STAFF WRITER,
,
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Cold. It’s starting to become a part of our lives again. As much as we’ve blocked it out of our minds, it is upon us. As the fall season grows old and winter creeps in, surfing will not (can not) stop. The days that end at five o clock, the days that happiness seems impossible, the days that we hate to get out of bed, can very well be transformed by pumping surf.
Surfers are a spontaneous breed. The thrill of travel and the excitement of a new surf break spark anxious joy in surfers wherever they are. Two weekends ago, my friends and I succumbed to the lure of wanderlust.
Fall break allowed students across campus to take a breather from schoolwork and return home for a long weekend. Monmouth mothers rejoiced to see their loved ones at home under their wing once more, eating home-cooked meals and partaking in family bonding activities. Mothers of student surfers were distraught however, as their children paddled into heaping, over-head waves this past weekend. Although it was not ideal that students had to leave MU right before a big swell, it did not stop surfers from attaining a few highly sought after hurricane barrels.
We left off last time hoping for waves during the upcoming week, as usual. This week, Mother Ocean delivered. On Sunday the swell was building, from early morning to the sun’s last rays, surfers found some clean three to four footers. Although, no one was satisfied, the prediction for the next day was even better. When Monday rolled around there was excitement in the air. I woke and went to my first class hoping that it would go fast.
With our ocean resembling a lake for the first week of school, the predicted swell for this past week had MU’s surfers frothing. High winds, a ripping current and massive Monday and Tuesday waves saddened surfers across the board.
With the new school year knocking on our door, the time comes to wave goodbye to the soft sand, warm summer breeze and ocean scent. While the lives of most college students will change drastically, those who attend the University will endure new levels of stress trying to balance beach time and academics. For surfers this means early sessions before that 8:30 am class or catching the last sliver of sunlight after a 4:30 pm course.
As another school year ends at Monmouth, students look on to the year to follow, however, next year men’s basketball team will look relatively different.