Well now i've gone an done it. Pushed it a little too far this weekend and have wound up sick. However it was at the expense of a fantastic, cold, three hour surf yesterday morning; which was much needed. Haven't been sick since October and now i can barely think or move. Maybe yesterday's surf and evening yoga contributed, maybe it was the weekend revel-rousing and hockey. Whatever it was, i'm now beat (which is no big surprise i guess) and to top it off a low pressure system is swooping in as i type, bringing with it some NNE gale force winds which should make for good swell overnight and into the morning. Crappy for me, unless for some miracle Nance's homemade chicken soup, the chamomile tea and the other assorted home remedies kick in soon. Wicked for anyone else who gets some tomorrow. When it rains it pours. Ok...enough. Everybody gets sick from time to time. Big deal.

A decent swell blew up saturday night, making the east side of the lake look like a glowing orange (upwards of 12') on the NOAA website; but between the long (nearly 3 hour drive) and the fact that we got a vague confirmation of slush, we opted for someplace else, someplace closer. Different wind direction than what we normally surf on this side, but surprisingly good. Sometimes it pays to lower your expectations a tad.

I'm sorta lacking in the visual department from yesterday, only because i was more excited to surf than stand on the beach or fiddle with the Olmpus in the water.



photograph by Eric Berglund

over and out
peace
e

Came home yesterday to Nancy waving the Spring 2008 copy of SBC Surf, Canada's newest surf magazine. Slick! 164 pages of amazing photography and writing from Canada's surf scene and beyond, all printed on FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified recycled paper. The boys at SBC Surf have really gotten it right as they move into their second year of putting together this great publication. From Clayoquot Sound to exploring Nova Scotia, to several stops in between, this mag is packed. Pick up your copy at most reputable book/magazine stores or from your local shop. And if you can't find it locally, you can always scoop a 4-issue subscription for under 20 clams. Money well spent if you ask me.

I might have posted this photo once before,
but it definitely looks sweet in print.



Finished up a hockey tournament put on by the Ministry of Natural Resources today, which made me feel like a kid again. Pretty beat after that, but because we are gunning for the first surf in about 35 days tomorrow morning, my body will have to wait for any kind of serious recuperation. Surf's up....
peace
e

Looks like things are finally clearing out on the big lake.


Superior steel. 2005



Longboard film:  Perch

photo by Eric Berglund

Well, last year we spent easter down in California, surfing and enjoying the warmth. This year, the possibility for an easter surf was fleeting. Potentially good winds, but with ice being pushed around the lake, the thought of an hour and a half one way to get skunked by ice flows, was plenty to keep me out of the water and finding other things to do. Four day weekend, brought serious sunshine, fresh snow, skiing, fishing, friends, yoga, hiking, relaxing and chocolate. After a hearty bowl of fruit, some eggs and hot crossed buns, Nance and i cruised it out onto the lake to fish on Sunday. The fishing was...slow. Cold wind, but warm spring sun.




J. wanted to scout some boulders today, so a crew was assembled and off we went up into the hills. No boulders worth putting on a list of climbs, but some caves to snack-out, in.

Olivia, Max, their old man Andrew and Nance snackin' out.


Water break.


Getting serious about playing.


photo's by Eric Berglund

Happy Spring Y'all! Yesterday was the vernal equinox, and it looks like it outside....sunny and spring like. Still getting some over night lows in the negative 20C's Though. Surf??? Maybe, but also a pile of ice out there. Gonna shoot out and enjoy some midday skiing in the sun, get some fishing in this weekend and just enjoy the four day weekend.


Not sure if this gets you pumped, but it does it for me. The Angling Exploration Group just released their third full length film 'Fishbum 1: Mongolia' where the boys put the boots to the elusive and worlds largest salmonid, the Hucho taimen, which can grow in excess of 100lbs.


peace e

Encounters of a summer kind.


photo by Eric Berglund

Hit up Lutsen (mid west skiing at it's finest), down the way on the Minnesota northshore on saturday with my sis Signe, the bro-inlaw Andrew and Nancy. Sig and Andy rocked the slowboards...i mean snowboards, Nance donned alpine gear for the first time in years and i turned the tele's. Fun day, spring corn. Lot's o' ice packed in along the lakeshore. Sauna mania when we rolled into town in the evening. Headed for a stroll out at Silver Harbour this morning to wake our selves up...spent the day puttsin around and turning some balsa floats for some spring steelheading. Topped it off with a yoga session to finish the day. Solid weekend all around.

Posse

Sig and Andy

What the heck...more ice for ya.


photo's by Eric Berglund

Things happen when your paddling in northern Saskatchewan for 6 weeks.

vertical-summer 2003

e's mad etcha sketching - summer 2003

Here's the surf report: NO SURF...and ice, lots of ice (See Figure 1). 18 days and counting since last in the water. Now would be a good time to be heading to Costa Rica. Life on a lake in Canada, no big surprise.

Figure 1. A very frozen Lake Superior.


On the other hand we'd be missing out on some killer ski conditions and the warm winter sun of March. Here are some shots from a weekend spent outside.



Nance Fishing

Nance Sliding





photo's by Eric Berglund

More piles of frozen water. When will it end?

photo by Eric Berglund

Winston bottom turning on a chunky day in October.


photo by Eric Berglund

Sibley Ski Tour weekend. The Sibley ski tour is a 31 year old annual event out at Sleeping Giant Provincial Park, northeast of Thunder Bay to behold. There's the 10 km family event; the 20 km tour; and the 50 km race. Not sure on the numbers this year, but there were likely close to 1,000 skiers who showed up , both locals and folks from Minnesota, Manitoba and elsewhere in Ontario. Anyways, other than a bit of snow the day before, which made things a little soft, we couldn't have asked for a nicer day to glide on snow. The sun was warm and spring like but the air still had a nip of winter in it (temperature= -5C ish). I'd have to say that i probably had one of the best skis ever. (wax: vauhti graphite (hard); vauhti race blue).

Skis awaiting the trail.


Kilometer 34 (approximately) of 50. Skiing away from the pack and feeling the burn of not having someone to pace off of. Beautiful though.

photo's by Eric Berglund

Not a whole lot of surf going on these days, North winds mostly. And when it has looked promising, such as today and last friday, ice has managed to blow in, making things...well, not surfable. Continue to wait. Continue to ski.