New photos: Gert creates perfect surfing at South Shore Beach

LITTLE COMPTON— Surfers headed in as the general public was ushered out by police at South Shore Beach in Little Compton on Wednesday. Hurricane Gert forming into a category 2 storm off the eastern coast pushed waves over the beach and into the parking lot at the beach on Wednesday forcing the beach commission to close it down.

Police gathered the large crowd and cleared the parking lot. That didn't stop surfers from flocking to the area. Gert had created the perfect conditions with wind and waves for one of the best surfing days of the year.

"The surfing out here today was probably the best of the summer. Really clean off shore winds. Good crowd everybody was happy. The waves were breaking up and down the beach it was a little more for surfers above beginner level today," said Trick Frody of Pembroke, MA. 

Jane Garrett, 16, of New York spends her summers in Little Compton every year. She has friended the Barend family who own the surf shop in town. She was at the beach watching the Barends tear up the surf on Wednesday.

"The waves are super fun right now. I don't think that I ever have seen it this big. It's pretty exciting," she said. 

Anna Barend was one of five members of the family surfing that day. She rode her last wave right to shore. 

"The off shore winds kept it clean all day. This happens maybe 4 or 5 times a year. It was a surfer's dream!"