MichiganRadio

Some See Storm Damage, Others See An Opportunity To Surf GRAND RAPIDS, MI (Michigan Radio) - The first major fall storm is blowing its way across Michigan, with winds as high as 50 miles-per-hour on the Lake Michigan shoreline. Frightening conditions for sure, but some folks went out to enjoy the day, nonetheless.

In Grand Haven, the high winds brought out massive waves, and that caught the attention of 25-year-old Dustin Mason, a surfer.

"This is definitely one of the bigger days that I've ever seen out here," he says. "We were looking online and saw that the waves were supposed to be like 14 to 18 feet, we were kinda freaking out."

While Mason and his friend came out to enjoy these conditions, there are also plenty of warning signs up, and a plaque in memory of people who have lost their lives off this pier in conditions like these.

Veteran surfer Will Eaton waited through part of the afternoon for slightly safer conditions. He's been surfing these waters for 42 years. He's also a meteorologist.

He says it's rare to see such big waves this early in the year.

"Typically November is when we get these real big winds," he says. "But this is a specially big day. Not the biggest day ever, but certainly a big day."

The conditions also brought out dozens of spectators, armed with cameras and a sense of awe.

"I can't believe that Mother Earth is this powerful," says Rachel Van Hamersveld of Holland. "It's just amazing."

Contact Dustin Dwyer at dtdwyer@umich.edu.

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