Man To Appear In Court For Surfing Illegally Off Oak Street Beach

CHICAGO (CBS) -- A Near North Side man arrested last month for illegally surfing off Oak Street Beach will appear in court in a couple of days.

As WBBM Newsradio's Bernie Tafoya reports, Rex Flodstrom, 40, does not know if he will plead guilty or not guilty to illegal surfing charges. He has not done any lake surfing since he was arrested on Jan. 17.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio's Bernie Tafoya reports

"Just a little skateboarding and a little snowboarding," Flodstrom said. "On my bond, I'm not supposed to leave the state lines without court permission, so a lot of times you don't know into the day if there's waves, and then you have to go to the court and get the permission to leave the state and all that, but also, there hasn't been much waves and it's been really cold."

Members of the lake surfing community, and celebrity pro-surfer Kelly Slater, plan to be in court with Flodstrom Thursday.

Afterward, they plan to paddle out into Lake Michigan from Montrose Beach – one of four beaches where winter surfing is allowed.

Flodstrom was surfing 4-foot swells at the Oak Street Beach when he was arrested. He was charged with disorderly conduct and being at a closed beach.

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• Bernie Tafoya