5301 Lake Street
Bridgman, Michigan
"Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet."
—John 13:14 (NIV)
I lived in Hawaii from 1978 to 2007 and have caught many good, no make that many great waves here. I've surfed Sunset, Laniakea, Log Cabins, Haleiwa and even Waimea Bay. The biggest surfing thrill for me has always been getting tubed. That's when you get so deep in the pocket of a wave that it breaks over your head and you are covered by the wave. It doesn't matter to me whether its small or big - when I get tubed I'm stoked. Now you're probably thinking that my first tube ride was in Hawaii. Well, if you're thinking that you're wrong.
The West wind had shifted 180 degrees and was now blowing East. The off shore wind was creating tubes! The waves were pealing off with perfect rights and lefts. I was so stoked I almost wet my pants. I went and got my friend Clay. He couldn't believe it either. At first he was stoked but then he was bummed because he remembered that his surfboard was in Bethany Beach. I told him, "No problem, lets go get it!" It was about an hour round trip. The whole way there and back we talked about how good we hoped the surf would be. The anticipation consumed us.
Then we sat on the beach, with our boards. We watched the waves continue to tube peeling off to the right and the left. When the sky brightened enough for us to see better we grabbed our boards and paddled out. We were out in the lineup just before the sun came up. We were getting some of the best rides we've ever had. The waves were breaking about 30 yards off shore and peeling off right all the way to the beach. After about an hour I caught this one wave that I'll never forget.
I dropped in and turned right. I sped across the sand bar as the wave peeled off perfectly. Then on the inside section, the wave started to bowl. I crouched down and it happened. Everything around was white. There was no sun, no clouds just white. It was like I was in a white room. Then all of a sudden, I was back out in the day light riding this wave. I was stunned! What had just happened? It seemed like a dream.
I paddled back out and sat in silence, waiting for the next wave. Clay turned to me and said, "I didn't think you made that last section."
"I didn't either", I said.
"Did you get tubed?", he asked.
"I was riding the wave and all of a sudden everything was white water. Then I came out", I answered slowly as the reality of what just happened started to sink in. I continued, "Clay I think I just got tubed!"
We started hooting and screaming for joy. We were so stoked that I went in to get the camera. You may not believe this, but the camera jammed. We surfed until 11 a.m. and there were no more rideable waves. It was an experience that I will never forget.
37 years later, I'm not partying until 3 a.m. anymore, as a matter of fact, I'm a pastor. After three of my heros (Janice Joplan, Jim my Hendrix & Jim Morrison) overdosed on drugs, and hitting bottom myself, I asked Jesus Christ into my life. My life hasn't been the same since. I still love to surf and will always have a special place in my heart for St. Joe, Michigan.
On September 16, 1999, while visiting my folks in Michigan, I was surfing that same exact spot. After catching one particularly good wave, I remember thinking,"I sure wish Clay was here to take some pictures." As I paddled back out, my thoughts turned to that special day Clay and I had shared together, when I got my first tube ride. When I looked on the beach, I couldn't believe my eyes.
There was Clay with his camera snapping off pictures. I surfed until I was too tired to surf anymore and caught my last wave in. I peeled off the wetsuit I had borrowed from Clay's brother Kenny and Clay surfed for the last 45 minutes of daylight. I didn't get tubed that day but we got our best surf pictures of Lake Michigan. It was a great day that I'll never forget.
Jack Nordgren