CLUB OF THE MONTH: Surf Club

On Saturday, October 12, the Surf Club hosted their fall event, “Learn-to-Surf Day”.With sunny 70 degree weather on Newport Beach, more than 60 people crowded the sand to participate in this event.

The Surf Club wanted to serve the Vanguard community by hosting a surf day which allowed many students to try something new.

Experienced surfers from the Surf Club volunteered their time to help give personal instructions to anyone who participated. Boards were provided by local surf shops for those students who did not have their own surf board.

The Surf Club was founded in 2011 by Freshman (at the time) Ben Kelly and is sponsored by Red Bull.

“I came in as freshman and immediately started bonding with the fellow surfers. Honestly, I was shocked that there wasn’t a surf club here already. We decided to come together and work with the school to create an official fellowship for surfers. By the end of my first semester here, the Surf Club was up and running” said Kelly.

While Kelly serves as president, officers Luke Bender, Ryan Richards, and Lyndsi Bell help keep the club strong.

Kelly started the Surf Club so that student surfers might “fellowship with one another, strengthen each others faith and reach out to those who do not know Christ”. Members of the Surf Club fellowship through camping, bonfires, and of course surfing.

“In the past, the club has been exclusively for surfers only. Now, however, we welcome any student who is passionate about what our vision is and wants to get involved on campus with our mission” said Kelly.

Since it’s founding nearly 2 years ago, there are already more the 60 members in the club, 25 of which are actively involved.

One of the benefits of attending a university so close to the beach is that many of the surfers surf at the local beaches in Huntington and Newport. In Kelly’s opinion, “The best breaks are 44th & 54th streets in Newport for good surfers and the best place to learn is around 28th street”. The club also travels up and down the coast to catch a wave, anywhere from Ventura to San Diego.

The Surf Club has a very relaxed atmosphere. Many of the actively involved surfers take their boards out everyday. Other members join in on the activities that the club puts on: bonfires, BBQ’s, movie nights, and even “learn-to-surf days”.

Not only is it a great club that accommodates for fellowship with classmates, it is also a great way to give back to the community. The Surf Club serves the community by joining up with the Food Pantry in Santa Ana on the 3rd Saturday of every month.

Kelly believes “it is a great way to get involved and make a difference in the community”..

If anyone is interested in becoming a member of the Surf Club or would like to find out more information, email Ben Kelly at benjamin.kelly@vanguard.edu