For the Malibu High School surf team, there is nothing like conquering a nice wave, followed by grinning ear to ear.
Surfer SJ Murphy said competitive surfing is great, but they want to have fun doing it.
“Just have fun and you are going to surf [well] — guaranteed,” the 16-year-old sophomore said.
Surf team coach Scott Lewis said surfing is generally more laid back than other high school sports.
“I’m not trying to be a hard-nose coach,” the former pro surfer said. “[The team] is just having a blast. This is a fun thing for them.”
The surf team heads into its Sunday morning contest at the Ventura County Fairgrounds with a record of 1-1 in the Scholastic Surf Series’ LA to Santa Barbara High School Division 1.
Malibu will be one of eight schools competing at the event. Other competing schools include Dos Pueblos, Palisades, San Marcos, Santa Barbara, Oak Park, Oxnard and Ventura.
Lewis said Malibu wants to win events, but that the team approaches surf competitions in a more lighthearted way than when the surfers prepare for individual Surfing America or National Scholastic Surfing Association events.
The Sharks opened the surf season on Oct. 25 by defeating San Marcos 70-65 at Summers Beach in Ventura.
Murphy and Carson Dohan grabbed third and fourth place respectively in the men’s shortboard, while Betsey Lee won third place in the women’s longboard to lead Malibu. Shark Nick Zielski finished sixth in the bodyboard category.
Malibu was outscored 70-66 by Santa Barbara during a Nov. 8 surf meet at Ventura County Fairgrounds. Murphy finished second in the men’s shortboard, Lee finished second in the women’s longboard and George Faunelroy finished fourth in the men’s longboard to lead Malibu. Leila Anawalt finished fifth in the women’s longboard and Zielksi placed sixth in bodyboard for the Sharks.
Through two events, Murphy has 3,180 total points, placing him in second place in the men’s shortboard division.
The 10th grader said he is really excited about Sunday’s contest.
“We have a really good team of surfers that are ready to win,” Murphy said.
Murphy shared that he believes the key is to surf consistent and smart.
“Knowing what waves to go on and listening to my coach as to what to do,” he said. “A lot of it is being patient. It’s about waiting for a good wave because when you go on a bigger wave you get a better score.”
Murphy and Lewis said they expect surfers Ryder Sturges, Henry Jenkinson and Dohan to have good surf seasons. The two also mentioned how much surfer Sean Saldamando has improved.
“Sean is a great surfer,” Lewis said. “We have a lot of kids that have really gotten better.”
Saldamando said the key to his improvement has been support from coaches and family and practice. “All of that has really helped me just take it to another level,” the 16-year-old 11th grader shared.
So far this season, freshman Lee has led the girl surfers. She is ranked second in total points in women’s longboard and sixth in women’s shortboard. Junior Anawalt is ranked ninth in women’s longboard.
Lewis said he expects good things from the girls.
“We have a great group of girls,” he said. He also said he plans on the Sharks doing well on Sunday.
“The last couple of contests, the waves have been barely rib high,” he said. “This contest they should be way overhead, and Malibu kids just eat that up. It doesn’t matter how big the wave is, they will go out there.”