Ever since Andrew Frierson could remember nothing mattered more than the thrill of surfing and the powerful waves. At least not until surfing failed to satisfy his thirst. And that was when he searched and found God.
At first Frierson was careful about attending Pepperdine because of a saying from one of his favorite thinkers and ministers Rev. Ravi Zacharias that “when a belief system is institutionalized it can quickly become abused.” But he could not be happier with the community he discovered. He is impressed by the students and how the university implements its Christian mission.
Frierson still believes surfing is a great way to enjoy the ocean and his friends while also getting some exercise. With this mindset he joined and over time became the president of Pepperdine’s surf team.
“The surf team brings together Pepperdine surfers who would otherwise be disconnected said Frierson. We welcome everyone from all levels. They only need to love surfing.”
Frierson is an “awesome president said Austin Cooper, vice president of the club and Frierson’s good friend. He is always on top of getting products from sponsors as well as organizing contest heat times and scheduling outside team events.”
The surf team has 10 competitive members and 20 non-competitive members. Whenever there is news of good waves members text message about the time and place of the get-together. From fall to late spring the team usually goes surfing at Malibu Point. Then during the summer Point Dume and Zuma Beach are the hot spots.
Although the team does not have a coach it still enters competitions through the National Scholastic Surfing Association which organizes four surfing competitions a year. Each college team sends up to seven competitors who individually compete on the waves in 15-minute heats with other colleges including UCLA USC University of California-Santa Barbara and University of California-Irvine.
A panel of judges determines the score based on the level of difficulty and number of maneuvers each surfer makes on the wave. Points are added up at the end of each heat and the best two surfers advance until the best five surfers compete in the final heat.
Competitive members from the Pepperdine surf team enter the competitions based on their availability on the day of the competition.
“I didn’t win anything said Frierson. But it doesn’t really matter because I surf for the love of the sport.”
Even though Frierson never won any trophy his teammates are still touched by his kindness for others and passion for surfing.
“He is always positive even when the waves are bad and is constantly making jokes in the water said Cooper. I’ll regularly see him in the lineup teaching others how to surf giving up his own time for the sake of others.”
Although raised in Houston Texas Frierson does not consider himself a “huge Texan.” As a child he played outside all day long and spent time climbing fences and playing with animals from around the area. He lived near Rice University and went to a big public high school.
“I appreciate growing up in Texas said Frierson. And I am proud to be a Houstonian. It’s a great diverse city.”
Frierson’s parents also own a family beach house in south Texas where they would take him several times a month when he was young. Playing in the ocean all day Frierson was ingrained with an affinity to water. Frierson also learned to love the ocean from his father Ray Frierson who enjoyed swimming and hanging out at the beach. At every chance Frierson always begged his father to take him out to the beach.
“My ears would perk up every time someone mentioned surfing said Frierson. I considered myself a surfer since I was little. I would be like ‘talk to me if you’re going to talk about surfing!'”
But that all changed when Frierson went on a surf trip to Costa Rica at the age of 16. He traveled with a group of surfers he barely knew to search for hot surfing spots. To his dismay he did not find what he was looking for while riding the waves: fulfillment.
“I just couldn’t find the satisfaction that I used to get from surfing he said. I was not getting fulfillment from it. And I was basically angry surfing the whole time.”
A year later when he went to a surf camp in Orange County he found the solution to his problem. A friend gave him a Bible during his stay. He started reading the words of Jesus in red. Then he figured out he was looking in the wrong place to fulfill his life.
He found hope joy and contentment in understanding and walking with Jesus Christ.
“I realized that I wasn’t going to find fulfillment in surfing said Frierson. But seeking God through Jesus will. I was giving up my old selfish self where I was surfing only for myself to finding fulfillment in following the ways of God.”
Although raised a Catholic Frierson used to hate going to church. His family would take him “every so often but even then he did not enjoy it one bit. The boring sermon, the hours of sitting, not to mention the perfect weather outside and the waves waiting for him, would kill him as he sat in the pews.
But now is a different story.
The true story behind Andrew is he’s a very strong Christian said Frierson’s father. Surfing is just a small part of his life. He is a very loving and caring person. He gives and mentors others in a very natural and simple way. His laugh will brighten your day up.”
Frierson’s life aspiration is to help those in need but that was not his goal until a conversation he had with a friend in high school. At first he wanted to pursue business like his father who is a certified public accountant and financial advisor. Upon finding out that his friend wanted to become a nurse and serve others he took a leap of faith and dived into the world of science where he aims to become a doctor specializing in emergency medicine.
“I never thought of myself as a science person he said. But it turned out better than I thought. I just really want to care for people who are in desperate situations. The emergency room is the perfect place for me.”
Frierson is currently a junior studying toward a bachelor’s degree in sports medicine and pre-medicine. He is anticipating a job interning in an emergency room during fall semester which will give him a good idea of the working environment in the ER.
When asked about his proudest moment in surfing he told a story of when he broke his surfboard in Rincon Calif. The waves there were 8-10 feet high and he was surfing on one when his board broke in half. He explained that a surfboard is composed of nothing but foam a thin layer of fiberglass and a long slim piece of wood stuck in the middle.
“It wasn’t surprising for the board to break under such a strong pressure from the wave he said. I was actually hoping for my board to break. That was why I went in the first place.”
Frierson also has been windsurfing since he was 10 years old.
“Windsurfing is fun he said. But surfing definitely trumps it for me.”
When Frierson was a junior in high school he learned the art of making a surfboard. So far he has made 18 surfboards and sold 12 under the personalized and decorated logo “frierson surfboard.”
“It’s a time-consuming process he said. One surfboard takes around 50 hours to complete. That’s around two full days. Plus you need space or a garage to make one.”
Although he could not make surfboards while studying at Pepperdine due to time and space restrictions Frierson still enjoys surfing with the two boards that he crafted himself. Surfing is a way to connect with the ocean and God.
“Nothing is better than feeling the power of the waves said Frierson. I love being pulled under. It’s such a humbling experience to be engulfed in the powerful force of the water.”
