A Big Old Dose of Joy

Counting down the days to the second annual Beryl Days Festival

Surfers and music fans will once again get to party in the sand at the second annual Beryl Days Festival in Empire, June 20 to June 22. The event is a celebration of Sleeping Bear Surf & Kayak’s founder, Beryl Skrocki, who passed away from cancer in 2022.

Beryl and her husband Frank founded Sleeping Bear Surf & Kayak in 2004 after relocating from downstate to the village of Empire with their three children, Ella, Reiss, and Annabel. For two decades, the shop has served the local surf community, selling boards, accessories, surf apparel, and surf lessons.

Last year, the Skrockis threw a 20th anniversary party, calling it Beryl Days after their late mother. “And then, we just decided, holy smokes, that was too much fun, we have to do it again,” says Ella Skrocki, the current owner of Sleeping Bear Surf & Kayak.

Paddle Out

The 2024 festival kicked off with a "paddle out" on Lake Michigan.

“Paddle outs traditionally have been a way to honor loved ones who’ve passed. We held a memorial for my mom upon her passing in 2022, but we always felt like we wanted to recognize her on the water,” says Ella.

Last year, surfers and community members gathered in a ring formation offshore on surfboards and SUPs. They scattered flowers and told stories of Beryl and her impact on the community.

“The paddle out felt like such an impactful way to start off the weekend, like a reminder of why we’re here. But you know, for our family, we don’t want to continue to shed light on the fact that Beryl is no longer with us. Instead, we want to shed light on the fact that we’re all here,” says Ella.

To provide warmth to participants, Sleeping Bear Saunas set up saunas along the beach. “[Sleeping Bear Saunas owner Vlad Borza] just did it out of the kindness of his heart. It wasn’t planned or anything, and that was so impactful because the water was cold, the air was pretty cold still, and people came in from the paddle out and straight into the sauna and back and forth into the lake,” says Ella.

Rock On

Following the inaugural paddle out, the festival got going with high-energy events. According to Ella, nothing was more spontaneous and exciting than the stone skipping competition.

“It was just a funny idea that we had in our heads. We were thinking maybe a few people would show up, but we had like 75 people in this stone skipping competition. It was ridiculous and so silly fun.” 

With emotions and vibes running high, people poured into the alley near the shop for the skate jam to start Saturday’s activities.

“Some of the most talented skaters in northern Michigan showed up with like, insane energy. Tyler Franz, being one of them who skated professionally for a long time, and he straight up put on a show,” says Ella.

Following the morning shred session, people gathered on the shop’s green space for hours of live music, where bands such as The Go Rounds and The Skinny got the whole crowd dancing.

During the Go Round’s last set, a massive gust of wind filled the enormous sails that were strung up to protect the event from the elements.

“And the wind came in at this one particular moment, and it filled up the sails completely. And everyone, just like, felt it,” says Ella. The sails belonged to the Skrocki family’s sailboat, affectionately named Mama Bear. “That was Beryl, coming in, showing up in the most profoundly spiritual way.”

Let Loose

This year’s event will follow a similar format to last year’s. Friday will start with the community paddle out at 6pm, followed by a tailgate at the wall in Empire. Saturday will kick off with a relay race at Empire Lighthouse, followed by the return of the popular stone skipping competition.Surfers will get to buy, swap, or trade used boards during a board swap from 2 to 6pm. From 2 to 4pm, the skate jam returns. Then, Saturday’s event closes with live performances from Patrick Niemisto, i.am.james, The Skinny Limbs, and The Go Rounds. The event will end on Sunday with beach yoga, a beach cleanup, and a sip ’n’ dip celebration on the beach.

Admission will be free; however, there will be plenty of opportunities for people to make donations to support causes that were important to Beryl. According to Ella, this year is the start of what the family hopes will become the Beryl Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. 

“The idea there is to help expand water access throughout the Great Lakes through scholarship opportunities to our junior waterman camps as well as to local youth itching to get on the water,” she explains. 

The foundation will also support a gear locker and a surf club. “So right now, the Beryl Days will fund the Beryl Initiative, which is the fund itself that will help build up the Beryl Foundation,” says Ella. The initiative will also fund free events such as full moon paddles, beach cleanups, and water safety clinics.

The family is hoping to recreate the magic of last year with a few special extras for folks attending. Ella says that her only expectation is that people let loose and have fun. 

“I think what we’ve come to is like, it’s not going to be the same as last year. It could be more magical, or just totally different. I’m just really excited about the big old dose of joy.”

Learn more about the event at sleepingbearsurf.com/event/beryl-days.

Photo by Liam Kaiser Creative

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