Which U.S. city is nicknamed the “Malibu of the Midwest”?

California isn’t the only place to catch a great wave. Case in point: Sheboygan, Wisconsin, which is nicknamed “the Malibu of the Midwest” for its popular surfing culture.

Yes, the 1970 “Bratwurst Capital of the World” is also home to a surfing culture that’s been growing and thriving for half a decade. Locals have been “riding the waves” on Lake Michigan for over 50 years, and, for the past 25, they've also hosted the world’s largest freshwater surfing competition, the annual “Dairyland Surf Classic” during the first weekend in September (Labor Day Weekend).

Back in the 1960s, local Sheboygan kids who were obsessed with surf culture (but couldn't afford to travel to California, Hawaii and beyond) realized that there were surfable waves right in their backyard. These days, surfers most anywhere in the world have not only heard of Sheboygan, but will say that it’s on their “bucket list” as a place they want to surf before they die

What makes surfing so great along the coastline of this Wisconsin city? It’s simple geography. The city juts out five miles into Lake Michigan, which creates waves in four directions with numerous point breaks along the coastline.

Great Lakes surfing has grown in popularity over the past decade thanks to the advances in wetsuit and/or drysuit technology. While surfing happens in Sheboygan year-round, peak season runs from late August through early April. That means you're likely to find folks surfing while there's snow on the ground.