Wind and waves transform Hamilton shoreline into frozen wonderland
Surfer checking out the icy water says it's clear his season is over
The winter storm that brought wind, snow and sleet to Hamilton also transformed its shoreline into a frozen wonderland of twisted ice sculptures.
A thick white glaze from waves and spray has coated Fisherman's Pier in ice, leaving crooked icicles hanging from outbuildings and a brittle layer creaking and cracking as it collides with the ice shelf in Lake Ontario.
Stephen Graham was out in that icy water just two or three days ago.
The 43-year-old surfer said he came down to the pier Tuesday afternoon to check out how much the conditions have changed over that short period of time.
"Before it was like this," he said, gesturing at the grey water and frozen beach studded with shards and clumps of ice. "There were waves and you could walk out waist-deep for about 50 feet. There was no ice like this."
Even when there is ice in the water, Graham said the right wetsuit means he can typically keep surfing for hours during the colder months.
He's been riding waves near the Burlington Skyway for about 15 years and said that experience has taught him how long someone can stay in the water without risking hypothermia.
In the end, it was frozen obstacles in the water, not the cold, that pushed him to shore over the weekend.
"I only came in because big boulders of ice were starting to get into the lineup," he explained. "There were just too many of them so I thought I was going to surf into one if I caught another wave."
Graham shared some photos and videos of the ice with his followers on Instagram.
"It's really cool how the ice is pushing together and wedging," he said. "You can literally see the ice shelf slowly building slowly."
But despite the stunning visual, the frigid waterfront is still a bit of a bummer.
"It's a little depressing when we're not able to surf, but we were on borrowed time already," said the surfer. "Usually by the start of January at best most places are starting to ice up. When the water's that cold, one storm, and the weather from that storm, that's all it takes."
