Surf's Up!

My name is Catherine Flynn and I am studying abroad at the University of Sydney for the semester. Having traveled here from Boston, Massachusetts, I have grown up watching and cheering for the core four: the Boston Celtics, Red Sox, Bruins, and the New England Patriots. I have now realized that there is a good chance that I will never see a basketball, baseball, or hockey game here. And hopefully from this class, I will learn why Australian football players are not covered head-to-toe in pads.

My first hands-on experience with Australian sports was surf camp, which I attended during my first week here. This was also the first time most of us had seen the ocean in a very long time and combined with all of the snow back home, let's just say we were all VERY excited to get into the water. The instructors taught us how to body surf, paddle board, and surf. One of the instructors was even younger than me! Body boarding was not a foreign activity, and I was also already familiar with paddle boarding from summers spent on a lake back home. However, paddle boarding by the ocean was a whole different experience. I also learned that it's is a professional sport that is becoming very popular in Australia. Previously, I thought it was just a recreational sport fit for relaxing and exercise. Surfing, on the other hand, was completely foreign to me. With a little bit of instruction, I was able to get up halfway a few times. Ultimately, I wouldn't say it was a success. I had no idea how much upper body strength it required. If I was going to become a real surfer by the end of my stay, I would need to put in a lot more training and practice. The instructors were great though and were really happy to help us experience the sport of surfing, which Australians call a way of life.