Some Like It Cold: Surfing the Malibu of the Midwest

by William Povletich

Some Like It Cold chronicles the true story of twin brothers Lee and Larry Williams, whose love of surfing evolved in the most unlikely of off the shores of Lake Michigan. From their boyhood home in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, the brothers trekked to the local beach with their longboards and their dreams to master the waves at spots like the Elbow and the Cove. The next six decades proved that their zeal for catching grinders and barrels was much more than a hobby. Surfing in the cold had its challenges, and Lee and Larry recall stories of freak storms, ice-encrusted beaches, and near drownings, along with the usual hypothermia, helped but not cured by their customized cold-water wetsuits. Despite living nearly 2,000 miles from either coast, Lee and Larry have made a lifestyle out of freshwater surfing, recreating their hometown as "The Malibu of the Midwest" and gaining international fame as hosts of the Dairyland Surf Classic. With humor and wit, author William Povletich brings their tale of revolutionizing surf culture to the page.

Genres: Sports, Memoir

224 pages, Paperback

Published April 17, 2016

Reviews

[Trevor Pearson · Rating 3 out of 5]

" 'Once you make it out there and you sit up on your board like you're sitting on a kitchen chair, you don't even think about the wiggles, the waggles, the chop, the wind. To get covered up or get a little head dip on a two-footer when you're on the nose can be as big a rush as dropping down a ten-foot face and you're just inches away from being eaten alive by that wave. Then you look around and the people in the lineup are your best friends. That's what it's all about, Mom.' "

Sheboygan, Wisconsin may initially conjure up thoughts of being a crime free city with gigantic heifers begging to be tipped, cold beer, big sausages, grown men wearing foam American cheddar cheese on their collective heads; leaving you with the understanding that in Wisconsin cheese is cheese and cheese is love. What Some Like It Cold by William Povletich provides to the reader is an enlightenment to the cold hard truth that there is a surfing culture that on the surface has been around for close to sixty years but if you dive deeper your uncover that people have been surfing the Great Lakes for over four hundred years and it is still going strong. It may not have the dangers of thirty foot waves, surf Nazi's, or nasty sharks lurking in the murky waters below, but what the Great Lakes does provide is the opportunity to surf alongside or perhaps on a thousand pound blocks of ice while risking the danger of dying of hypothermia every time you paddle out waiting for the break. What makes the surfing season in the Midwest unique is that it is enjoyed at the end of summer into the final winter months. It definitely takes a special breed to throw yourself into the elements and after reading this book you will find that there is more to the extreme cold that makes these brothers tick. In the end wherever you are in the world, mean weather always makes for an interesting surf and Sheboygan has mean weather to say the least.

Lee and Larry Williams were enterprising young men starting with their inclusive group of 2 then 24 in short order then a few hundred and now has reached thousands. A few seconds of success on the waves turned their passion for surfing into a full-year responsibility. With little money to be had in their childhood home they made their own fun. Big time practical jokers, daredevils, pranksters and amateur stuntmen they were Jackasses before the notorious Jackasses were a glimmer in their mama's eye. The Great Lakes have earned the reputation for being the primary source for freshwater surfing in the world and the label of being the Malibu of the Midwest. This designation has been in part due to the hard work of twin brothers and fellow Sheboyganites Lee and Larry with a little help from their friends. Screw Lombardi let's hit the water, said very few in Wisconsin but some young people were listening.

"As Lee, Larry, and Kevin paddled out into the Lake Michigan surf, they were about to realize the importance of respect - in this case, respect for the wave - by being taught their first of many life lessons through surfing. Each of them ignored their first of many life lessons through surfing. Each of them ignored their fear of the unknown as they came closer to the waves' intoxicating impact zone. They discarded their goal of catching a manageable wave to surf, exchanging that goal for the glory they could achieve by surfing the largest of arcing barrels, despite their inexperience. After being thrashed around by several waves, where nature's law of survival of the fittest plays no favorites, they took a more rational approach when the next set of white-tipped waves approached. When the initial endorphin rush gave way to other sensations, their fears subsided, allowing them to communicate with the swells, sensing the rhythm and natural language of the waves."

Some Like It Cold is a detailed account of two thrill seeking teenagers living in the ordinary Midwest doing extraordinary things to bring excitement to their mundane lives. Through scrapes, broken bones, surfing in a hail of bullets in Gary, Indiana, eluding and triumphing over the coast guards, potential drowning, and run-in's with police officers; Lee and Larry establish themselves to be certifiably insane while doing the most of what they can do for the world of surfing. Together they have utilized their talents to transform from posers with ambition to being regarded as legit surfers by their older, more respected peers. As they have evolved with the region they have organized a local festival to promote the sport and attract several hundred and even thousands of surfers in the process flocking to the northern lakes. Given their unique circumstances they have become genuine celebrities who have helped put Sheboygan, Wisconsin on the map as one of the truly unique surfing experiences in the world. They worked hard to prove that surfing was in fact a thriving subculture and not a niche activity, enabling a regional revolution of sorts. To them there was something religious about surfing; the freedom of isolation when traveling on water, and the blessing that it was close to home, they just wanted people to know that like every other surfer around the world they were just searching for the perfect wave even if it happened to be two thousand miles from an ocean.

What I found interesting were the references to French fur trader Etienne Brule surfing the Great Lakes as a mode of transportation in 1612, the Polynesian influence thousands of years ago in Hawaii, Captain James Cook observing men on carved wood riding waves in 1778, and even approval from literary giants Mark Twain and Jack London on the utter thrill that is surfing a Hawaiian wave. Something to be expected when reading a nonfiction but interesting nonetheless. I also enjoyed the meteorological information that was gathered to demonstrate the lengths the surfers would go towards self-education when it came to identifying prime points for attacking the varying spots in the Great Lakes. This section reminded me of the movie Back To The Beach when a random information gatherer is analyzing some intel from a guy on his corded phone and his poor excuse for a computer and excitedly gets on a megaphone, wakes the surfers from their drunken slumber and they high-tail it out of there via a fire pole to hit the waves. One of my favourite movies as a child but one that hasn't aged well, unlike myself. If you're looking for a quick and easy read to get you in the summer spirit give this one a go.

"But surfing in such frigid temperatures has also brought the brothers clarity. They had nothing left to prove. After five decades, they had tackled and conquered nearly every major and minor life obstacle with the support of Lake Michigan's crystal blue waters. If surfing was about finding balance atop a rolling wave, maneuvering until comfortable and secure, they were each still standing on their own two feet. If surfing was about trusting Mother Nature and respecting her power, they had stopped flirting with her wrath years ago. If surfing was about camaraderie, they had become distinguished ambassadors to a unique brotherhood of Great Lakes surfers. Their legacy helped influence a whole new generation of Midwestern surfers - many of whom chose to 'share the stoke' through modern technology."

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting concept- how the surf scene on Lake Michigan evolved- but poorly executed. It profiles two brothers from Sheboygan who had a big hand in popularizing freshwater surfing. The stories about them were mostly about how raucous and troublemaking they were. I wanted more about their relationships, what drove them to go in frigid water, and techniques about surfing. I also know there were most likely not many women in these circles but I wanted to hear more about the brief mentions they get. This book could have been so much more. Also, multiple typos…

[Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall a good luck at the surf culture in the Great Lakes.

[Jim Gallen · Rating 5 out of 5]

To the casual observer, the word “surfing” conjures visions of Hawaii and California. As readers of “Some Like It Cold” quickly learn, there is and has been a vibrant surfing culture on the Great Lakes with Sheboygan earning the title of the Malibu of the Midwest.

This book focuses on the lives of twin brothers, Lee and Larry Williams and their quest to earn the respect of the surfing brotherhood, both for themselves and inland surfing. This book follows their lives from their youth during which their rebuff by the existing Great Lakes Surf Club drove them to form the Lake Shore Surf Club and use it to promote their inland sport. At its height it would sponsor the Dairyland Surf Classic, the great Labor Day gathering of surfers from around the Great Lakes and the world.

This is a collection of personal anecdotes interspersed with general history of the surfing sport. I learned a lot from reading this book. I gained an insight into the surfing culture, the sense of adventure that drives one to mount those waves, the migration of surfing from the South Pacific to around the world and what makes Sheboygan such a great place to surf. The physical challenges that Lee and Larry faced are daunting. When author William Povletich says “Some Like It Cold” he is not just talking about the lake chilling in July. He is talking about ice floes in December, frigid rescues and hypothermia.

Beyond surfing this is a human story of brothers who challenged the best in the other, provided support in tragedy and shared their love of the sport. I do not want to go into more detail because William Povletich has woven a novel quality saga out of these intertwined lives. I read this on a Lake Michigan Beach in Door County, well north of Sheboygan, in July when icicles were not to be seen, and could almost visualize the surfing amidst the crashing waves. “Some Like It Cold” is a rewarding read for anyone with an interest in the sport, the Lakes or just a moving human interest story.

I did receive a free copy of this book to read and review.

[Delaney Barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

**This book was exchanged for an honest review**

Some Like It Cold is a thrilling adventure of adolescent, twin brothers as they find their passion for surfing. This book, published by the Wisconsin Historical Society Press, encapsulates a small part of a niche community. Following the brothers as they discover lake surfing, rivalry, passion, and girls, you will be enveloped in the vivid descriptions of the snow covered beach, and adrenaline of high stakes surfing. In a place where surfing requires below zero temperatures, and shark like reflexes, every paddle out is a dance with fate. Povletich has an amazing way of taking that pure emotion and recording it in this book. You will find yourself laughing, crying, and on the edge of your seat as you dive into this micro history about two brothers searching for the perfect wave in their own backyard of Sheboygan, Wisconsin.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Libraything for a free copy of this book.
Some Like It Cold isn't just about surfing. It's the biography of twin brothers, Lee and Larry Williams, and their love of surfing in the unlikely place of Sheboygan, Wisconsin. I found their story fascinating, humorous, and, at times, heartbreaking.
The book is divided into 4 sections called waves. The first wave, which is mainly about growing up in small town USA in the 60's, was my favourite part.
The book also contains in-depth information about surfing, weather conditions that create ideal waves, and pier watch safety.
I would recommend this book to anyone because there is a wide variety of information that covers a range of interests.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to read this book because I never heard of surfing on the Great Lakes. This is the story of two brothers, Larry and Lee Williams who wanted nothing more than surf with the big boys in Sheboygan, Michigan. Not deterred by the rebuff, they started their own surfing club, and eventually formed the Dairyland Surf Classic. The book follows their love for surfing, their personal lives and tragedies, how they changed the surfing culture and who'd believe that they'd still be surfing fifty years later. Quite a fascinating book.