Summer is approaching, the weather is getting warmer and the members of the Surfrider Club are waking up from hibernation. In the next few months, members will be heading to local beaches to clean up the environment and have some fun catching waves.

“The Surfrider Club is based on the Surfrider Foundation, informing students about current events that are discussed with the foundation and helping promote beach clean-up and awareness,”= club president junior David Wobber said.

The Surfrider Club goes on small day trips to nearby beaches, mostly in Santa Cruz, a few times a month. At the beach, members collect trash to protect and help preserve the beach. Afterwards, they cool off by surfing, wake boarding and boogie boarding.

The Surfrider Foundation was established in 1984 by a few avid surfers in Malibu, California. Today, it has grown in size with about 80 chapters and 50,000 members worldwide. Two years ago, senior Torrey Thomas brought it to this school.

After a year, the club died out due to a lack of interest. But this year, David has revived it, hoping to make it more successful in spreading beach preservation awareness.

“The club’s main goals are to enjoy the beach lifestyle, to learn how to surf, boogie board and wake board while taking time to appreciate our beaches by keeping them clean and safe for everyone to enjoy, treasurer junior Erica Best said.

There are approximately 10 students who attend the meetings every other Friday in math teacher Judy Strauss’ room 701. During these meetings, David, along with Erica and vice president junior Rufus Gorhali, organize future beach trips by making arrangements for food and equipment. They also discuss current events within the Surfrider Foundation and brainstorm beach preservation ideas.

In the future, the club hopes to have a positive impact on beaches outside the Bay Area. So far, members have expressed interest in visiting areas in Southern California. The club plans to hold more fundraisers in order to pay for extra equipment and submit donations to the Surfrider Foundation. According to David, the club plans on selling cloth grocery bags with the Surfrider logo to help eliminate the large amount of plastic grocery bags found on the beaches.

“I made this club because I really want to help save the beaches and help the foundation,” David said.