Celebrating his birthday on Saturday, Feb. 11, with the Junior Waves Club, Willie the Wave has come a long way since the founding of Pepperdine in 1937.
1) Willie hasn’t always been a Wave…
Pepperdine first featured Roland the Wave in the Graphic in 1945. Since then, the mascot has transformed into everything from a live pelican to a “large jug of water” to — most recently — King Neptune. It was not until 2006 that the official Willie the Wave students recognize was instilled.
2) The only thing changing now is his wardrobe…
Willie is in the process of building his wardrobe, and currently owns a Christmas outfit, a basketball uniform, a baseball uniform, and his normal Hawaiian shirt and orange shorts. In addition, he also has various sizes of “feet” and pants.
3) Willie’s got swag…
“When I think of Willie the Wave, I think of a surfer dude who’s laid back,” Director of Marketing Katharine Williams said. “He’s pretty ripped so he has to have a little bit of that swagger. It also helps if he’s a good dancer. He’s been breaking it down this year, and it’s been awesome.”
4) Students agree and love him for it…
“The first time I saw Willie was in an old NSO video,” freshman Molly Peterson said. “My mom thought he looked weird, but I thought he was so unique. He’s got so much swag.”
5) Willie has participated in a commercial shoot…
In November, Willie traveled to Las Vegas for a Zappos commercial promotion featuring all of the WCC mascots. He will be making another trip over spring break to cheer on the men’s basketball team in the WCC Tournament.
6) How to become a “friend of Willie the Wave”…
Director of Marketing Katharine Williams holds one-on-one auditions for the positions. Usually Willie has about three friends each year. “When I was talking to people during the auditions, I was really glad to see people excited about growing the program,” Williams said. “We are trying to expand Willie’s wardrobe, and get him more interactive with the students, cheerleaders and fans.”
7) What’s the catch?
All “friends of Willie the Wave” are sworn to secrecy, according to Williams. Auditions are typically held in the fall, however, Williams mentioned that she is “more than happy” to start interviewing people now for next year. She can be contacted at: katharine.williams@pepperdine.edu.
