to surf in northern Illinois. This time the waves were worse, as it was raining continuously and windy as heck, which made for horizontal rain and very hard to carry longboards to the beach! We managed a few waves each before the thunder and lightening set in and the sun dissapeared!
We stayed with Lester that night, then we followed him around Chicago to Whiting, Indiana, where there were some larger waves on offer in a little bay sheltered from the wind a little and shadowed by a massive steel mill! We surfed with about 15 other guys who were loving it, which rubbed off on us and after we got over the cold and changing into freezing wet wetsuits we had a great surf including some very long waves! These guys are so keen...hats off to them!
Goodbye to Lester and we drive our ice-cream truck over to New Buffalo, Michigan. Where we met Ryan Gerrard who runs Third Coast Surf Shop there. We surfed with Ryan and his buddy Bradford (spitting image of Jack Black - voice and all - and often gets mistaken for him at airports etc!). The waves were perfect! The largest waves were only waist high, but it was a beautiful morning with the sun shining and the wind directly offshore making some very fun, clean longboard waves! 20 states down, 30 to go!
We have been hanging out in Chicago suburbs for a few days with Megan, an american friend who studied in Geelong with friends of Jonno's a few years back. We managed to get into the city a few times to see the Sears Tower, Millenium Park, Michigan Avenue, The giant faces/fountains, The massive mirror bean, and we ate Chicago Style Pizza!
Heading down to Springfield (the home of 'The Simpsons') tonight with the boys from www.hitch50.com so that should be fun. Then heading into Missouri, Tennesee, Kentucky and Ohio in the next week. Lots of driving, but also lots of fun!
Surfing the union,
JONNO and STEFAN
www.surfing50states.com
