Five years ago, our friend Keith Wikle had an ambitious idea: Why not hold a rough-water symposium on the Great Lakes in October? Ambitious because the weather in October can be blustery or balmy, and the water can be challening or calm. You take your chances when you schedule a rough-water symposium on the Great Lakes. Conditions aren’t guaranteed.

Every Gales has been in a spectacular location on Lake Superior.

Keith teamed up with Ryan Rushton on the first Gales, which was held in Marquette, Michigan. The weather didn’t fully cooperate that year, but the coaches figured out how to challenge people anyway, and the participants demonstrated that there was room for another symposium in the midwest, and especially one geared toward intermediate paddlers.

The second year, The Gales was held in Wawa, Ontario and lived up to its name, with horizontal snow squalls and rough seas. Participants who drove all the way to Canada for the event were amply rewarded.

Participants jumping for joy…or something.

After Ryan moved on to other projects, Scott Fairty and we stepped in to help organize the event with Keith. It evolved over time as we discovered that the key quality for participants was simply a baseline of boat control and a desire to paddle in rough water. We also discovered that keeping it small — around 45 participants — was ideal, allowing a lot of personal attention for everyone. It enabled us to keep the class ratios at no more than four to one, and often three to one. It also made it easier for participants to connect with one other, creating paddling partnerships that continued long after the Gales was over.

We are pretty proud of this five-year-old event. This year, it was held in Munising, and the weather cooperated again. Everyone was involved in the surf classes on the first day, which were offered in various places and on several levels. On the second day, there were classes in surfing, rock gardening and rescues. On both days, we also offered a Level 4 course for participants who were preparing for an instrutor certification or intending to increase their level of certification in the future. And on the last morning, we were able to rock garden along Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Participants’ paddling experiences coming into the event ranged from a couple of years to a couple of decades; some were still working on their rolls, while others had completed expeditions and coach certifications. What they had in common was a love of rough water and an eagerness to learn.

This event always has been, and continues to be, a great collaboration. These days, it’s between Go Kayak Now, Have Kayaks Will Travel, The Power of Water and Downwind Sports. And, of course, Mother Nature.