A brave surfer in the far north of Michigan braves below-zero temperatures to take on waves in Lake Superior and grow an incredible ‘ice beard’.
Dan Schetter, 39, wears a wetsuit designed to withstand the freezing temperatures of -24F (-31C) with windchill as he rides waves through Lake Superior in Michigan’s cold weather.
His face is still exposed to the elements, and by the end of sessions, the Marquette native’s eyebrows and beard are often covered in icicles.
Dan Schetter, 39, wears a wetsuit designed to withstand the freezing temperatures of -24F (-31C) with windchill as he rides waves through Lake Superior in Michigan’s cold weather. By the end of sessions, the Marquette native’s eyebrows and beard are often covered in icicles
Known as ‘Surfer Dan’, the extreme athlete surfs year-round, even in Michigan’s freezing winters in the Upper Peninsula
Known as ‘Surfer Dan’, the extreme athlete is serious about riding the waves year-round and is always hoping to find others showing off ‘ice beards’ online.
Photographer Devin Hains, 24, held a photoshoot for Schetter, who even got into the water on Christmas day, when Marquette was facing a cold snap.
Hains wore a facemask and several pairs of gloves and used hand warmers during the shoot, while Schetter jumped into the water wearing a 9mm XCEL wetsuit, 8mm boots and gloves.
Schetter has warned others to be careful around the lake in cold weather. On Christmas, Lake Superior’s surface temperature was 36F (2C).
‘Even though I know what I’m doing, it was still difficult,’ he told MLive. ‘My board and body iced up. I had to thaw out underwater.’
Schetter, 39, wears a 9mm XCEL wetsuit, 8mm boots and gloves when surfing in Lake Superior
Schetter has warned others to be careful around the lake in cold weather. On Christmas, Lake Superior’s surface temperature was 36F (2C)
Schetter has surfed in Japan and Hawaii but calls the Great Lakes home – he’s been surfing on them for 20 years
Hains said he and Schetter were by the water all afternoon, from 1pm to 4.30pm, leaving just as the sun set.
He said of the shoot: ‘Dan was hoping to get an ice beard going since it was so cold outside, -24F (-31C) with the wind chill factor. Perfect conditions to grow an ice beard.
‘He’s been surfing for well over 20 years on Lake Superior and the surrounding Great Lakes. He grew up in near Marquette and knows the waters well and surfs year round.
‘The cold doesn’t seem to bother him as much as people would think for a man covered in ice.
‘His wetsuit is very thick and made for such frigid temperatures, though his face did numb up and cause him a little pain due to the windchill.
It’s dangerous to get into the frigid waters surrounding Michigan in the winter, but Schetter has lots of practice, having rode waves on lakes Superior, Michigan and Huron
Schetter said the lake is never completely frozen over, so he can find a place to ride the waves even in extreme conditions
Schetter isn’t the only one who surfs through the winter though, and he’s always looking for others showing off their own ice beards
‘But it was not enough to discourage him from surfing though. He truly just loves to catch waves.’
Schetter has surfed in Japan and Hawaii but calls the Great Lakes home – he’s been surfing on them for 20 years.
It’s dangerous to get into the frigid waters surrounding Michigan in the winter, but Schetter has lots of practice.
‘Well, I used to get hypothermia a lot … You’re so cold that you don’t feel cold any more,’ he told the Detroit Free Press last year.
He added: ‘And then you gotta go to the happy place in your mind, and remember, “Oh, yeah, there’s warmness that way. I’m gonna be OK. Everything’s gonna be all right”.’