Surfer Friendly Florida Tech

I thought this was a great article about my former college in Melbourne, Florida..I had a great time in the years I was there in the surf club and being the team captain of the A-Team. Good memories... This article was in the Florida Today Newspaper. Florida Tech is where I received my BSBA and my MBA. Top notch school and a great diverse environment to learn in.


August 8, 2006
Surf's up for Panthers
International magazine recognizes Florida Tech as 'surfer-friendly
BY HILLARD GROSSMAN FLORIDA TODAY

Brains and baggies. Florida Tech, with its proximity to the beach, is listed among the top five East Coast 'surfer-friendly' universities. TransWorld Surf magazine

Those engineering students at Florida Tech just might be putting their aerodynamics, physics and marine science studies to good use -- on their surfboards.

The Melbourne-based college, just five miles from the beach, is highlighted in the July issue of TransWorld Surf magazine as one of the nation's best "surfer-friendly" universities, and on the top-five list for the entire East Coast.

It shouldn't be much of a surprise, although Florida Tech's surfing club might get lost among the school's 112 student organizations ranging from badminton to ice hockey, or amid an array of intramural sports that include dodgeball and poker.

But a vast supply of international students, from surfing-rich countries such as Costa Rica and South Africa, have put Florida Tech on this map, at least.

"Do you want to know how surfer-friendly we are?" said Panthers women's basketball coach John Reynolds. "In the preseason, we usually have double sessions. So one day I cut the morning practice early hoping to get more energy out of them in the afternoon. But as I'm driving back over the causeway after lunch, there's one of our players, Cara Jevitt, with her surfboard sticking out the window.

"It's a common sight here."

The article, compiled by the magazine's former editor-in-chief, Joel Patterson, points out that bow-ties have given way to baggies at many coastal schools, where "surfing is creeping into the curriculum." From the East Coast, the Oceanside, Calif.-based magazine also selected Salve Regina University (R.I.), North Carolina-Wilmington, Monmouth (N.J.) and Flagler College in St. Augustine.

"I think it's exciting," Panthers athletic director Bill Jurgens said. "I've known students who have attended Florida Tech who have come in on surfing scholarships. It speaks well for our university and the opportunities surfers have to practice and compete on a regular basis while getting a quality education."

There have been several outstanding surfers associated with the university, including Casey Baker, one of the Panthers' all-time great rowers who spent 15 years as a crew coach. Also, Albert Munoz was a member of the United States National Surf Team that competed at the World Surfing Games in Lisbon, Portugal, in the fall of 1998.

"We're not only one of the best universities for surfers, but we think we have the smartest surfers," Florida Tech president Dr. Anthony J. Catanese said.

In summing up the Central Florida area, which the article says is known for Kelly Slater, Ron Jon Surf Shop and Sebastian Inlet, Patterson writes, ". . . the engineering/aviation-minded surfer should consider FIT, where you can get barreled by day and watch Space Shuttle launches by . . . well, by day, but you get the idea."

Jurgens agrees with the article's assessment.

"You're constantly seeing people at our school going to the beach with their surfboards," he said.

"Even for some of our coaches, it's pretty much a way of life here in Florida."

Florida Surfing

I'm in Orlando right now for a Chesapeake Conference for my work. Prior to this I stayed two days with my mom and Dave in Melbourne and was able to catch up with a bunch of good friends one evening and catch a couple of mornings of some small waves. The water was and is actually 1 degree cooler than San Diego in the lower 70's due to an upwelling. Had to ride my buddy Kevin's longboard which was fun. Surfed at Greg's Left at the old Pet Den and the old O-Club. Officers Club burned down but the parking lot is still there for surfing.

Also caught up with several former professors, friends, etc. and that was fun. Here's a shot of all of my good friends I either grew up with surfing with or knew after high school and surfed with. Pictured from left to right are: Mike Novak, Seth Novak, Jon Schultz, Mike Kohler, me, Jim Moore, and Keith Hamelin. These guys all surf very well. One of the best longboarders in the group is Jon. He's hands down the best longboarder I've ever known. His style and his versatility are incredible. During the Big Kahuna contests he was always our ringer which managed to land us first out of many teams almost every year. With great footwork, noserides, spinners, switchstance, modern cutbacks, modern floaters and off the lips, he does it all..

He was ripping one footers on Sunday at the O-Club. Not to mention none of us wore or needed leashes because there wasn't anyone nearby and the waves were so small if you lost your board you could swim 5 feet to go get it. That's the first time since I left in Brevard that I've surfed without anyone else around. Much less population of surfers in Brevard. The biggest difference between Florida and San Diego...