MILWAUKEE — Local surfers received an early gift this holiday season thanks to a winter storm that rolled through Milwaukee.

“I’ve surfed California, Mexico, Hawaii, China, Taiwan, France, My favorite place to surf is Lake Michigan,” Eric Gietzen, the chairman of the Milwaukee Surfrider Foundation, said.

And although it was a little dangerous to get to the beach, surfers like Jake Bresette, the owner of Lake Effect Surf Shop in Shorewoods say the crazy weather just adds to the fun.

“That’s what’s great about surfing is it’s not just going out in the water it’s creating an adventure and experience,” he said.

While the adventure is what makes surfing so exciting, Bresette acknowledges that it can also be dangerous.

“There’s always times that it can get sketchy out there,” he said. “It is the lake, it’s cold, it’s windy, sometimes you feel out of your element or a little bit in danger.”

Fellow surfer and co-owner of Lake Effect Surf Shop Alaina Bresette says despite the danger, she’s okay with her husband surfing in rougher weather.

“Obviously I get nervous, but I’m confident in his skills and his knowledge of what to do,” she said.

So if it’s dangerous, why do it?

“It’s fun,” Alaina Bresette said.

“Why wouldn’t you surf I guess is the real question there. I mean, for me it’s just being able to catch a wave and you know an element of nature and riding on an element of nature is just something way cooler then anything I’ve ever done,” Jake Bresette said. “In the water today I was just thinking I hope there’s never a day where I can’t surf. I hope I never get too old to where my body can’t surf anymore.”

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