surf's up in cleveland

they surf in cleveland. cleveland? i didn't even quite realize it had beachfront. here's a map to help. well, looky there, right on the shores of lake erie.

and, they have a metro system! check it out:















and, this site has maps of subway systems all around the world, convenient!

ok, i digress. where was i? oh yeah, surfing in cleveland. take it from one of the dedicated few, who rather proudly claims "surfing lake erie is basically disgusting." brown water, twenty degree temperatures, freezing rain and snow, ice chunks the size of bowling balls, these are just some of the attractions of cleveland's beaches. but wait, there's more! the most popular spot, nicknamed sewer pipe, has a beach littered with used syringes and condoms and the water floods with untreated waste from a nearby water treatment plant.

the locals want to keep their surf spots secret, harkening back to the surf culture of the mid-twentieth century when surfing was a "renegade sport of social misfits." somehow, i don't think they'll find too many crowds at sewer pipe.

unrelated: a long-held superstition is proven: apparently wearing a helmet in new york city makes bicylists more prone to accidents.