I’m delighted to report that, last evening in Minneapolis, I was lucky enough to be part of a group of charged-up volunteers that held our first formal get-together to plan a local chapter of the Surfrider Foundation. 
This is a wonderful, worldwide volunteer organization, with more than 50,000 members — here’s the home page, www.surfrider.org, and here’s what it’s all about. As a lifelong member since it all started in 1984, I’m really, really stoked that we now have so many interested potential volunteers here in the Twin Cities and Duluth, especially — considering there’s a growing clan of surfers now active on Lake Superior! A new crop of volunteers, along with many existing Surfrider members already living in our state who have not previously had a local chapter affiliation, are now coming together to form a great nucleus that will become what we hope will be called the "Minnesota Chapter" (once we get officially set up with the headquarters folk in Southern California).
In addition to the increased local interest in surfing on the Big Lake (and, of course, the already strong communities we have in our state in windsurfing and wakeboarding), you might wonder, so what was the spark that ignited the recent coming together of Minnesotans interested in forming a local chapter? Well, it was none other than…the recent Jack Johnson concert! That’s right — where the Surfrider Foundation had a strong presence as one of the sponsors of Jack’s current tour. Many people signed up to show interest and support of the Surfrider’s cause at a booth they set up at the concert. And every single person at last night’s formative session had attended the concert…but me! 🙁 I did blog about it, though, just after the fact (see Jack Johnson Made Me Do a Post About Surfing).
In the photo below, here’s the crew that gathered last night at Stefan Ronchetti’s residence in Richfield. From left to right, it’s me, Amanda Jansen, Nate Clark, Keely Gerhold, Stefan Ronchetti, and Ryan Buus. Not pictured are Ryan Schroeder, who had to leave just before this, and a whole bunch of others who I know were there in spririt. 
(A particular hat tip to Dr. Jim Perry, a fellow Surfrider member who had previously helped form the Connecticut chapter before moving here, and who met with Stefan and myself last year in what was really our first meeting to discuss…what if? Jim charged us up and convinced us it could be done. I know Jim was also at the Jack Johnson concert and would have enjoyed being with us last night if he could have. Thanks, bro! And another hat tip to all our brothers who surf the Big Lake, including Greg Isaacson, Bob Tema, Brian Stabinger, and, well, you know who you are….we salute you all!)
The group you see pictured here is just the beginning — the core or nucleus — of what I’m convinced will become a strong local, grassroots organization that will work toward monitoring and taking action on local issues relating to the quality of our water resources, shorelines, and beaches. And, here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes — and home to the largest freshwater lake in the world — everyone will benefit.
Rock on, Surfrider — here’s to a great future in Minnesota!
And to all of you out there: to indicate your interest in becoming an early "charter" member of our local chapter, please say so in the comments section below, or email Keely at gerh0039@umn.edu. You don’t have to be a surfer, windsurfer, or wakeboarder, you just have to like us 🙂 …no, seriously, you just have to believe in the causes of Surfrider, and that individuals taking action together can make a real difference in this world! Everyone is welcome. Cheers!
So, early Saturday morning, I pointed the Passat wagon north for Duluth — board strapped on top. [That was for looks only — I’m a warm water surfer only! 🙂 …and just in case someone wanted to try my vintage 6-ft singlefin stick.] I’d been praying for both good surf and good weather for a couple of days, really hoping the event could get a big turnout. Sadly, neither happened — well, not much in the way of surf, anyway. The weather? It was downright horrible. But nothing stops these guys, so I didn’t let it get to me, either! Actually it started out sunny as I left the Twin Cities, and the forecast there was for 75 F. 
But I knew a nasty low system was just to the north of us, and rain was in the forecast for Duluth — a 70% chance. The forecast high in Duluth had been trending down for a few days and was now only 59 F. Well, it never even came close to that! My car thermometer was at 46 when I pulled into Duluth, and I doubt it got much over 50 before I left. But it was fun, anyway, and I’m really glad I went. I wanted to meet these guys, shoot some pix, and blog about the event, which is officially called the 
It was held at Park Point beach park, a very cool place out on a long, thin sandy penisula stretching straight south from the Canal Park bridge, lined with beach houses and, yes, even some new condo developments cropping up. The road dead-ends at a small airport, and the beach park is just before that. It has a gorgeous, wide sandy beach, lined with birch and pine forest, and lots of park area, with barbeques, and a big log-cabin type public beach building with concessions inside. 
But the weather and surfing conditions were hardly ideal! With temps in the mid-40s, and winds straight onshore from the East at 15 mph+, the wind chill had to be 30 F. Fog was blowing in onto the beach, and I didn’t even realize for a while that it was fogging my lens pretty badly! My exposed hands were freezing — I needed gloves! Very soon after I arrived, I had to ditch the shorts and Rainbows for long pants, socks and shoes, a hooded sweat and jacket — just to survive the hour or so at water’s edge shooting. 
The surfers, however, had all the right equipment (6-mil wet suits) and seemed comfortable in the 45-degree water — where hood, gloves, and booties are mandatory, or you will go numb, guaranteed!
The sport of surfing owes this man a lot, this pioneering waterman from the ’30s, ’40s, and ’50s. The big hardcover biography published on him a few years ago is a classic in many surfers’ libraries. And I was stoked to see Greg honoring the memory of this great man with a fundraising effort at the Coldwater Surf Fest. He even had some cool Tom Blake t-shirts made up, and I just had to have one…
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