“It started in Hawaii with big one-hundred-pound boards and came to California [with] guys from Santa Cruz College,” freshman Luke Eveslage explains on the origin of surfing. Surfing has been around for centuries – kids, teens, and adults ride waves from all over the world, and its addictive maneuvers and tricks have caught up with some of Aragon’s students and teachers.
The mystery is how it all started for these people. Sophomore Griffin Tietz shares, “My parents and I grew up on the beach so I’ve always liked it. After a while I got really into the water and surfing and now I really like the sport.” Aragon mathematics teacher Nate Kundin shares, “When I was younger my family would travel to New Jersey, where the ocean was warmer in the summer, to go visit my grandparents. My dad [and I] always went to the beach, and it started with body surfing, then progressed from there.”
Many surfers develop an affinity to the ocean. Eveslage says, “I’m definitely passionate about surfing. It’s not even a thing to just do anymore. Now it’s like I know I’m going to surf – there’s no question about it.” Kundin also says, “I love being in the ocean and being in nature, especially now that I have a child. I don’t have a lot of time to do things so whenever I have time, surfing is usually the first on my priority list.”
Explaining his attitude for surfing in-depth, Eveslage says, “I enjoy the feeling that you get from it, like a rush, like floating… it’s just addicting. And I like the feeling of accomplishment that I get after, and when I’m out there it just relieves stress for me.” Kundin also says, “ When you catch a really nice wave it’s probably like any other sporting achievement, like hitting a home-run or shooting a basket to win a game. It’s really exciting, you’re in the moment, and it just feels good.”
Tietz also shares what he likes about the sport. He says, “I like how it takes you around the world to see different spots to surf like Santa Cruz, Half Moon Bay, Pacifica, Mexico, pretty much everywhere down south, and Hawaii.”
Wherever the case, though, the precautions of surfing are the same. Kundin says, “It’s really easy to get in over your head if you’re not careful. Hopefully you’re a good swimmer and nowadays it’s really easy to find the weather and surf forecast online. So just check the conditions before you go and if the waves are big and you’re not comfortable you have to know when to stay in and out.”
Other tips to surfing can be learned at a popular camp known as Surf Camp Pacifica. Eveslage says, “The instructors are really personal and help you out. I still surf and keep in touch with the person who pushed me into my first wave when I was seven and taught me the basics. I learned at that surf camp and now I teach there so I know everyone and it’s a great place to learn.”
Tietz also attended Surf Camp Pacifica and now has advanced to become a surf competitor. He says, “I compete in the NSSA, National Scholastic Surf Association, and they have contests from up here all way down to Huntington that [take place] every couple months. And you just compete in your age range and surf no matter what the conditions.”
As with any type of athlete, surfers face certain stereotypes. Eveslage explains, “Everyone thinks were stoners, that we talk like “brah” or Hawaiian-ish or that we all have long, blond hair. Sometimes people think it’s a pastime, that it’s not really that serious, but it is a sport – a really great sport. There is a drug influence on the surf scene for sure but I don’t feel that influenced by it.” Tietz agrees that the pot-smoking stereotype is influence saying “Most people think surfers are hippies or really laid back, like pot smokers or drug addicts. I think there is that part of surfing in some towns, but there’s others where most people are just passionate and don’t surf for that kind of stuff.” Kundin mentions that the scene is also different on the professional level. “A lot of the professional surfers take really good care of themselves and exercise a lot so they’re not so much of the stoner, drop-out kind of dude,” he says.
No matter the reason, whether it be passion, leisure, or exercise, surfing is a wonderful activity for individuals and for groups. It’s a chance to learn something new or to improve on existing athletic skills. It is a sport, and a fun one at that.
