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Deadly Temps, Ice Boulders and Blow-Holes: Surfing Georgian Bay in Winter

  • February 18, 2016
  • Ben Osborne
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On January 9, 2015, the mean temperature was -9C. That’s a cold day. Some would argue that’s too cold for skiing. But for Jim Schorer, Josh Madryga and Aaron Phillips, the perfect conditions on Georgian Bay meant it was a day made for surfing.

 

ONsurf1
Aaron Phillips paddling out. Mark O’Grady photo.

by Colin Field

Everyone thinks the Great Lakes surfer types are crazy. And for good reason. It felt dangerous watching them jump off the icy shoreline into the frothing icy waters of the Bay. The volatile, ever-moving liquid created blowholes and tossed around boulder sized chunks of rock-hard ice. It seemed unsafe. But these guys made it look easy. One couldn’t help but feel a little jealous of their passion. Of their dedication and determination.

  

ONsurf4
Jim Schorer. Colin Field photo.
ONsurf5
Colin Field photo.

   

“The volatile, ever-moving liquid created blowholes and tossed around boulder sized chunks of rock-hard ice. It seemed unsafe.”

 

 

For Georgian Bay to be surfable it takes the right kind of weather conditions; the wind needs to blow in the right direction for the right amount of time in the right spot. It’s an uncommon occurrence. But when it works, whether it’s raining, snowing or hailing, these guys drop everything to get out there.

Surfers say there’s something about riding a wave that non-surfers couldn’t understand. They’ll compare surfing to love. They’ll compare it to God. They’ll say you become one with nature. They’ll say you’ll truly be in the moment and every hour of suffering to get there was undoubtedly worth it.

And if that’s true, the real question is: Why weren’t more people out there on January 9, 2015?

 

ONsurf2
Josh Madryga busting a lip. Colin Field photo.

 


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#ThrowbackThursday 👉Rhythmic raindrops pounded on the truck’s canopy. Wet snow avalanches growled down the slopes, and the river echoed its roar—evidence the Nass Valley’s spirit was very alive. According to the Nisga’a people, K’alii-Aksim-Lisims (the Nass River, one of BC’s richest river systems) is as much a part of them as their own flesh and blood, flowing through their land and lives.
Join us to hear from the Squamish Search & Rescue on trip planning, outdoor safety, outing ideas, and tips for backcountry travel while enjoying local beer and good company at @hellyhansenwhistler tomorrow eve! #Linkinbio to register!
@jamiemocrazy’s traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurred on her second competition run in slopestyle skiing at the finals of the World Ski & Snowboard Festival in Whistler in April, 2015.
Reel Rock 16 is coming to #Squamish! There are two showings 👉 May 20th and June 1st at the Eagle Eye Theatre, Howe Sound Secondary School, in beautiful Squamish supported by @climbonsquamish! #Linkinbio to get your tickets! #climbing #film #filmfest #climbers #adventure #climbon #adventure #squamishbc #tickets
Finding that picture perfect moment with @sweenyj #mountainlifer
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FRIDAY FLICK 💥 This past March, speed mountaineer Benedikt Böhm @benediktboehm rocked a five-hour sea-to-summit expedition up Mount Parnassus in central Greece. Starting at sea level on his road bike at the village of Itea on the Gulf of Corinth, he climbed up to an altitude of 2.414 metres. #linkinbio to watch the film!
I had no idea what to expect from this trip, neither from bikepacking, a fancy term for cycle touring and a sport I’d never done before, nor from Kyrgyzstan, a country most people cannot find on a map. Carl, who I’d only just met recently after moving to Canada—I’d flagged him down after backcountry skiing after seeing his Montana license plate—had invited me on this trip while on a mountain bike ride. I said no. A few weeks later I figured, “Why not?”
The @rab.equipment  dynamic Cirrus Flex is a soft, lightweight hybrid synthetic insulation for mountain-friendly layering. Keeping you warm and perfectly suited to journey in the mountains. #TheMountainPeople #WeAreRab
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#ThrowbackThursday 👉Rhythmic raindrops pounded on the truck’s canopy. Wet snow avalanches growled down the slopes, and the river echoed its roar—evidence the Nass Valley’s spirit was very alive. According to the Nisga’a people, K’alii-Aksim-Lisims (the Nass River, one of BC’s richest river systems) is as much a part of them as their own flesh and blood, flowing through their land and lives.
Join us to hear from the Squamish Search & Rescue on trip planning, outdoor safety, outing ideas, and tips for backcountry travel while enjoying local beer and good company at @hellyhansenwhistler tomorrow eve! #Linkinbio to register!
@jamiemocrazy’s traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurred on her second competition run in slopestyle skiing at the finals of the World Ski & Snowboard Festival in Whistler in April, 2015.
Reel Rock 16 is coming to #Squamish! There are two showings 👉 May 20th and June 1st at the Eagle Eye Theatre, Howe Sound Secondary School, in beautiful Squamish supported by @climbonsquamish! #Linkinbio to get your tickets! #climbing #film #filmfest #climbers #adventure #climbon #adventure #squamishbc #tickets
Finding that picture perfect moment with @sweenyj #mountainlifer
The winter that just keeps on given-er! 🤘#mountainlifer
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