Surf SurvivalLake Michigan

Photograph by Mike Killion

Send in your best surfing beat down story here for a chance to win a free spot at the Surf Survival Camp and a 7-night stay at the Harmony Hotel. Here’s another great entry from the contest:

Have you ever heard of a beat down on a lake? There I was watching perfect overhead lines peel into the shore. This was on Lake Michigan in Chicago, Illinois, a place where the waves only get good a few times a year. When it gets big, the paddle out can be brutal, especially in a 6/5/4 wetsuit. So many people opt to jump off the pier. The trick is you have to time leap, so that you land on top of a peak. As one large set rolled in, I launched myself into the air. I looked back in time to see my leash catch on the top of a ladder. Then all I could see was the sky because I was falling ass-backwards into the water. I hung upside down, hogtied by my leash. As I scrambled to release the velcro, a set of waves approached. They proceeded to pummel me like a boxer hitting a speed bag. Finally, I undid my leash and fell the rest of the way down. With the ladder no longer holding my surfboard, it became a flying projectile towards my head. Luckily, I dodged the polyurethane missile.

 

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 27th, 2013 at 8:00 am. It is filed under Harmony Hotel, Surfing, Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

One Response to “Surf SurvivalLake Michigan”

  1. Andrew Nathanson, MD says:
    June 30, 2013 at 6:03 am

    Wow! Hairy survival story that illustrates how your leash can quickly turn from friend to foe. Leash snags, particularly on a coral head or crab trap can tether a surfer underwater, so being familiar with quickly unwrapping ones leash can be lifesaving.
    The first lecture I give in the “Surf Survival” camp is called Basic Lessons, and stresses injury prevention. I highly recommend usig a quick-release leash which can be disengaged with a tug on a clevis-pin. At the very least surfers should make sure to practice rolling off their boards and releasing their leashes under water with eyes closed, Houdini style.