Surfing on Lake Michigan

Burton Hathaway was born & raised in Southern California. It was there that he learned to surf and he eventually spent several years in pursuit of the Endless Summer in Hawaii. Love brought him back East, specifically to Racine, Wisconsin, where he eventually settled along the shores of Lake Michigan. Within a few weeks, Burton realized there were actually surf-able waves on Lake Michigan, although not very often. Ever since then, Burton has become a very accurate surf forecaster on the Great Lakes and probably catches more waves on Lake Michigan than anyone else.

The challenge for Burton is that the best surfing conditions on Lake Michigan often come in the winter months...or at least the stretch between Labor Day and Memorial Day. This often means Burton ends up entering Lake Michigan when the water temperature is close to freezing. When he gets out of 35° water, he depends on an OPTIMA REDTOP to start his truck.