With just a board, wetsuit and the unpredictability of the waves, the Chapman Surf Club has brought together athletes from many different backgrounds. Specifically, it attracted Will Lamb and Henry LoDestro, two surfers coming from places in which surfing was considered abnormal.

Lamb, a sophomore majoring in public relations and advertising, discovered the surfing community back at home in Massachusetts. Starting at an early age, Lamb continued his passion into college, happy to find people at Chapman with similar interests.

“It’s been cool, (being) surrounded by a good group of people that are passionate about surfing and a love for the ocean, which is really cool. It’s what I was looking for: just nice, genuine people,” Lamb said.

And, Lamb definitely found the right people to fuel his passion for surfing. Among the many surfers, Lamb got to meet LoDestro, another surfer who also wanted to connect with the surfing community.

Senior LoDestro, who is majoring in communication studies, found his passion for surfing at Santa Monica College. He credits his fascination with board sports like snowboarding and skateboarding to have led him to take advantage of a beginner’s class in surfing. Despite coming from the Bay Area, the uniqueness of surfing is what made him want to continue.

“Surfing is one of the more elusive, exotic-type of board sports,” LoDestro said. “You’re going out into the ocean (and) you need someone to guide you if you have no experience in the ocean. I never had that person to guide me until I went to community college and took that (surfing) class.”

The Chapman Surf Club has debated in the past on starting a professional surf team. However, it would take many competitive surfers to even start a team, whereas many surfers like LoDestro choose to only surf for fun. But, in addition to surfing for the adrenaline rush, it is also a time to reset and take a mental break. LoDestro even considers it to be synonymous with activities like meditation.

“When I go and surf, it’s like washing off the week, washing off the day, even,” LoDestro told The Panther. “Sometimes, I feel like my brain is a big whiteboard with a bunch of scribbles on it, bunch of notes and ideas. Going and surfing is like taking a snapshot of all that and erasing it and starting with a blank slate.”

In addition to the mental reset, there’s also a tradeoff: the physicality of the sport. LoDestro claims surfing takes on a different type of demand compared to his past sports, such as soccer and baseball.

“It’s very demanding on the body, very demanding on the mind as well. You cannot be absent-minded and surf,” LoDestro said. “You have to be very focused on what’s at-hand and very conscious of every single movement, of maximizing your efficiency in the water and maintaining your energy and your breath. It is not an easy sport.”

But even with these challenges, the surfing community at Chapman still have a common interest: their appreciation for the ocean.

“It’s my safe place,” Lamb said. “I can go there, I can go surf (and) I can be on the water, escape from reality and be by myself. Take a break, a breather; it’s a nice, calming, relaxing feeling.”

LoDestro echoes Lamb’s love for the ocean and believes it to be another aspect of what the Chapman Surf Club strives to spread. In addition to teaching new members the basics of surfing, they also hope to help others understand the beauty of the environment and be able to connect with nature. To learn more about club meetings, follow the Chapman Surf Club’s Instagram to get more information on how to join and stay involved.

“It’s a great way to teach a lot about having a passion for not just the sport, but also for the ocean too,” LoDestro said. “That’s the whole reason why we are able to surf in the first place. Part of (Chapman) Surf Club is trying to embed that passion, that love and that want to protect the ocean.”