2008 Woodie Awards
Surfers make beach shine
Surf club gathers to clean their home turf
Kari Wilberg
Issue date: 9/26/07 Section: News
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With the sound of waves crashing in the background, members of the UCF surf club sifted through the sand of Cocoa Beach, gathering discarded cups, cigarette butts and sandwich wrappers.
The club moved carefully Saturday, collecting trash in plastic bags that were nearly half full. Cocoa officials have promised to put garbage cans at the end of the boardwalks so people on the beach will have a place to toss their trash.
Heather Lewis, Ron Jon Surf Shop's director of marketing, said Cocoa has also recently added bins for cigarette butts, but surf club members chose to get a head start on the city by pitching in to clean the beach that is so important to their activities.
About 15 club members and a few other volunteers from the community, including Ron Jon employees, arrived at 9 a.m. and worked until about 10 a.m. Each member was given his or her own pair of gloves and a trash bag.
Four times a year, roughly every three months, the surf club, Ron Jon employees and Cocoa Beach community members get together to maintain the cleanliness of their beloved beach.
"Since it's so crowded," Lewis said, "the beach generates trash, and we are just trying to make an effort so when people visit, it's a nice place to go."
Lewis was not the only one who felt this way. Surf club members were also excited to participate and help keep their beach clean.
"I'm glad we do stuff like this," said Hailey Winslow, a senior broadcast journalism major and newly elected surf team alternate. "I feel like I never help the environment anymore, and I like doing something helpful."
After the cleaning ended, members sat down to discuss their upcoming schedule of events.
The past two weekends, tryouts have been held to determine which members will lead the surf team to nationals. Six women and 18 men are given spots on the actual team each year.
Although the phrases are used interchangeably, the UCF surf "club" and the "team" are distinct. The club is not competitive; it is a gathering of people with the same interest. The team is much more competitive and travels the country to compete against various schools throughout the year.
The club moved carefully Saturday, collecting trash in plastic bags that were nearly half full. Cocoa officials have promised to put garbage cans at the end of the boardwalks so people on the beach will have a place to toss their trash.
Heather Lewis, Ron Jon Surf Shop's director of marketing, said Cocoa has also recently added bins for cigarette butts, but surf club members chose to get a head start on the city by pitching in to clean the beach that is so important to their activities.
About 15 club members and a few other volunteers from the community, including Ron Jon employees, arrived at 9 a.m. and worked until about 10 a.m. Each member was given his or her own pair of gloves and a trash bag.
Four times a year, roughly every three months, the surf club, Ron Jon employees and Cocoa Beach community members get together to maintain the cleanliness of their beloved beach.
"Since it's so crowded," Lewis said, "the beach generates trash, and we are just trying to make an effort so when people visit, it's a nice place to go."
Lewis was not the only one who felt this way. Surf club members were also excited to participate and help keep their beach clean.
"I'm glad we do stuff like this," said Hailey Winslow, a senior broadcast journalism major and newly elected surf team alternate. "I feel like I never help the environment anymore, and I like doing something helpful."
After the cleaning ended, members sat down to discuss their upcoming schedule of events.
The past two weekends, tryouts have been held to determine which members will lead the surf team to nationals. Six women and 18 men are given spots on the actual team each year.
Although the phrases are used interchangeably, the UCF surf "club" and the "team" are distinct. The club is not competitive; it is a gathering of people with the same interest. The team is much more competitive and travels the country to compete against various schools throughout the year.