Some Like it Cold
Dive in to a luau-style celebration of Wisconsin's surfing history. Meet surfing legend Larry "Longboard" Williams who will guide attendees through the crazy, inspiring true story of how he and his twin brother Lee transformed their hometown, Sheboygan, into a destination for surfers worldwide. The book talk event will feature Happy Hour surf-themed refreshments provided by Miko Poké and the Avenue Club. ” This event is cohosted by the Wisconsin Historical Society's Wisconsin Historical Museum, Society Press, and "Dive In," an initiative exploring Wisconsin's water history through programs, events and exhibits.
For charismatic twin brothers Lee and Larry Williams, life is a beach—even if that beach happens to be two thousand miles from an ocean. Despite sub-zero temperatures, these daredevils have been risking frostbite and hypothermia since the late 1960s, all in pursuit of the perfect wave on the shores of their hometown: Sheboygan, Wisconsin, the “Malibu of the Midwest.” From hypothermia to “Hanging-Ten,” the new Wisconsin Historical Society Press edition of William Povletich’s sports history book, Some Like It Cold, tells the crazy, inspiring true story of surfing in the Midwest and the maverick brothers who founded the “home beach” of freshwater surfing.
Larry Williams
Larry Williams and his twin brother Lee have been surfing the Great Lakes for more than 50 years. Living in Sheboygan, Williams is part of a community of “cold water” surfers. Their surfing exploits off icebergs and amongst snow-encrusted beaches are chronicled in William Povletich’s sports biography, Some Like It Cold: Surfing the Malibu of the Midwest, published in 2016 by Wisconsin Historical Society Press. They were also featured in Dana Brown’s 2003 documentary film Step Into Liquid. Lee and Larry gained global fame as hosts of the Dairyland Surf Classic and establishing Sheboygan, Wisconsin as an international surfing destination. Larry Williams also speaks throughout the Midwest and beyond about surfing history and culture as well as water safety.