Surf's up at Little Girl's Point

By TOM LAVENTURE

tlaventure@yourdailyglobe.com

Ironwood Township - November Lake Superior waves are not much fun for the small boats but well-insulated surfers seem to like them just fine.

With strong winds and waves on Sunday, Duluth surfers Marina Reese and Kaelan Weiss traveled down the south shore to try their luck at Little Girl's Point. The couple said the three-foot waves and the occasional rogue set provided a few moments of bliss along with a lot of paddling and waiting.

"We had been expecting it to be a larger day, which is unfortunate, but any day with surf, good or bad, is a better day than without surf," Reese said. "Surf conditions on the Great Lakes are most optimal in the fall and winter where it can hopefully be consistent and somewhat often. However, there was a surprising amount of surf to be had this summer, which was a gift during this crazy year."

The Lake Superior water temperature for November averages around 42-degrees and the air temperature on Sunday was in the high 20s and low 30s. To surf in such conditions, the couple wore wool layers underneath sealed and hooded wetsuits with a 5/4 millimeter thickness appropriate to the temperature along with 7 millimeter neoprene boots and mitts.

"The sun definitely helped to keep us warm today but there's nothing like ice cold water hitting you in the face to wake you up for a session," Reese said. "I would say both of our bodies stayed fairly warm between our gear and all the work you are putting in to paddle past the break. By the end of the day our toes were pretty chilled and changing out of the wetsuits is always the coldest part."

The couple was introduced to surfing by a club at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. They learned how to surf on Lake Superior and have been at it for nearly four years.

"Our original mentor, Randy Carlson, recommended Little Girl's Point along with a few other spots we scoped out this weekend and we decided to spend the day here," Reese said.

Weiss once spent a summer surfing in Hawaii. Both have surfed the California coast together and hope to surf more ocean waves in the future.

As far as Lake Superior, there is good surfing on the south shore and north shore, Reese said. As long as there is a swell the two are "happy and ready and hopeful to chase it."

"Duluth has been a home for a bit and the features along the shore provide some sweet rides but it was nice to try somewhere new for the day," Reese said. "The surfing community on the North Shore continues to grow every season as new individuals are introduced to the beauty the water has to offer."

For anyone who wants to learn the sport here they should start by doing research on surfing in general, Reese said. Along with learning the basic skills and steps involved with surfing, there are also things to learn about the sport ranging from gear to etiquette, she said. It would help to find a mentor who is already familiar with the sport and the local surfing community, she said.

"A mentor can read the water fairly well and that is a huge help to start diving in," Reese said. "If there are any programs nearby that help get people started on the basics that's a definite bonus. It can be dangerous out there so anyone brand new to the sport should make sure they have a partner to work with and start small."