Cruising towards Westmont with the captivating ocean at your left will ignite your desire to explore the shoreline. Upon reaching the Global Leadership Center, wetsuits casually drape over wooden railings, and surfboards protrude from the beds of Tacoma trucks. Surfing offers a magical opportunity to connect intimately with California’s waves and sea spray. Still, for those who have yet to venture into the ocean, it can seem like a daunting endeavor.

Cole Anderson and Ethan Denison are here to take the clique out of surfing. Anderson was inspired to start this club with the vision of having a surf team at Westmont and connecting the ocean-loving community with each other. After beginning the surf club at Westmont last year, second-year kinesiology student Ethan Denison stepped in to take over the legacy. 

Denison’s passion for surfing was sparked after being thrust into the water by his dad and left to paddle his way through the deep blue. After his first touch of the ocean, he was hooked. “The ocean calms and centers me and makes me feel more connected to myself, others and God,” Denison passionately proclaimed. Nowadays, his surf routine is down to a science. Denison gets up at the crack of dawn and sends a quick text to his surf partner, Eden Lawson, ensuring the waves look good. He sips on a smoothie on the ride to the ocean, listening to beachy tunes. Once they pull up, the boys pull on their wetsuits, wax their boards and watch the sunrise while sitting in the line-up. “There’s no other sport that comes even close to the beauty and divinity present within surfing,” says Denison. 

While the Surf Club aims to share the joy of surfing with anyone at Westmont, the sport deserves particular care and respect. Denison stresses, “A lot of people seem to think they can just become a surfer whenever they want … but surfing takes years to get to the point where you can handle yourself alone out in the water.” Denison suggests going to an uncrowded spot with manageable waves for the new surfer. He advises going with friends and using a large board to get started. “Have fun, even if you don’t get up. That’s the whole point!” says Denison.  

Denison and Lawson eagerly anticipate the upcoming winter after their successful debut at the Westmont club fair. The fair allowed them to connect with many enthusiastic students ready to dive into the world of surfing. Although there has yet to be a designated campus meeting location, the club’s leaders are celebrating their success this year. If you’re ready to embark on your Endless Summer story, joining the surf club is the perfect first step. Don’t worry, as Denison reassures, “You don’t need to know how to surf to join.”