Good Vibes Happen in the Tides
Members of the Surf Team socializing before their pre-surf stretches at 204 beach.
October 2, 2017
Hitting the waves and the grades, these students are maintaining a good academic standing while doing a sport they love.
SJHHS’ surf team meets during zero through first period at 204’s, a beach in San Clemente. Lead by Coach Roberts, a current history teacher at SJHHS, many of the current students have received great recognitions for their astonishing performance.
Iran Cortes-Reyes, a senior on the surf team, said “I’ve been on academic probation since freshman year and in the past two years [on surf team] I have not been on academic probation, and my surfing has improved.”
The girls shortboard team, and their captain Lily Benjamin, are ready to defend their title as Coast League Champion for Women’s Shortboard. Being a senior and advanced surfer, it’s clear why she’s one of SJHHS surf team stand out students.
“I’ve been on academic probation since freshman year and in the past two years [on surf team] I have not been on academic probation, and my surfing has improved.” — Iran Cortes-Reyes
Lily Benjamin said that her favorite part about surfing is “how you can express your own creativity in every wave, like every wave you decide which wave to catch, what maneuvers you want to do on the wave and even how big of a wave you want, so it’s all individual.”
None of this could be possible without the work of the only surf coach, helping others with his same passion.
Coach Roberts has been preparing for this position since the school opened. He said that “Surfings been a passion of mine since I was young and I’ve always been interested in coaching at the high school level, surfing has basically been a staple in my life.”
As told by most members on the team, they are all “super stoked” for a great season and hoping for even better waves.
![Quarterback Timmy Herr is in his throwing motion, targeting a receiver to his left in a CIF-Semi Final game. This season was Herr’s first at SJHHS. The lefty quarterback liked the welcoming environment at San Juan Hills. “A good thing that stood out is [that] right when I got here, everyone treated me as family. I just got welcomed in by the coaches and the players right away. It was easy to build a bond with the team and the coaches,” said Herr.](https://sjhexpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Football-3.-Joaquin-e1702323529765-600x588.jpg)