Samo surf team successfully rides into its first competition
Alex Meyer / Contributor
Akiva Heller (’27) surfs in the Kick Off Classic on Dec. 8. He rides a wave in the second round of competitions, earning points that help him move onto round three
The Samo surf team represents Samo at a handful of surfing competitions every school year. Led by senior captain Alex Meyer (’24), the team is currently participating in the Kick Off Classic, their first tournament of the season. The dates of each individual competition are often not confirmed until the night prior as they depend on the quality of waves. This means that the tournament will be ongoing indefinitely as the Kick Off Classic awaits ideal conditions. So far, surfer Arden Hittner (’25) has made it to the final round of the women’s longboarding competition, cementing a fifth-place position in preparation for the final round. In women’s shortboards, Jade Furukawa (’24) earned first place in heat one of the quarterfinals but fell just short in the semifinals. Samo surfers who advanced to round two of the men’s shortboarding competition are Meyer, Graham Slater (’24), Oliver Levine (’26), Gabe Lopez (’26), Akiva Heller (’27) and Phoenix Vinar (’25). Surfers Theo Carlson (’27), Akiva Heller (’27) and Oliver Levine (’26) all placed first in their respective heat of the second round of the men’s shortboards competition, meaning they will all advance to the next round. Surfers representing the Samo team are looking to take home the win in the remainder of the contests which have yet to have been held. Captain Meyer talks about how cooperation amongst the team will be important in improving upon their already stellar form.
“Our teamwork has gotten a lot better, but I think it could continue to improve for the head-to-head contest, just working together and instead of surfing individually, surfing as a team,” Meyer said.
@samohisurfteam / Contributor
[From left to right] Julia Faber (’25), Sophie Lefevre (’27) and Paisley Pacifici (’27) run out of the water after surfing at the Kick Off Classic at Bruce’s Beach to celebrate the team’s results.
Following the conclusion of the Kick Off Classic, the team plans on volunteering in as many charitable events as they can. Through the non-profit organization Surf Bus Foundation and partnerships with Black Surfers Collective, Bmoved Foundation and Stoked, the Samo surf team strives to make a positive impact. For the rest of the tournament and the year ahead, Meyer and his crew are ready to build upon their past and mark a new future for the Samo surf team.
“We’d love to do our best and we are always shooting for first, but it’s important to just improve upon last year,” Meyer said.
Regardless of skill level and experience, everyone is allowed to participate on the Samo surf team, however, not everybody is selected to participate in competitions. Despite this, that doesn’t take away from having a great experience. Gregor Polinovsky (’25), a new member of the Samo surf team isn’t competing in the Kickoff Classic but has still enjoyed his time with the group.
“I like that we can surf every single day,” Polinvosky said. “It's a fun opportunity. This year is my first year on the team. Everyone's super nice, they all teach me how to surf, so that's awesome and it's a lot of fun.”
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