Surfing in -- Wisconsin???

from the Pioneer Press bq. Longboard, The Bear and yours truly are holding down a table at the east end of the tavern. The sky is slate gray, the wind blows hard from the north-northwest and the waters of Lake Michigan beyond the window are rolling and roiling. The hand of God is stirring a huge pot of Lake Michigan stew. bq. Outside, the air temperature is in the high 30s. The lake temperature is in the low 40s. The trees are stripped bare. I am reminded why November is my least favorite month. bq. Longboard and The Bear would disagree. They are thinking that, except for a few meteorological missteps, this could be a Grade-A day for surfing Sheboygan harbor. bq. We are the "Malibu of the Midwest," Larry "Longboard" Williams pronounces after a short tug on his beer. bq. Absolutely," agrees Mark "The Bear" Rakow. it goes on: bq. The reason surfing is so good in Sheboygan, says Longboard, gesturing toward the lake, is because of a rock reef out there. He says the energy created by the wind and water surges forward when it collides with the reef. bq. "It creates a giant barrel-like wave that peels off just like the Banzai Pipeline in Hawaii," he explains, smiling at the thought of his own enthusiasm. "We get waves here big enough to hide a Volkswagen in." bq. Standard surfing gear in Sheboygan this time of year includes an arctic wet suit with attached hood, plus neoprene boots and gloves. The only exposed part of the body is from your lower lip to your eyebrows, which, Longboard swears, "is not much different from being out in a snowstorm." bq. "I surfed one day when it was 17 degrees with a minus-24 wind chill factor," Longboard recalls with pride. "My mustache was frozen solid. I looked like Yosemite Sam." Fun article