Photos by Shawn Jones
Surfing Calls for Community
A group of Pepperdine students gathered together in prayer and worship on the sand before hopping into the crisp waves Easter morning. As the sun started to rise, the group circled up and reflected on their lives while marveling at the many surf memories to come. The group then shredded the Sunday sunrise waves together.
“The people you surf with form a special bond and become surf family, especially after sessions with great waves,” senior Elizabeth Lutz said.
This experience is one of Lutz’s favorite surfing memories. As she looked back at her freshman-year experience, Lutz reflected on her passion for surfing, a passion that started with a love for the ocean and continued to grow throughout her time at Pepperdine.
Lutz said she loves many things about surfing — from the feeling right after she’s caught a wave to the community of surfers with whom she shares her journey with.
“I love how surfing is an interaction with such an incredible aspect of nature that is so powerful yet can be so dangerous,” Lutz said. “It allows us to essentially dance on such a thin line with nature. When we find ourselves on a wave, there is a little safe haven on the face of a wave, and one wrong move could put you in a place that you definitely don’t want to be in.”
Lutz said she started her surfing career as a bright-eyed freshman. She used to jump on the city bus to Zuma Beach to take the surf class once a week. Although she was unable to surf while abroad during her sophomore year, she quickly jumped back on her board as a junior.
Since then, Lutz has become an avid surfer. She said her favorite place to surf is Surfrider Beach due to the incredible break. However, when Surfrider is too crowded Lutz enjoys “surf-faris” when she and her friends search for new surfing spots. Thus far, she has enjoyed the breaks down the cliffs between Zuma and the County line.
In addition to the feeling of walking on water, Lutz loves the bond that comes from sharing waves with others in the surfing community. She recalls some of the best life talks with friends out in the water.
Party waves, surf trips and post-surf acai bowls are only a few of the aspects that build up the relationships that come from being a part of the surfing community here at Pepperdine.
“The joy God has given me from surfing can be used in so many ways, from helping people around the world to simply just teaching others and sharing the joy,” Lutz said.
Lutz’s passion leads her to want to share it with those around her. She said she loves to watch people catch their first wave and see the excitement that immediately comes across their faces. This unique feeling is only one of the joys that those in the surfing community mutually share.
“The community at Pepperdine is definitely growing and expanding so if you haven’t surfed, grab a board and get in the water,” Lutz said.
Wave Finds Solitude in Surfing
For surfers like sophomore Joseph Ramli, surfing provides a sense of peace that allows an escape from the pressures of life.
Ramli started to surf during his freshman year after some of his friends began to surf.
“Nothing really beats surfing in the morning,” Ramli said. “I’ve never been a morning person until I started surfing, and waking up is still the hardest part, but when you finally get there, it’s totally worth it. Then you go to class, sometimes late, generally with sandy, bare feet, but definitely in good vibes.”
In addition to morning runs out to Surfrider Beach or to Sunset Cliffs, Ramli said he enjoys kicking back and watching the sunset from the water. Over long weekends, Ramli and his friends pack up the car and take spontaneous surf trips along the coast.
One time this entailed stopping along Pacific Coast Highway and flipping a coin — heads they drive north and tails they drive south. After surfing different beaches in San Diego, the group camped out on hammocks to wake to the sound of crashing waves.
Whether it’s a weekend away from Malibu or a morning at Surfrider, Ramli said he finds solitude in the waves.
“The ocean has always been one of my favorite places, so being able to connect to it through surfing has been an amazing experience,” Ramli said. “Some days, I go out to be refreshed and refilled by the beauty of the ocean … I can just surf and enjoy the particular moment.”
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Follow Marissa Yoshizawa on Twitter: @MarissaYosh
