Surfer Spotlight: Giles Schlehuber, Founder of “Five Lakes Surf Club”
“Clean shoulder to head high with sun out and slow rolling sets”
A hard image to picture for most when thinking about the cold, windy shores of Lake Michigan. But for Giles Schlehuber, a Great Lakes surfer living in Holland, MI., ocean-like days and perfect surf sessions happen more often than you might think.
After a friend got him into the water one summer in Saugatuck, Giles, like many others, became obsessed with the everlasting search for waves. “I have surfed a lot of terrible breaks up there that probably no one else has but they’re all special to me” says Giles. Now, as an experienced Great Lakes surfer with a local crew including many “surf elders” he’s able to share insights on how to score conditions that fresh water surfers dream of; “you’re looking for a lot of wind through the middle of the lake without localized winds. If you get a ton of swell in the middle and you get lucky with groundswell and little wind, it’s going to be good. Usually on a Northeast.”
Giles has also been busy creating and running the instagram account/website, “Five Lakes Surf Club” for the past two years. Here, he shares stories from surfers of all five Great Lakes, promotes local events, makes merch and above all else, spreads the stoke of Great Lakes Surfing. He is a true Great Lakes Waterman and spokesperson for fresh water surfers everywhere.
Thank You Giles!