How to survive winter in the Northeast with Chris Kelly
Posted on: February 17th, 2010

Click here for ESPN Action Sports Frosted Surf Gallery with Chris Kelly What are the positives and negatives of being a surfer in Jersey in the winter? CK: Although sometimes painful, growing up in the northeast as a surfer is a very rewarding experience. The place is one of a kind! Between flat spells, snowstorms and nor’easters we tend to get the best of both worlds. To be able to travel and come back to 6-foot dirty snow tubes is probably the best part. The brain freezes are my only complaint. Say a big northeast swell is coupled with a snowstorm is in the forecast…what’s your game plan? CK: When a good nor’easter is on the radar, our plan of attack usually tends to be staying home. We usually go up north for south swells, but when it a north comes staying home in Jerz is best. When the snow is actually coming down, the oceans a mess and its freezing so we put on our snow gear, head to the hills and snowboard until the front pushes off the coast. When it’s finally time to surf I put on gloves, booties, hooded full suit and Vaseline (a great insulator) on my face, which is the only part of skin exposed to the weather. If you have 4-wheel drive; drive to the beach, if not…walk and try not to slip on the ice. How long can you actually surf on those snow days? CK: Depending on the time of day and the conditions of waves you can usually surf 2 hours easy, 3 if it’s pumping. Once you’re in the water, paddling around with your friends with good waves, the cold doesn’t seem to get to you. The smaller the waves are the colder I get in the winter. Wetsuits these days are incredible. 5 years ago I was wearing two 3/2′s and wetsuit top, lasting only an hour tops. You’re regularly on MTV…has that changed anything in your hometown? Do random people recognize you from the show? CK: As a MTV regular I have to say, the only thing that has changed is the amount of random, very creepy, friend requests I get on Facebook.

http://www.foxhead.com/us/surf/blog/id/20503