Noah Albrecht is a very talented surfer from Southern California. He is currently a fourth-year member of the San Diego State University Surf Team. I had the pleasue of interviewing Noah about what it's like being a part of a college surf team. This blog post is intended for readers who are interested in learning a bit about college surf teams and competitions. Enjoy!
Q: Hi Noah! Thanks for doing this interview! Let's start with a brief introduction about yourself.
A: Hi! My pleasure! My name is Noah Albrecht. I have been surfing since I was about six years old, and now I am a member of the San Diego Surf Team. I'm currently a senior and will be graduating with a geological science degree. I honestly don't know if I have a title or not. I may or may not be vice president of the team. I honestly don't know haha.
Q: Perfect, thank you for sharing! Now let's start with the questions. First off, how do you become a member of the SDSU surf team?
A: To become a member of the SDSU surf team, you have to attend tryouts that are held at the beginning of every school year. They are usually held within the first three weeks of school, and they take place in Pacific Beach. The surf club is a competitive team that participates in all of the NSSA college events. We take roughly the top thirty surfers of the competitive team and rotate them throughout the different events.
Q: How is the team performing this year?
A: The team is doing better this year than in the previous three years. In the last contest, we placed fourth out of 13 schools. Our most recent competition was at Huntington Beach Pier a few weeks ago. This weekend we will be up in Santa Cruz for the Steamer Lane event.
Q: What does a season typically consist of?
A: Typically, there are three competitions that let the team qualify for State Champs and National Champs. Throughout the season, we compete in five events in total. The contest format is six-man heats that last 15 minutes. The top three surfers advance to the next round, up until the final round. There are men's shortboard, women's shortboard, and co-ed longboard heats.
Q: What is your favorite part of being on the team?
A: My favorite part of being on the team is going to contests with my team. This club brings together students who share a passion for the sport, and it is really nice spending time with everyone at these comps.
Q: What is the most challenging part?
A: The most challenging part of being on the team is making decisions on who will surf what event. There are a lot of talented surfers on the team, so it can be difficult to make everyone happy.
Q: How often does the team practice?
A: Practices and meetings only occur when we have upcoming contests. Besides that, everyone is expected to surf on their own time.
Q: What is your favorite surf spot?
A: My favorite surf spot has recently been Black's Beach. There has been good swell and favorable wind. It's been really fun.
Q: Do you prefer to compete or surf casually?
A: I definitely prefer to surf just for fun. These college competitions are the only ones I compete in every year.
Q: How do you prepare for a comp?
A: I don't change much. I just make sure to surf a few times a week.
Q: That was the last question I have for you today. We covered all of the basic information about what it is like to be a part of the team. Thanks for your time, Noah. Good luck this weekend!
A: Anytime! Thanks!
If you have any questions for Noah feel free to leave them in the comment section. He would be happy to answer them. Go Aztecs!
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