Long Beach surf team rides wave to champs
Ross Stanger has been riding waves since he was 11.
“I just fell in love with it from the second I started,” the Long Beach High School senior said.
Stanger, 17, is part of the high school’s surf team, which, as the state’s only school-sponsored surf team, is headed to the National Scholastic Surfing Association Northeastern High School Championships this weekend in Ocean City, N.J., to compete against 10 New Jersey schools.
The team, led by coach Dan Bobis, is in its first year of competition after spending four years as a school club.
“We had some obstacles to overcome here being the first in the state,” Bobis said. “But there is no reason for Long Beach, being the beach community it is, not to have one.”
The team is composed of 19 members – 14 boys and five girls.
Lorena Garcia, 16, is excited to be part of Long Beach’s inaugural squad.
“I think it’s really great that we got a surfing team because we took such an individual sport and made it a team sport,” she said.
The competition will be Sunday at 8 a.m.
Sarra Sounds Off Ep. 35: EI baseball, girls lacrosse and plays of the week On the latest episode of "Sarra Sounds Off," we look at East Islip baseball's inspirational comeback story, Jared Valluzzi has the plays of the week and Tess Ferguson breaks down the top defensive players in girls lacrosse.
Sarra Sounds Off Ep. 35: EI baseball, girls lacrosse and plays of the week On the latest episode of "Sarra Sounds Off," we look at East Islip baseball's inspirational comeback story, Jared Valluzzi has the plays of the week and Tess Ferguson breaks down the top defensive players in girls lacrosse.
