Surf Duluth

Meanwhile, in Minnesota, it's surfing season.

What I find particularly nifty about the Great Lakes surfing community is the way they're driven to amateur meteorology. Waves in the Great Lakes are highly dependent on near-shore weather systems. You aren't going to get big waves in Duluth unless you've also got high winds in or near Duluth. That means the surfable waves only exist for a few hours — long enough for the weather front to move through the area. (It also means the surfers are often doing their thing in the very storm that's creating their waves.) So groups like the Lake Superior Surf Club get into forecasting, as well as surfing.

This video was taken on January 1 at Stoney Point, a beach about 15 miles north of Duluth. Last year, Minnesota Public Radio did a photo essay on the Lake Superior surfing community, and you should check out those photos, as well.

Video Link