“Exhilarating,” was the first word that came to Junior Bebe Engel’s mind as she described surfing. Engel is one of the few students at CHS that has experienced the thrills of surfing. “It’s a different kind of sport,” she said. Engel has been surfing for about three to four years now and loves the feeling of being in the ocean and riding the waves.

Over the summer, Engel went to Maui to experience a rare opportunity. “I found this camp online,” she said. Maui Surfer Girls, MSG for short, is the surfing camp that Engel attended. MSG’s mission is to empower girls through the power of surfing. Dustin Tester, the founder of Maui Surfer Girls, wanted to create a rite of passage for teenagers through surfing and was inspired to create this organization.

Engel’s day consisted of surfing for about seven to eight hours. “Surfing is literally 90 percent paddling and the rest is surfing,” Engel said.

Lauren, Engel’s camp friend explained the hard work and effort it takes to surf. “Just because you don’t catch one wave, doesn’t mean you should give up,” Lauren said.”

Engel and Lauren both agree that once you’ve overcome the fear of getting out in the waves, it’s definitely rewarding.

“It’s the best feeling in the world,” Engel said” grinning. “You’re just incapable of thinking about anything else, like reality.”

Engel surfs on a longboard which is eight to twelve feet. “Longboarding is more

“Surfing isn’t for everyone, if you’re not willing to put in the effort or understand that you can be in danger, then it probably isn’t for you,” Lauren said.

One of the things that Engel and Lauren enjoy about surfing is the freedom of doing whatever they feel like. However, just like any sport, surfing does not come easily.

“One time, I felt like I was dying because the inertia of the waves was too strong and the waves were throwing me around, so I didn’t know which way was up,” Engel said.” The stories that Lauren and Engel tell make surfing seem dare-devilish. There’s a chance the person might die, and some people take that chance.

Bebe and Lauren both have many scars, cuts and bruises from the intense waves and bumping into the rock and coral in the ocean. So why do they surf? The answer was simple. “We just like it a lot,” Engel said. Just like any other sport, people participate because they enjoy what they are doing. Surfing isn’t any different.