A group of 14 surfers from Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount University gathered to master their skills on a cold and cloudy Saturday morning on March 31. As the exclusive participants in a TuneUp event, organized by Red Bull, they spent the morning getting advise from pro Red Bull surfer Ian Walsh. The event started at 8 a.m. at the Advanced Collegiate Surf Camp at Manhattan Beach.
They began with warm-up and an open surf that was proceeded by a forum for Walsh’s feedback.
“Today’s event went amazing; we had a really fun surf,” Walsh said, once everyone was out of the water. “All the kids were awesome to hang out with and they had very intuitive question. They wanted to figure out their surfing. They all are very good surfers and it makes the more fun day to be in the water and watch them. It’s more like one big expression session.”
Seven members of the Pepperdine Surf team enjoyed Walsh’s company and supervision as they brought their surfing skills to a totally different level. “It was really good to be in the water with the pro,” junior Ruairi Rooney said, President of Pepperdine Surf team.
Walsh enjoyed teaching young surf ers as well. “I love helping young surfer,” he said. “I have been through everything they are going thorough so if there are any way I can help them speed little speed bumps in the ocean life, I am more than happy to do so.
“It really brings me back a few years and it rejuvenates me. You see the expression on their face and how excited they are really reconfirms how much I love surfing and how much it means to me.”
Walsh confessed that he has been surfing for more than 20 years, “since he was a baby.”
“My dad was a surfer so I was pretty much born into it,” Walsh said.
He mentioned his “riding a wave” that’s on a Red Bull commercial as one of the most exciting highlights of his surfing career. “There were few highlights for sure, but that wave and that day in particular stands out,” he recalled. “I think when my wife flashes before my eyes before I die that would be right there in the highlight really.”
This even was followed by the Red Bull SwitchBoard on Sunday, April 1, what included snowboarding and surfing.
