NIC students catch waves on surf trip

NIC students got the chance to catch some waves and get out of their comfort zones during their recent surf trip to Cannon Beach, OR.

The group included Outdoor Pursuits students and interns as well as other students with varying majors. All were novices, but eager to learn.

No formal instruction was given, so the students were left to pick it up on their own. The most experienced the group was Terry Brinton, the trip leader and a student who had worked at the Gozzer ranch as a surf/wake instructor.

“We just kind of watched and picked up what we could,” said Destiny Maxim, outdoor pursuits, 19. “I ended up standing up and riding a wave in.” she said beaming.

Despite the rain on the second day, students still surfed and camped out.

“Thank gosh we had a really prepared instructor, because it made it that much more fun,” Maxim said.

Both days involved an early breakfast, a hike with surf boards down to the beach, some sightseeing and campfires at night.

As far as any downsides, Maxim said there weren’t any.

“I don’t know if it could have gone more smoothly… It made me feel [like I have] a new lease on life. It was hard to come back.”

There is another surf trip in the spring for more information and to sign up students can go to Cardinalsync.