UCLA offers novice surfers chance to ride the waves

By Elizabeth Newman
DAILY BRUIN CONTRIBUTOR
[email protected]

  Photo courtesy of Brian Williams Brian
Williams led the UCLA surf team to the state championships
in 2002.

Southern California and beaches are as synonymous as Paris and
the Eiffel Tower, or New York and the Statue of Liberty. Along with
these beaches with vast stretches of sand, cloudless blue skies,
and perfect waves come ““ you named it ““ the
surfers.

They should be here, since Southern California has arguably some
of the best waves this country has to offer. With UCLA’s
campus 15 minutes from the beach, surfing is definitely a sport
readily accessible to UCLA students.

If, however, when you hear the words “hang ten” and
“barrel,” you think of a clothing line and part of a
rifle, UCLA’s Recreation Department has you
covered. Through the Wooden Center and in conjunction with
UCLA’s Marine Aquatic Center, 10-hour sessions are offered
for a small fee to get rookies started.

Wetsuits and boards are included in the classes, which are
offered weekday mornings as well as weekends. “UCLA student
Thursdays” even include a free van service that will pick up
students from the dorms and transport them to the beach.

“Our classes are about 75 percent students,” says
Maggie Lee, assistant manager of the Marine Aquatic Center.
“People have misconceptions about surfing being easy, and
it’s not as easy as it looks. But it’s definitely a
great sport to try. Take a class, see if you get hooked.”

For those who can’t stray from the waves long,
UCLA’s Surf Club is comprised of members who simply love the
sport and who want to share this love with each other. The
club is especially helpful to students without cars by organizing
carpools to the beach as well as day and overnight surfing trips.
The club is open to all levels; many members are beginners.

“Next year there will be three opportunities for camping
trips, and day trips to get to know other UCLA surfers and get a
ride to the beach,” club president Irene Chansawang said.

“We meet two times a month,” she added.
“It’s a great way to meet new people, hang out, go to
the beach, and enjoy the waves.”

If, however, you’ve been doing aerials since you were able
to walk, and competing is more your style, UCLA’s surf team
is climbing the ranks of other Southern California teams to be
reckoned with. The team qualified for the National Scholastic
Surfing Association’s state competition for the first time in
three years, and entered the national competition ranked 12th out
of 30 schools.

“We have 6 shortboarders, 1 longboarder, 1 female surfer,
1 bodyboarder, and 2 alternates for shortboarding,” team
captain Brian Williams said.

“We compete in four regular season competitions from
Ventura to San Diego, and then at the state and national levels
““ which is not easy to get to when you’re up against
community college teams, who are usually very good.”

So whether you’ve never seen a surfboard before,
you’ve surfed once or twice, or you normally drop in on waves
in your dreams, UCLA has many options and opportunities
available.

For more information, stop by the Recreation Office in the
Wooden Center or visit http://www.recreation.ucla.edu.