Lens on Lake Minnetonka Photo Contest Winner: Getting Sideways Behind My Malibu

Chad McShane proves that a different angle provides an entirely different perspective.

Chad McShane, Lake Minnetonka resident, dad to young kids, wakesurfer and amateur photographer, won first place in the activities category of the 2013 Lens on Lake Minnetonka photo contest with his “Getting Sideways Behind My Malibu” photograph. McShane’s friend and fellow wakesurfer Lance Prado was able to capture this unique angle with his GoPro camera attached to a floating stick called a GoPole. With the capability to extend three feet in the air, the weatherproof camera and stick allows McShane and his friends to get closer to the watery action.

“I have my digital SLR and GoPro cameras with me all the time,” McShane says. He calls himself a fan of photography, but an even bigger fan of wakesurfing. “It’s easier on your body than wakeboarding,” he says. “Here, you’re going about 11 miles an hour behind the boat.”

A native Minnesotan, McShane lived in California for 10 years, where he learned to ocean surf. Now back in his home state, he takes advantage of the local bays on Lake Minnetonka and can be found there three to four times a week.

McShane is looking forward to the first-ever wakesurf competition in Minnetonka, July 18 and 19 on Cooks Bay. And chances are, he’ll have his GoPro with him.

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Visit lakeminnetonkamag.com for details about this year’s Lens on Lake Minnetonka Photo Contest. Submissions will be accepted beginning in August.