Surfing at UNCW

When most people think of college, they think of moving away from home, sporting events, staying up late to study, and all sorts of new life experiences. College is a time for learning, self discovery, and life preparation. It’s where we discover who we are and where we’re going with our lives.  What college we attend can say a lot about who we are as a person. Some people are legacies and go to the same school as their parents. Some of us choose our college or university by what major we plan to study. Where you attend college can be one of the biggest decisions you make in your life. It can define you.

What if you chose your future Alma Mater by how good the waves are? What if the reason you attend one college over the other is how many surf breaks there are in town? You CAN!

Prime Time Location

WB Surf Camp is lucky enough to be located right next to one of the BEST surf-friendly colleges in the country. UNCW or The University of North Carolina Wilmington is probably the #1 school on the East Coast to get your degree while  also getting some waves. Surf culture abounds at this school. It is an institution of higher learning, as well as, an institution of surf. It isn’t uncommon at all to hit the books during the day, and then hit the waves after class is over. One walk through campus and you will immediately see the influence surf culture has on the students – surfing at UNCW has become a prominence in the overall campus culture.

So many of our campers, after staying with us for a week and experiencing the wonderful towns of Wrightsville Beach and Wilmington, NC, decide to come back and attend UNCW to continue their pursuit of surfing while also obtaining a degree.

A First Hand Look: Surfing at UNCW

Check out what surf photographer, and current UNCW student Erika Alatorre has to say about the surf-centric college:

“I moved to Southeastern NC from Southern California when I was 11, in 2005, and spent the majority of my life growing up at the beach. For as long as I can remember I have always had a camera with me thanks to my parents introducing me early on. Wilmington is a unique and notable city for many reasons, but definitely legendary when it comes to its surfing community and culture. Having had the opportunity to grow up with flawless coast lines that produce ideal waves and suitable conditions for surfers, I was driven more than ever to photograph and document this southern surfing paradise.

The support for the sport of surfing continues to grow and this city has created a large platform for local surfers to get their name out in the industry and can honestly say it’s been fun watching my friends from Wrightsville Beach continue to blow minds not only locally, but all over the country and world. Photographing surfing has allowed me to fully immerse myself in the culture of surfing and beach life both on the east and west coast, but I will always consider Wilmington as one of the best surf towns I’ve had the privilege of living.

As a student at UNCW, I am able to continue my passion for surf photography, enjoy the variety of perks a beach town provides, as well as get an education. No wonder UNCW is one of the most popular universities to come to, and has recently become one of the most competitive as well.”

Recently, Surfer Magazine rated UNCW one of the “Top 10 Surf Colleges” in the U.S. Check out the article and read for yourself.

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