The Orange Lutheran surf team is back at Bolsa Chica Tower 18 for another season of competition in the Sea View League, and they ride the waves this Thursday, September 30, when they face off against Corona del Mar.

 

Grateful for some normalcy this year, the Lancers are looking to better their 3rd place league finish last spring, and will be led by a talented group of younger surfers.

 

“It’s going to be the youth that lead the pack,” says OLu surf head coach, Marc Laulhere.

 

Senior leadership will consist of longboarders Brody Mansfield and Olivia Roberts, as well as Amy Bonner. They will compete alongside a number of sophomores and juniors who are coming in with significant surfing experience.

 

The arrival of Covid sent many outside, and as a result, surfing became a common “pandemic hobby” that many student athletes picked up. As such, the OLu surf class is full at 60 students, with approximately 30 surfers on the competition squad. Additionally, the girls side of the program has made significant strides and makes up nearly half of the roster.

 

Laulhere feels that with the team’s makeup this year, OLu will be competitive and have a chance to challenge perennial league favorite Los Alamitos. But regardless of the outcome, the Lancers looking forward to getting back in the water and enjoying the purity of surfing.

 

“It’s such a different sport, because it’s really just you and the ocean,” says Laulhere. “There’s nothing like getting up early, getting to the beach, watching the sun come up and getting into the water. Let’s just get back to normality and fun and get after it.”