Surfers hit the waves at Lena Cove on 10-degree Fahrenheit day

Published 4:08 pm Wednesday, February 25, 2026

When northerly winds blow 10 degrees Fahrenheit Interior air into Lynn Canal, some Juneauites head for the windblown slopes on Eaglecrest or the downwind side of Mendenhall Lake. Others head for the water.

With 60 mph gusts, 16-ft seas and a National Weather Service forecast calling for “heavy freezing spray,” surfers lined up beyond the breakers at Lena Cove on Feb. 21 and 22.

Five surfers arrived around 9 a.m. on Feb. 22, jogging from trucks and white minibuses to the “warm” water. They wore black 5/4mm-wetsuits, gloves and booties. Still, their faces flushed bright red after a few sets.

With the outgoing tide, three-to-four-foot waves stacked quickly in Lena Cove and collapsed almost immediately, producing a steady, dull thunder on the beach. The sound was punctuated by photographers and dog walkers exchanging whoops and shouts of “that’s the wave of the day.” Farther out the road at Shrine beach, waves were said to stack 8 to 10 feet. No one ventured in.

After about 30 minutes, one surfer, Riley, floated ashore to re-wax his board. He started surfing last year after buying and repairing a used board from a friend.

“It’s just fun to make friends out of it,” Riley said. “Some people are good. A lot of us are just starting.”

In the water, another surfer carved the face of a four footer before it crashed. Another rode the white water, spinning herself 180 degrees on the board.

There are only a few days every winter when the surfing is good, locals said, and when it is, everyone shows up. Lena Cove offers accessible beach breaks; at other spots, surfers must paddle out into swells from rocky cliffs. At one point, a group of surfers hauled a wooden sauna to the beach to warm up between sessions, but it has since burned down.

By about 10:30 a.m., the tide changed and the waves slowed down and shrank. The roughly 10 surfers and a lone paddle boarder began to leave as a couple more arrived.

Heading out, the paddleboarder said his paddling hand was frigid in the wind, while the rest of his body—more often submerged—stayed warm. He was eager to continue, but his family was waiting. For now at least, they prefer the warmer surf of Mexico or Hawaii.