Passing The Torch
Keith Wikle - The Gales founding organizer & coach
I started “The Gales” with my friends to create an event I would have wanted to attend when I was just getting started.
Over 14 years of organizing the Gales, I strove for a fun, challenging event where we could coach students to use their skills in conditions. I had a lot of fun running this event. I really enjoyed coaching and organizing it. I have a lot of incredible memories of beautiful scenery, great conditions and students reaching for that next rung on their development ladder.
A lot has changed for me in those 14 years. It’s time to pass that sacred flame on to new people. I would like to officially pass the “stoke” torch to Benjamin Fontenot in the hopes that paddlers who would like to learn to paddle and thrive in lumpy water on the Great Lakes can continue to do that.
2025 & Beyond
Ben Fontenot - The Gales current organizer & coach
In 2023 Keith Wikle reached out to me about continuing “The Gales”, wishing for the event to continue with the same spirit and love for rough water sea kayaking. I’m not originally from the area, but during the last 6 years I’ve spent a considerable amount of time with fellow paddlers Paige May and Jamiah Mahoney scouting out the best places for finding dynamic conditions along the Western shore of Lake Superior.
This western shoreline is what I describe as a dream location for rough water sea kayaking, depending on the season you can expect to paddle in beach break surf, open water downwind surf, rock gardening, swift currents, whitewater rapids, and what’s most special.. river mouth “lake race” conditions that resemble a tide race you could find in the PNW, Maine, Nova Scotia, or Wales.. with the exception of the ebb and flood of tides.
As rough water paddling coaches we’re all very stoked to share these incredible paddling spots with the Storm Gathering community.
Rock’em Weekends
Ben Fontenot - The Gales current organizer & coach
Some of y’all might have seen these events pop up recently. Before running and taking on The Gales, we wanted to test out how we could run an event like this could go in our backyard.
In Fall of 2024 we ran Roughwater Rock’em Weekend with the plan to transition this event into The Gales Storm Gathering
This year we ran Snow -to- Flow Weekend as a spring time event
Future plans are to hold two Storm Gatherings a year during each Spring and Fall.
Superior Sendies
Ben Fontenot - The Gales current organizer & coach
During my first couple years living in the area, we filmed a lot of our paddling trips and sessions and created a video series with 15 episodes in three seasons called “Superior Sendies”.
This short video series feature almost all of the locations along the shore that we plan to share with participants over the weekend. They give a great preview of what to expect for the weekend depending on the wind forecast for the weekend.
These are a few of our favorite episodes. Click here to watch them all!