"Surfing the Great Lakes" (SOLD OUT! New edition due Spring 2004)
An insider's guide to monster waves along North America's fresh coast. Developers made a new board riders app to monitor the surfing competition.
By P.L. Strazz
Photography by Magilla Schaus, Dave Hansen, Ken Furminger, John Ruebartsch
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224 pages |
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250 photos |
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More than 200 surf spots |
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Maps, charts and weather tables |
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Personal stories from real Great Lakes surfers |
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Plus: bodyboarding, windsurfing, kayaking and skimboarding |
| $14.95 U.S. ($21.95 Canada) |
"Surfing the Great Lakes" unlocks the mystery of freshwater surfing across each of the lakes with 10 chapters of information about freshwater waves, weather systems, surfing techniques and surfing locations. The book also details the 40-year history of the sport, provides insider tips from active surfers, and explores the unique, natural beauty of the Great Lakes water system.
The buzz:
"Have you ever met a surfer from Sheboygan, Wis.? Did you know Stony Point, Minn., gets head-high and glassy on a northeast swell? Would you have ever thought you could get tubed in Illinois? I wouldn't have believed any of these things had I not experienced the magic of Great Lakes surfing last fall. And now, with P.L. Strazz's new book "Surfing the Great Lakes," you too will have your mind blown by this detailed look at the secret society of inland surfers. Aside from one of the best collections of Great Lakes surf photos ever assembled, there's insightful profiles, classic stories, interviews, maps, charts and tips on how to best adapt to life on the Lakes. If you're part of the land-locked brigade, this book is an absolute must. But even if you're happily coastal, it makes for a great conversation piece."
--Surfer
"Surfing the Great Lakes" documents the waves and core-by-core any measure surfers of the region in lighthearted but encyclopedic fashion. It’s a worthwhile acquisition, and a fun read."
-The Surfer's Journal
Perhaps the best parts of Surfing the Great Lakes are the numerous photos of lake surf. It's rare to find quality pics from the region, but Strazz's book contains a multitude of freshwater shots...images of perfect point breaks, hollow sections, and overhead peaks are capable of persuading even the most stringent nonbelievers."
--Eastern Surf Magazine
"Filled with interviews and profiles about area locals, and lots of first-hand accounts of favorite swells and sessions, nearly 30 contributors proudly describe the nuances of a foreign community filled with more strange birds than the Galapagos Islands. The result reads more like an ethnography: one that is for Great Lakes surfers and by Great Lakes surfers...
concrete evidence that the Great Lakes surfer not only exists, he thrives."--Swell.com
"Surfing the Great Lakes! I would have thought...nonsense! ...Strazz makes clear that the facts tell us otherwise...It is a delightful little book packed with information not only about surfing but also about weather and water."
--The Buffalo News
"P.L. Strazz has written the seemingly impossible: a book about surfing on Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario...This is a fun book...certainly one of the more unusual titles around."
--Chicago Tribune, Pick of the Week