CLEVELAND — Sam and Caleb Skelton live by their own rules.
"You can't surf on Lake Erie!"
That's a line the brothers say they hear all the time.
But just take a look at one of their videos on TikTok -- that have now reached millions of views -- and you'll see otherwise.
"We're not like adrenaline junkies," Sam said. "We just really like being in the wilderness."
The two brothers are happy in the wild.
"I'm stoked man!" Sam exclaimed before he was about to surf Lake Erie on a 30 degree day. "This is why we do it."
And happiest with each other.
"It's the best thing in the world. He's my best friend," Sam said of his younger brother. "Building community and working with family, it's so fun man."
A wild pair of brothers who are building a community of surfing in the most unlikely of waters.
"It's nasty out!" laughed Sam.
We all know the surf scene in Hawaii, California and even on the east coast... but in Cleveland? The Skelton brothers have been hitting the surf for about 17 years now.
It started when Sam heard about being able to surf on the lake when he was 14.
"Of course I was like, 'Well, that's pretty cool.'"
He then introduced his brother, Caleb, to the sport.
"He bought a surf board, and I got to use it sometimes," Caleb laughed.
Fast forward to today, then have surfed all over the country together but none more than Lake Erie.
"We have some of the gnarliest weather here," said Sam. "People just hide in their houses during it."
The Skelton brothers, well, they embrace the rough conditions.
The day we were shooting with them it was 30 degrees with wind chills in the teens. While most hunker down at home, Sam and Caleb head down to the water.
Their passion for the crazy conditions has brought them fame online. They have a following on their YouTube page and have racked up millions of views on TikTok as well.
It's a culture that they are proud to be sharing.
While their newfound internet fame feels good, for them, nothing is better than catching that perfect wave.
"The lake whips you around constantly," Caleb said. "You have no control over it. And then all of a sudden you tame it for one second, that's just a great feeling."
Creating a culture on the Great Lakes and living out a passion many didn't know was possible.
"Why do you do anything you get excitement out of," said Sam. "It bring us joy. That's why were doing it."
The Skelton brothers say their goal is to continue to advocate for the sport and grow it across the Midwest. In the future, they hope to start a non-profit that would aim to benefit the health and nature of the Great Lakes.
For more on the Skelton Brothers, you can follow them @theskeltonbrothers to see more of their adventures.