Every color of surfboard surrounded Morro Rock as more than 130 students filled the parking lot on Sep. 7. They were all competing for one thing: a spot on Cal Poly’s 2025 surf team roster.
Current team members observed from the shore as students took turns riding waves at Morro’s break.
A break can refer to where the wave breaks and surfers take turns catching the wave, team president and architecture engineering senior Elijah Labb explained.
“It [was] a democratic decision,” Labb said. “They go in front of a lot of the team and they decide yay or nay. The decision maker is their surfing ability.”
With glassy waters and sizable ground swell, conditions were optimal— making it easier for Labb and the rest of the team to observe.
There are many factors used to determine a winner for official competitions including wave size, speed, and maneuvers, according to the National Scholastic Surfing Association, which the surf team uses. When deciding who makes the cut, it comes down to the eye test.
The team’s first of five events this season will be on Oct. 26 in San Diego.
Last year, the team achieved its first NSSA state championship collegiate division win in the program’s 20-year history. Hosted at Huntington Beach, Jack Van Wagoner, an architecture sophomore, placed first in the longboard event.
During NSSA competitions, each surfer’s heat score is determined by judges contributing to the team total. The team with the highest heat total wins that event. At the end of the season, the school with the most points wins their division.
The women’s division is often lacking in schools, Labb said. This year’s tryouts showed promise for the future of Cal Poly women’s surfing, with talented female shortboarders and longboarders making the cut, he said.
“I’m excited to see them surf and represent our school,” Labb said.
There are no formally scheduled surf team practices due to dozens of people surfing a single break, so players are encouraged to get as many reps as possible before the competition, he explained.
“This year our girls have a chance to do more than they’ve ever done for Cal Poly surfing,” journalism sophomore Caroline Belew said. “I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do on the twenty-sixth for our first competition.”
Cal Poly also offers Mustang Surf Club, a space for those who prefer a less competitive atmosphere to meet new surfers in the community.