Everyone's Blog Posts - FreshCoast

Where are the Slabs?

2012-01-27T15:41:25.000Z

Hey Ontario Surfers,

My name is james and i have recently moved from Nova Scotia to ontario for school and work, i have been searching the coast of lake ontario and eerie and havnt really found what i see in your pictures.

can anyone give me an idea of where to look.

i understand that sharing your breaks after you have been looking forever to find them isnt really a surfers cup of tea, but i cant keep surfing this mush. anyone have any suggestions.

thanks

James

New Toy

2011-12-28T14:42:49.000Z

Stuck at work today. Sometimes being a chef can really make it hard to get out and meet people. Just ordered a Gravity 46" Into The Blue in hopes it can help with my training and being stuck inside. The guys at BC Surf and Sport in Florida are hooking me up. Hope to hear from anyone that has pointers and wouldn't mind including a newby that really wants to learn.

Night Surfing With LEDs Is Even Cooler Than It Sounds

2011-10-22T20:43:17.000Z

http://vimeo.com/28764200

Surfing is difficult enough during the day when you can actually see the waves (and sharks) coming. To do it at night, you need a big brass pair like professional surfer Aritz Aranburu. And a self-illuminating surfboard doesn't hurt.

Shot at Mundaka in Northern Spain, this Pukas board is one of only four currently in existence. Its LED strips and receiver are installed before the glassing process when the board is laminated and waterproofed. They're controlled by a remote that also selects the LED color—red, green, or blue. [PukaSurf]

Here's Juan Mari Indo, the board's inventor, discussing how his inspiration for the project:

http://gizmodo.com/5842599/night-surfing-with-leds-is-even-cooler-than-it-sounds

Sunset paddle

2011-07-31T04:38:39.000Z

You dont need waves, although they make it more fun,

just a sunset paddle today with myself and a too small windsurf board at tiny beaches. If anyone is in the area let me know. it's a lot more fun than it sounds. middle of woodland out deep is the paddle out. just rocks and sand, great on a no wave day.

What A Big Diffent A Day Makes Surfing On The Great Lakes In The Winter Time!

2011-01-12T15:49:49.000Z

Surfed here in Racine Wisconsin this last Saturday and then by Monday's new ice report things looked a little different than on Saturday. Welcome to surfing The Great Lakes 2011. Click on this link to check it out. NO SALT SURFCAST

You And Me This Morning TV Show In Chicago, Winter Surfing On The Great Lakes!

2010-12-28T16:30:00.000Z

http://www.wciu.com/youandme.php?section=home&assets=videos&assetID=10004276

http://surf.transworld.net/1000121695/news/tws-great-lakes-correspondent-on-tv/

Paddle For MS a Huge Success

2010-08-10T02:56:12.000Z

On Saturday August 7th, Mike Sandusky and fellow lake surfer Grant Kennedy set out on an exhausting 65 km paddle from Hamilton to Ashbridges Bay in Toronto to raise funds for Multiple Sclerosis awareness and research. It took the pair 13 hours, 39 minutes and 57 seconds to complete the trek.

Not only were Mike and Grant successful on their paddle, but they managed to smash their original fundraising goal of $5000, and managed to raise over $7000!

It was a fun afternoon at the beach for Mike and Grant's families, friends, supporters and local surfers, as we cheered them in to the finish line. Congratulations guys!

Click here to see some more pictures from the finish line >>

Doing It Out Here On The Great Lakes!

2010-07-23T18:30:00.000Z

Stoked that Transworld Surf did a little deal on Surfing Lake Michigan on us and the same video was on the Freestyle watch blog this week too. To check more out click onto the links below. Happy Surfing The Great Lakes. Burton Freestyle Blog

The Ultimate Wave Tahiti 3D at the CN Tower

2010-07-16T18:00:00.000Z

If you haven't heard already, Kelly Slater's new film The Ultimate Wave Tahiti is now playing in 3D at the CN Tower. My buddy Adam and I went and checked it out last night, and I gotta say: it's awesome. The 3D was a bit much at times, but it was definitely some of the finest surf cinematography I've seen in a while, all woven in with some fascinating history of Teahupo'o. There was also some really cool 3D animations (I'm a total sucker for these) explaining tides, wave dynamics, and the formation of the French Polynesian island chain.

It's not your typical surf-porn movie, here's a chunk of the synopsis from the film's website:

Featuring nine-time world surfing champion Kelly Slater, The Ultimate Wave follows a quest to find the perfect wave-riding experience. Filmed in Tahiti and among the islands of French Polynesia, the film showcases dramatic giant screen surfing action in a unique Pacific paradise.

Kelly Slater and a group of friends arrive in Tahiti. With their host, Tahitian surfer Raimana Van Bastolaer they will seek out the best waves breaking on the reef at the famed surf site Teahupo’o. Kelly and Raimana share a passion for the waves, but different ideas about what surfing means: is it a modern competitive sport or an ancient Polynesian wave-riding art? Either way, if the right conditions arise, they hope to surf some unique giant barrels created by storm swells breaking atop the shallow reef.

Not sure how long the film will be playing at the CN Tower... I asked the girl at the counter and she didn't seem to know either. But the film plays everyday from 10am to 8pm, every hour on the hour. Admission is $10, and worth every penny. So if you're in the Toronto area, I highly recommend checking it out.

Check out the trailer here: ultimatewavetahiti.com

For the Ladies

2010-05-19T15:00:00.000Z

A couple of new lake surfing sites made their debut on the internet last week. The cool thing is, both sites were created by girls to share the stoke of surfing to more girls. And more girls in the water surfing is not a terrible thing :)

The first is SUPGIRLZ.com. A blog about stand up paddle boarding, by a team of SUP instructors in the Toronto area. The girls offer SUP lessons at a pretty reasonable rate, for those looking to get into the sport - and dudes are welcome also.

The second site is called SodiumFreeSurf.com. This one was put together by two girls from Marquette Michigan, who 'kind of know how to surf'. Lots of rad photos on this site, and a daily surf report for the Marquette/Superior area.

Both of these sites are still in their infancy, but are a welcome addition to our small community. It will be great to see how they come along!

Some Like It Cold: A Sheboygan Surfin’ Safari

2010-04-14T15:00:00.000Z

There is an interesting new lake surfing book I recently caught wind of: Some Like It Cold: A Sheboygan Surfin’ Safari. The book tells the story of brothers Lee and Larry Williams, long-time lake surfers and founders of the Dairyland Surf Classic. The book hasn't hit the shelves just yet, but you can pre-order a copy off Amazon here >>

Here is the synopsis off the book's website:

Some Like It Cold: A Sheboygan Surfin’ Safari is as much a celebration of the rich and colorful world of Great Lakes surfing as it is the story of brotherhood. For the past six decades, twin brothers Lee and Larry Williams have been surfing the gnarliest waves despite living nearly 2,000 miles away from any ocean. To overcome the obstacles of being born and raised in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, they brought their dreams and long boards to the shores of Lake Michigan. Often braving 35-degree waters and wind-chill temperatures hovering below zero, the Williams brothers quickly realized the biggest adversaries of the "Malibu of the Midwest" weren’t the lacking waves, but rather hypothermia and frostbite. Customizing their wetsuits to allow them to last nearly three hours in even the iciest of waters, Lee and Larry helped revolutionize a surf culture where one had never been before. As hosts of the Dairyland Surf Classic, they became international surfing celebrities and attracted hundreds of surfers from around the globe eager to partake in one of America’s best beach parties. Some Like it Cold: A Sheboygan Surfin’ Safari is the fascinating story of two brothers whose lifelong journey to ride the ultimate wave seemingly brought the rest of the surfing world to their hometown.

The Cycle of Insanity: The Real Story of Water

2010-03-16T17:30:00.000Z

March 22nd is World Water Day, and the Surfrider Foundation is preparing to show us the real story of our water usage through a video titled: The Cycle of Insanity: The Real Story of Water. The video tells the story about how our water management system is connected to problems happening along our coastlines, but also offers some smart solutions for sustainable practices moving forward. Watch the video below.

From the Surfrider Foundation's Know Your H2O website:

Created through a collaboration of volunteer Surfrider activists, The Cycle of Insanity: The Real Story of Water evolved into a 20-minute video explaining the connection between environmental problems on the coast and our outdated water management system. It explains the problems we face and offers solutions to improve the process and (re)use this precious resource wisely. The myopia of our society leads decision makers to propose and rely on short-term solutions to long-term problems, at the expense of our resources. For example, leaders propose desalination to create the renewable resource of water, but rely on the use of a non-renewable source of energy to do it. Short-sighted thinking led us into this Cycle of Insanity.

The Cycle of Insanity: The Real Story of Water - TRAILER from Surfrider Foundation on Vimeo.

Surfing Da Lake By Tom Ward Of Racine Wisconsin!

2010-02-28T16:30:00.000Z

Here is a video TW put together of me and Will surfing this last Friday and Saturday with some clean and fun waves out of the NNW. Surfing Racine Wisconsin. To check out the video go to www.nosaltsurf.com and click onto the homepage an go to the bottom of the page and click onto the link. Happy Surfin The Lakes. Burton

Support Mike Sandusky's Paddle for MS!

2010-02-24T20:30:00.000Z

Recently, Mike's sister was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Among other symptoms, MS is characterized by fatigue, depression, double vision, paralysis, loss of balance and concentration. Since then Mike has made it his personal mission to raise funds and create awareness to combat this debilitating disease.

This summer Mike and fellow lake surfer Grant Kennedy will set off on a 12-16 hour SUP across Lake Ontario as a fundraiser. Casting off from Burlington Beach and paddling all the way to the finish line at Ashbridge's Bay Beach in Toronto. All are encouraged to come out and cheer these guys on as they paddle the home stretch.

Not only is this a great cause to be in support of, but it's quite an impressive feat these guys are attempting... the trip is about 67 km! So lets all show our support by helping these guys reach their fundraising goal of $5000.

Click here to become a sponsor >>

Click here to see the event details >>

Quicksilver Pro Coverage? There's an app for that.

2010-02-18T22:30:00.000Z

When the lakes are flat or frozen, what better way to pass the time than to kick back and watch the pros go head to head in this year's ASP World Tour? The 2010 tour begins next weekend (Feb. 26th) at the Quiksilver Pro on the Gold Coast of Australia. And just in time for the festivities Quicksilver has released a brand new app - Quicksilver Live, available for FREE for the iPhone or video capable iPods.

The app combines news, results, photos, videos (including heats on demand), live scores and the best feature of all - live video streaming! While the app will only showcase Quicksilver events, I'm guessing it will only be a matter of time before some of the other event sponsors will offer similar apps. Fingers crossed!

Download the app from the iTunes store here >>

Motivational Posters

2010-02-09T01:00:00.000Z

The folks over at Cali surf blog Nugable, just posted up a nice collection of hilarious surf related takes on the motivational poster.

Click here to check out the posters >>

How To Enjoy Cold-Water Surfing

2010-02-01T16:30:00.000Z

Surfer Magazine just published a really good article titled 'Keeping Warm This Winter, How To Enjoy Cold-Water Surfing'. With some handy tips for anybody looking to get into the sport, and a few things I was surprised to learn about (root vegetables?).

Click here to read the article >>

Check Out What One Of My Sponsors Did!

2010-01-05T22:10:37.000Z

Thanks Freestyle watch for doing a great deal on us surfing Lake Michigan recently. Here is the link and Happy Surfing The Great Lakes. Burton http://www.freestyleusa.com/team/blog/

The End is Near

2010-01-04T20:31:54.000Z

At least for our surf season it seems. With reports of different spots turning into skating rinks almost daily now, it might be time to wax up the 'ol snowboard. It's not all doom and gloom though, southern Erie and most of Lake Ontario are still looking pretty ice free. So get out there while you can kids! Or maybe give iceboating a try?

Happy Holidays from FreshCoast!

2009-12-21T15:25:11.000Z

Lets hope everybody was good this year, and maybe Santa will bring us some decent swell into the new year!

And because I'm feeling festive, here are some videos (of varying quality) of jolly St. Nick catching a few:

Surfing Santa goes surfing in Pismo Beach, California >>
Surf's up, Santa! >>
Surfing Santa Claus >>

If you know of any other good holiday-themed surf stuff, please post it in the comments!

yesterday's surf

2009-12-20T16:57:04.000Z

Hey Surfers, some small clean waves yesterday! should have some more xmas eve and day!

See you!
Mike

Peahi (Jaws) from last week!

2009-12-16T20:18:55.000Z

Hey All, here's some pics and video links from Jaws last monday and tuesday.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=130405&id=17309984867

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dHecKEkkqQ
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGdk2OdwWhk

Hope we get some surf soon, maybe I'll see you guys out,
Mike

Happy Surfing The Great Lakes And For Racine County Surf Reports And Lake Surfing Stuff Check Out www.nosaltsurf.com

2009-12-16T16:57:58.000Z

Hey all you Lakers, Been doing my surf reports for the Racine County area and for Lake Michigan for almost 4 years now to help out my fellow lake surfers check it out. And to check out everything else we have done out here from opening up the wave pool in the Wisconsin Dells to having a few deals done on us on surfline.com and Transworld Surf's website check it out on the homepage of www.nosaltsurf.com. Happy Surfing The Lakes. Burton

2010 GBX Film Fest Deadline Announced

2009-12-16T01:30:00.000Z

The Georgian Bay Action & Adventure Sports Film Festival is now accepting entries for its second annual event. The deadline for entries is July 15th, 2010. So start dumping down your footage, and doing some rough edits kids, because that is only seven months away!

From gbxfest.com:

The festival is all about highlighting the talent of extreme and hardcore riders throughout the Great Lakes Region and beyond. The GBX Film Festival unites both sports enthusiasts, outdoor adventurists and indy filmmakers under one roof where festival-goers can celebrate these achievements and share the stoke in an all out wild night of silver-screen mayhem.

No official word on when the festival will be held this year. I'm guessing it'll probably be in September sometime, like it was this year. So stay tuned for that announcement.

Surf Ontario & Waves Fitness Newsletter

2009-11-26T21:12:54.000Z

Hey Surfers, I thought you guys would be interested in my surfing and fitness newsletter. There's a new fitness video, swiss ball buyers and size guide, a farewell to lake surfing legend Magilla Schaus and more. Here's the link and hope to see you guys surfing soon!
http://www.catchawavefitness.com/pdf/WavesNewsNovember09.pdf

Thanks,
Mike

Asian Carp Rapefest

2009-11-23T21:00:00.000Z

I don't want to see one of these suckers in my lineup.

New research shows that Asian Carp have likely made it past a $9 million electric fish barrier on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. The barrier is the last chance to stop the super-sized fish that can rape entire ecosystems by consuming 20% of their weight in plankton per day. That's food upon which every other lake species directly or indirectly depends.

The fish can grow to 50 pounds or more, and not only do they pose a huge environmental hazard, but they pose a potential threat to humans. The fish can jump 8 to 10 feet into the air, and numerous people (like this girl who suffered a broken jaw) have been injured by collisions with them.

Now the only thing left standing between the fish and Lake Michigan is a heavily used lock, and it may be only a matter of time until the fish are beating and raping surfers in Lake Michigan. Scary stuff.

Give Jeans a Chance

2009-11-18T16:00:00.000Z

Volcom is teaming up with The National Coalition for the Homeless to help out some of the less fortunate this holiday season. So do some good and collect all those old pairs of jeans that are collecting dust in your closet, and donate them to this program. Besides getting the satisfaction of helping out your fellow man, you will get an entered into a drawing to win a year’s supply of Volcom jeans.

Volcom - Give Jeans a Chance >>

The Volcom Give Back Series Presents: Give Jeans A Chance from Volcom Stone on Vimeo.

Here is a list of shops in the Great Lakes area participating:

Flavour
Dave's World
Fathom
Top Of The World
Ron Jon
Atlas
Axis

*Let me know if I've missed a shop here and I will add it!

New Lake Surfing Documentary in the Works

2009-11-06T21:35:02.000Z

Big wave surfer Jamie Sterling was in Chicago a couple weeks back to do some location scouting for an upcoming documentary Red Bull is putting together, about surfing the Great Lakes. Shooting doesn't begin until next year sometime, but I can't wait to see this! The lakes don't get alot of coverage in the international surf arena, so its nice to see them getting a little more attention these days. Chicago Now writer Marcus Leshock caught up with Jamie for a little SUP lesson, you can see how that went here.

Check out these other great films shot on the Great Lakes:
UNSALTED - A Great Lakes Experience >>
OUT OF PLACE - A Portrait of Surfing in Cleveland, Ohio >>

Obama is going to clean our lakes!

2009-11-03T02:53:58.000Z

Is there anything this guy can't do? A $475 million Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has just passed through Congress and is just a Barack Obama signature away from becoming reality. The funding is seen as a down payment on a campaign promise by Obama to create a $5 billion trust fund for the lakes. The restoration plan is designed to last for five years, totaling more than $2 billion. Obama's trust fund would be paid for by rolling back tax breaks for oil companies, his campaign said. It would support projects such as sewage system repairs, cleanup of sediments contaminated by toxic chemicals, and restoration of wetlands and wildlife habitat.

This is big news for us Canadian surfers, since all of our lake's borders are shared with our American friends. So any cleanup efforts going on south of the border are likely to have a big impact on water quality up here. Now if only we could clean up the Humber River, I wouldn't have to worry about what I swallowed on that last duck-dive down at Bluffers!

The start of a Great Lakes restoration is due in large part to efforts by a group called Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, made up of more than 110 environmental, conservation, outdoor recreation organizations, zoos, aquariums and museums.

Peter Devries wins the Cold Water Classic Canada

2009-11-02T17:52:59.000Z

(From Transworld Surf) The inaugural Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) 6-Star O’Neill Cold Water Classic Canada saw a fairytale ending today when local standout Peter Devries (Tofino, BC), 26, went on an absolute rampage to claim the event over Jay Thompson (Burleigh Heads, AUS), 27, in front of his home crowd in Tofino on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

Devries stormed through an unbelievable list of some of the world’s finest surfing talent to take out the win today, besting former ASP World Tour Standout Cory Lopez (Dana Point, CA), 32, and current ASP WQS No. 12 Glen Hall (IRE), 27, before topping Thompson at his local break of North Chesterman’s beach. The O’Neill Cold Water Classic Canada was the first time an ASP event had touched Canadian soil and Devries made history as the first Canadian to claim an ASP WQS win. Read the whole story here >>

Watch some of the highlights here >>

Photo: ASP