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Thomas McMahon, Dan Eisengart, Clayton Snyder and Steve Manee are four members on the relatively

After waking up to a 6 a.m. alarm, sophomores Steve Manee and Tom McMahon take a long drive out to the ocean, where these two members of the UCLA surf team embark on their morning ritual.

It doesn’t matter that their friends and classmates will still be asleep for the next few hours. Or that outsiders consider their passion to be a simple hobby.

On a team dominated by Southern California residents, McMahon and Manee, who both hail from Laguna Beach, shrug off the cynicism of those unfamiliar with the sport’s competitiveness.

“Nobody really understands competitive surfing,” Manee said. “Most people think it is just like ‘Point Break’ or the T & C surfing video games they used to play as a kid. There is a little bit more to it.”

McMahon and the rest of the team remain relatively anonymous on campus because of competitive surfing’s current place outside the realm of mainstream sports. This is one reason why only 30 to 40 people try out for the team every year.

“I am sure there are a lot of other really good surfers at UCLA who just don’t try out for the team for one reason or another,” Manee said. “I wish more guys would come out, but the only way we can change that is by continuing to improve and take down some of the top schools this year.”

The UCLA surf team is comprised of eight members; one longboarder, one body boarder and six other members on short boards. During each 15-minute heat, six contestants battle for each set of waves for their best two rides. The top three scores advance.

UCLA is one of over 30 California colleges and junior colleges competing as members of the National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA). Each competition has nearly 200 participants, most of whom have some level of competitive surfing background.

“Surfing doesn’t get much credit as a strategic sport, but each heat is ultra competitive and forces you to be very strategic,” McMahon said. “You have to choose the right waves to score well and advance. You have to know what scores you need and which waves will get you there.”

Competitive surfing is given little credit as a strategic sport due to the fact that most people have never tried the sport or seen it in action.

“There is a strategy to everything you do during a heat,” McMahon said.

“You have to know which waves to protect, how to match yourself up against the other surfers’ strengths and be able to compete in five or six heats at each meet. You only learn these tricks through years of experience.”

The UCLA surf team is coming off a strong performance in 2004, qualifying for the finals of the Western Championships for the first time in team history and taking 10th place in the NSSA.

“We are really stoked about our finish last year and expect to do better next year,” Manee said. “Our entire team is back and we all have improved since last year over the summer. We should be a lot more competitive.”

The NSSA is typically dominated by the University of San Diego, UC San Diego and many community colleges that boast former professional surfers. Most programs are also located much closer to quality surf.

Members of the UCLA team usually travel to El Porto or Zuma Beach for decent waves, two destinations that are over 20 minutes away.

“It is a lot of fun competing against guys we have grown up with and competing against since we were in middle school,” Manee said. “It forces you to perform at a higher level when you can only get out a couple times a week with school and everything else.”

Every member of the team is able to balance academics with their team responsibilities; foremost among them is team captain and fundraiser Kelsey Folgner, who is the team’s primary female competitor.

“Kelsey is definitely someone who doesn’t fit the stereotype of a typical surfer,” McMahon said.

“She is majoring in engineering and takes care of all the team’s fund-raising. She is very motivated and also won a few meets last year in the women’s division.”

Regardless of the sport’s popularity on campus, Manee, McMahon and Folgner continue to love the sport they grew up with and have been competing in since middle school.

“Surfing just becomes part of who you are,” McMahon said. “The competitive side of surfing is another way to enjoy the sport. But when it comes down to it, if there is something to surf, I will be there.”