Although Lake Tahoe is not a very large body of water, yet at times it “boileth like a pot.” Tremendous gusts of wind rush down the surrounding gorges from the summit of the Sierra Nevada mountains most unexpectedly, and those who navigate the waters of the lake in sail-boats must at all times–even in what seems the best of weather –keep a bright lookout for squalls. At this season the lake is very dangerous for small craft, and there are frequently times when the steamers dare not venture out. A few days ago at the time when the recent general snow and rain storm was brewing, some gentlemen of the Comstock, who were at Tahoe City, witnessed a grand and remarkable spectacle. The day was windy and the lake rather rough, but a number of persons stopping at the hotel–out Comstockers among the number–concluded to go to the end of the long wooden pier and try their luck at fishing. They had not been long at the end of the pier before their attention was attracted by a great roaring. Looking across the lake in the direction of Glenbrook, they saw a regular cyclone approaching. Before the hurricane came a long unbroken wave, at least 15 feet in height. Knowing that this would sweep the whole line of the pier, all present beat a rapid retreat to the shore. When at a safe distance the party turned to gaze upon the incoming wall of water. While thus employed they were startled by a tremendous roaring to the northward, and a moment after a cyclone from that direction struck the lake. This sent before it a huge wave which had soon attained the height of that coming from the southward. In a few minutes the two wves came together. When they struck a column of water and spray was sent into the air to the height of at least 100 feet. The collision of the two waves was followed by a report that sounded like a heavy clap of thunder. A moment after this grand shock of the waters five or six hug waterspouts made their appearance, all within an area of three or four miles , and carried great columns of water and spray to the height of several hundreds of fee. These circled to and fro over the lake for some 10 or 15 minutes, and then one after the other subsided, and for a time thereafter there was almost a dead clam. Waterspouts are very frequently seen on the lake at this season. This is owing to the peculiar situation of the lake , under the crest of the main ridge of the Sierra Nevada range of mountains. When a fierce gale from the west cross the ridge it plunges down the great canyons and thus are brought to bear on the lake conflicting currents of air. When a hurricane is blowing from the west immense volumes of air appear to be damned up and compressed behind the ridge of the Sierras, which at times escape and come over and down the gorges in tremendous puffs. No navigator of the ocean sees half as many waterspouts in a three years’ voyage as are seen by person residing at Lake Tahoe in a single season.

Wave Story

Although other parts of Cali let this weirdness come out in all sorts of ways many are social such as scenes you may see in the cities – Bay to Breakers in SF, and Oakland Raiders game, and just about anything that happens in Venice, LA. Well the ‘crazies’ here in Tahoe don’t get too funky out on the streets or at the high school football games. We get weird in outdoorsy ways. One of the stranger ones around is the crew of mutants who surf Tahoe every chance they get.

Powerful Pacific storms and our location high in the mountains can generate pretty serious winds. They can happen on bright blue days when folks are out on the beaches. All of a sudden there’s a rustle in the trees, a subtle wind line appears a couple miles out on the Lake and next thing you know it’s whitecapping just about everywhere. The prime place for surfing on Tahoe is the North Shore. Most of the winds we get are southerly (because of the way storms spin when they approach) so when you let them run rampant over 20+ miles of light water you get an incredible fetch.

Waves here are sloppy in most places although there are some gem spots where it doesn’t even feel windy nor choppy when conditions are right. Generally, though, it’s like a mini-Ocean Beach (SF) with multiple lines of whitewash to contend with while paddling out. There are so many surreal things about the surfing experience on Tahoe and here are a few:

No sharks!

The water is so incredibly clear and fresh that it’s unlike anywhere you’ve ever surfed. You can mistakenly get some in your mouth and doggedly decide to swallow…because you can and it tastes great!

On the coast when winds pick up, it’s over. Here you keep hoping that the wind sustains all day

Even if you surf back east in the snow, it’s even weirder when you look west and catch glimpses of Squaw as it braces for another pounding today which you know means a good pow day tomorrow

When surfing at Sand Harbor on the East Shore you’re directly under the Bear Claw which rises 3000’ out of the Lake. Some of us ski this backcountry-style in the season and seeing it from the water is quite the unique perspective

One of my favorite things about a good surf day at Tahoe (and we had two of them last week) is also one of the elements of a surf break anywhere in the world: people stopping and looking, taking about the swell and how it is there compared to other nearby spots. Some folks living in Tahoe sacrifice things like quality shopping, culture and diversity to be here. For me, not having these regular surf ‘meetings’ is one of the little ‘misses.’ So even if you’re not into surfing but you’re up here when the wind is whistling feel free to pull up your hoodie and get into the chatting circle because having people from out of town ask about conditions is also a part of the worldwide surf meeting….

via « Granlibakken Blog.

I tried to surf the lake yesterday. I caught a couple of waves but it was not quite surfing. Still, it was good fun and it felt really good to be out there. The kiteboarders were having a blast, but it might have been too windy even for them. It was sooooo windy. Then I went to Oktoberfest at Squaw and then to the Matchstick premiere/Shane McConkey tribute party. And…it has been snowing again. South Lake and south from there really got the heavy bands, more like a dusting and flurries up this way. Nice heavy flurries in the middle of the day today too.

via cortneyharrington.com

Last Tuesday’s gale-force winds probably caused lots of cursing — especially among firefighters battling a wildfire near Reno — but one intrepid North Shore man seized the gusts for all they were worth.

Photographer and fine-art framer Jimmy Callian, 36, knew this was his chance to ride Lake Tahoe’s wild surf.

Say what?

That’s right. Callian, a longtime surfer who moved to Tahoe in 1999, saw the wind whipping up whitecaps on the lake and figured there “were waves somewhere on the lake.” After driving around to check out beaches, he found a spot “that looked fun.”

By “fun,” he meant 3- to 5-foot waves eerily resembling typical ocean swells. A gale-force wind and bone-chilling lake water only added to the challenge.

After his friend Meg Pugh arrived to take pictures, Callian grabbed his 5-foot, 10-inch Quad surfboard, donned his 5mm titanium-lined wetsuit, booties, gloves and hood, and slid from a rock into the frigid washing machine that the lake had become.

“I had to keep telling myself it was the lake,” Callian wrote in an e-mail last week. “I couldn’t believe it.”

After the first “freezing-cold” wave smacked him, Callian gradually acclimated to the conditions. “The funny part is, I thought it was going to be way colder,” he noted.

Callian ended up surfing for about four hours.

“I caught a lot of fun waves, and they were very well-shaped,” he wrote. “I got a few pretty long rides.”

via Winds allow surfer to ride Lake Tahoe | TahoeDailyTribune.com.

by Court Leve

On January 3, 2008, as the big storm started to form, Truckee resident Tal Fletcher hit Lake Tahoe for some surf at Sand Harbor. After catching two waves, it was time to call it a day. Not having any gloves, Tal’s hands became unbearably and painfully cold. Not often though that you are able to surf the lake….

via News archives, Truckee, North Tahoe, community • Moonshine Ink.

There were three or four of us sharing nine-foot waves, watching for sharks and looking out for one another. Between every seventh wave we gazed upon the Fire Cliffs as they reflected the first rays of sunlight and we talked about what we were going to be when we grew up, if we grew up.

None of us wanted to take a job or have a boss; all we wanted was to watch the sun rise on Hanalei Bay and let the waves boss us around. Life was a holiday and we fished the afternoons away to provide food to surf another day.

So naturally I was shocked to read this week that surfing packages are available at a cost of up to $10,000 a day. Grown-ups have taken to surfing! A sport once reserved for Hawaiian monarchy and surf-bums has suddenly become as respectable as golf. The world has discovered that the sport of kings is not horseracing after all, but surfing.

Nothing on God’s Blue Ball compares to the thrill of riding the perfect wave, not skydiving, not snowboarding, not dropping a hole in one, not even winning a steamboat race. Surfing is a sport that will cause a body’s very liver to curl with enjoyment and one of the ingredients of that enjoyment lies in the fact that it’s free, or used to be.

I suppose to find the perfect private break today, well, you might need a good travel agent and a wheelbarrow full of money. Even so, surf playlands gaining in popularity today will be passé by tomorrow, as more remote beaches take their place in the sun.

As the cost of finding the perfect wave escalates, why don’t we at the North Shore get into the game? We’re making snow at Diamond Peak, why can’t we generate waves at Crystal Bay?

With a 2 million dollar investment, we could install submersible pumps capable of pushing 30,000 gallons of water per minute across the bay, creating waves the size of a three-car garage. North Lake Tahoe could become the surfing Mecca of the western hemisphere and play host to international contests to rival Hawaii and Australia.

Think what we could charge for bleacher seats at Crystal Bay Lookout; why, the figures are staggering. The beach towel concession alone would be a regular cash cow: WORLD SURFING CHAMPIONSHIPS – NORTH LAKE TAHOE – 2007.

Then of course we could market the boards, racks, leashes, wax, surf attire, sunglasses, sandals, t-shirts, umbrellas, sunscreen, surf jewelry and watches, not to mention tattooing and body piercing concessions. I would opt for a tattoo of Eddie Aikau, myself, riding a monster wave across my back, underlined with the single salutation, KOWABUNGA!

“Surfing capital of the world” is not a supposition to be sneered at, but a sensible adjunct to the recreational opportunities we already offer. I shall tender my services as lifeguard emeritus pro bono and shall judge the beauty contest myself, in fact, I already have the winner picked out; her name starts with an R…

As for TV rights, well, that’s up for grabs, but you better be making some calls to the makers and shakers today, ‘cuz the BIG WAVE is coming to the North Shore, or my name’s not Joe Tahoe…

McAvoy Layne lives in Incline Village and visits schools throughout Nevada as the ghost of Mark Twain.

via Big wave surfing coming to North Shore? | TahoeBonanza.com.

via Nugget 28.