The Wyldewood Surf Club is a

lake surfing Lake surfing is surfing on any lake with sufficient surface area for wind to produce waves. As with ocean surfing, ideal wave conditions are when the wind switches offshore. However, when this occurs over a lake the waves generated by previous ons ...

club founded in 1965 in

Port Colborne Port Colborne is a city in Ontario, Canada that is located on Lake Erie, at the southern end of the Welland Canal, in the Niagara Region of Southern Ontario. The original settlement, known as Gravelly Bay, dates from 1832 and was renamed afte ...

, Ontario, on the northeastern shore of

Lake Erie Lake Erie ( "eerie") is the fourth largest lake by surface area of the five Great Lakes in North America and the eleventh-largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has t ...

by U.S. and Canadian surfers. It is recognized as the oldest surf club on the

Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the mid-east region of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River. There are five lakes ...

. Known for their surf events and contests, the members of the Wyldewood Surf Club today are active in promoting awareness for beach cleanups, surf etiquette, and upholding "The Stoke for Surfing".

Original members

The first 17 Club members were local cottagers and surfers from the Hamilton area that learned to surf with very minimal equipment and boards. While a few of the original club members remain, over the years the club has grown to about 50 members, many of whom still surf

as well as the hundreds of other breaks along the Great Lakes. Some members have moved onto bigger coasts but still recognize the Wyldewood Surf Club as a foundation in their surf experience. * Don Harrison (Buffalo, NY) * Magilla Schaus (Buffalo, NY) * Rick Gillie (Hamilton, ON) * Jack Gillie (Hamilton, ON) * Derek Richardson (Hamilton, ON) * Tom Christopher (Kenmore, NY) * Tom Nelson (Hamilton, ON) * Keith Jukes (Hamilton, ON) * Joe Slack (Hamilton, ON) * Vern Ferster (Hamilton, ON) * John O'Hear (Lewiston, NY) * Darcy O'Hear (Lewiston, NY)

Events

The club's first ever Eastern Surfing Association Surf Contest called the ''ESA - Gales of November'' was held on the north shore of Lake Erie on Pleasant Beach on November 7, 1998. This event was attended by surfers from all over the Great Lakes region. ''Glass Love'' - held during August, is a celebration of the beauty and aesthetic of the surf board. Collectors, vendors, family and friends gather on a summer day at Pleasant Beach to view all kinds of boards and to celebrate the surf community. Raffles and prizes, and if the surf is good, everyone is happier. Drunk skate tops off the event where competitors battle it out for prizes and glory. ''The Gales of November'' - Memorial surf contest to celebrate the life and passion of Magilla Schaus, previous President and long time surfer. Surfers come together to a Paddle Out and spend the day surfing in very cold temperatures.

References

External links

*{{Official website, http://www.wyldewoodsurfclub.com
Interview with Magilla SchausEastern Surf Association
Lake surfing Surfing organizations Surfing in Canada Port Colborne Sports clubs in Canada Sports clubs established in 1965 Organizations based in Ontario