Ever wanted to duck dive under icebergs?  How about a reason to check out one of those new heated wetsuits?  Or how about just to know what it feels like to have your eyeballs feel like they are frozen in their sockets?

Well I had a great conversation with Ryan up at Third Coast Surf Shop today and learned all about what goes on up in that area of our global surfing community.

Ryan owns a shop that is located in Southern Lake Michigan and it looks like it does some pretty good business.  Ryan actually spent quite a bit of time out here in Santa Cruz surfing the point and working at Pearson Arrow Surfboards.  He now runs his own business catering to a hard core group of surfers up in the Great Lakes….emphasis on the ‘hardcore’ part.

I don’t know how many surf shops there are up there, but I was impressed to find out that there is a thriving community that braves even the harshest of conditions.   I lived and surfed in NY for many years, but I never once had to contend with icebergs in the lineup.

So he told me this winter he hadn’t surfed for about a month and a half at one point cause all his favorite breaks couldn’t be accessed; the shore had frozen over.  He got out in the water recently and had to watch out for icebergs.  He wears 7mm booties, gloves and a 6/5/4 and says he is all over the heated wetsuits coming out this year.

The surf gets pretty good in the Great Lakes and people are always surprised at the size some of the spots can hold….if you don’t believe me check out his photo gallery.  I wouldn’t say that this is my ideal surf trip, but I’m definately adding it to my list of locations to check out before I croak.

Also check out the video Unsalted for a snapshot of freshwater surfing and this unique microcosm of core surfers.

Well Mick Fanning is #1 in the world after winning the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast. He is in a good position now to go for his first world title. He is a rippa. I was stoked to see that news cause it motivated me to get out in the water and go for a paddle even though the surf was kinda bumpy and small. It was the best thing I’d done in about a week. I feel completely rejuvenated and had a great time. My first wave was the best one. I took off a little behind the peak, stayed high and then came down into the flats with the lip compressing into a retro styly bottom turn which thrust me out onto the shoulder and so I had to pull out a full ‘free as a bird’ style cutback with a little tweak at the end which sent my tail a sliding. I proceeded to find the little power pockets to manage about four more cutbacks, one of them being a full roundhouse. Needless to say, I was stoked and felt about as close as I could ever come to how Mick must have felt the other day as he made his way into pole position. Hoooo Brah!! The ocean is a magical thing.

I don’t know what is up with 21st birthdays in February down under, but I read another crazy bit of news yesterday about a young surfer named Sam Page, 21, of Manly. He was knocked into a coma after he was punched in the face outside Players Showgirls in Surfers Paradise last weekend.

He showed his first signs of recovery today by squeezing his mom’s hand and hugging his dad in a Gold Coast Hospital.  Bouncer Eugene White, 32, of Labrador, punched Mr Page, causing him to fall down a flight of stairs and onto the footpath – “cracking his skull” – after evicting him from the club.  What a way to make an exit!

Eugene was charged with grievous bodily harm and granted bail on various conditions, including that he not work in any licensed venue and not go to Surfers Paradise at night.  Weird restrictions placed on this guy, if you ask me….but hey, who am I to judge?

Mr Page, rated one of the country’s best young surfers, had been on the Gold Coast to compete in a major national teams surfing tournament with his Queenscliff Boardriders Club.

Now Mr. Page will be like all the rest of us that don’t have much memory of their 21st Birthday.

Terrible!