I was 20 when I first rode a wave. It was at a local beach that we still call home, and introduced to me by guys 10 years older. I remember that I was one of only a few younger guys down here at the time, and learned over the next few years that surfing in the Lakes seemed to be done mostly by guys that were older - late twenties, thirties, forties and beyond. There would be the occasional 'youngster' like me, but for the most part, it was ruled by our elders...and I am grateful to have learned the rules of the water that way.

These days, as more folks take to the waves on surfboards in the Midwest (weird, I know), the demographic is changing. We see it at the Shop all the time. The youth are coming, and it is refreshing to see. The guys I grew up surfing with are now bringing their kids down and there is more progression happening than ever before.

Blake is a recently turned 14 year old from Milwaukee, and a perfect example of the new youth movement in Great Lakes surfing. Here he is slicing backside across a well known right point on his new Bing Pintail Lightweight...

Cleveland surfers are a different breed, for sure, and some of the coolest people you'll meet. It takes serious dedication to surf there and these guys are dead serious about it.

Our friend Scott, the man behind the recently released Out Of Place - a documentary on the Cleveland surfing scene (and winner of the 2009 New York Surf Film Festival) - sent over the links below to a local photographer's site. Needless to say after seeing the visuals, we were pretty stoked.

You can click here for a small portfolio of Billy Delfs' Cleveland surfing photos, and visit Billy's main site here.

We went away to California for a few days and got back around 2 am this morning. More on that trip soon. While we were away, a little swell filled into the South End and our buddy Captain Jack scored this little ditty all to his lonesome...

Wunderkid, Blake, took top place in SUP and prone

We cleaned the hell out of the beach. Special thanks to Ocean Minded sandals!

Pro surfer Jamie Sterling was in the region last week, searching for surf in a Red Bull seaplane. I can only imagine what the UP of Michigan locals thought when they saw this rig pull in. Is it deer hunting season yet?

Our new friends at Matuse, who sponsor Jamie, sent us this link. We plan to begin offering the superior line of Matuse wetsuits in our online store this fall - check out the goods here.

A collage of Brian Nevins' photos from the Red Bull trip...