Name: Andrew Trujillo
Born: Miami, FL
Major: Biology
Age: 19
Hobbies: Surfing, fishing, paddle boarding, longboarding, skateboarding and filming
If you love being outdoors, riding some waves and making memories, then you’ll love Andrew Trujillo. Trujillo has been an adventurer since he was a child and continues to do so today.
Her Campus: Have you always been an “adventurous” person?
Andrew Trujillo: “When I was little I often wandered off exploring, usually trying to catch small lizards or seeing how far I could climb up a tree. Nothing much has changed since then, so yeah, I would say I have always been adventurous.”
HC: How did you find out about the UF Surf Club, UF Gator Longboarding Club and the UF Wakeboarding Club?
AT: “Well, a lesson I learned going from middle school to high school was to get involved as quickly as you can. Going into such a large university, I knew there were going to be hundreds of individuals who had the same interests as I did. As a high school senior preparing to be a freshman at UF, I went onto the university clubs page and started looking at what I wanted to do. It wasn’t until after a trip to Huntington Beach, California, where I fell in love with surfing, that I knew that was what I wanted to do. I messaged John Wilson (who happened to be listed as the president of the UF Surf Club at the time) on Facebook. As soon as I got to Gainesville, I was at every surf event, volunteering requirement or just hanging around with the group. As for Gator Longboarding and the UF Wakeboarding club, they all come as a big package. No matter which one you start [with] you will find yourself in all of them.”
HC: Out of the three, which one do you prefer and why?
AT: “Although I have been longboarding the longest, and am eagerly trying wakeboarding, I have to say Surf Club will always be my preference. I am from Miami, which only becomes surfable three or four times a year, maybe five if a hurricane passes through. Surfing is a whole new frontier for me. Some of the guys and girls in the club have been surfing almost all their lives, so learning from them only makes me a better surfer.”
HC: In participating in these clubs/activities, have you ever put yourself in danger? How did you get out of it?
AT: “Anything that involves boards usually comes with a big risk factor. There is always an internal conflict between being aware of your own capabilities yet trying to become more advanced. There have been instances where I question whether or not I want to try a new maneuver, but it all comes down to commitment. If you try something you are not sure about but commit to it, it will usually end up better than if you bail out. I guess that counts as ‘getting out of it.’ That’s rule No. 1: You have to want it. If you’re out waiting for a wave and a shark just happens to swim by and take your foot, well that’s just bad luck, isn’t it?”
HC: Any advice to people who are trying to seek adventure but are scared?
AT: “I would say don’t be afraid to be a beginner. Embrace it. Everyone started as a beginner at some point in their life. When I first joined the Surf Club, I could barely stand up on a foamy (a large surfboard that is very buoyant and used for beginners). Now I have my own board, wetsuit and can get some good rides in, although I’m still not as good as I’d like to be. However, I’m getting there. My big point is that adventure doesn’t have to be hiking through a jungle in South America or sailing across the Atlantic Ocean. Adventure is trying something new. It’s an experience.”
HC: Would you like to say anything else on behalf of the clubs you participate in?
AT: “Surf and wake are and will be my college memories. They will be the cool stories that I tell my grandkids about when I’m an old geezer. Not to mention the surf and wakeboarders are the rowdiest reptiles on this campus! So if anyone is looking for an adventure, this is definitely the way to go. The ladies of the clubs have also made a separate group called Wahines of the Waves, an all-female crew that shreds and spreads the stoke like butter on toast. So go check all of us out on Facebook and Instagram: UF Wakeboarding Club and UF Surf Club.”
Photo Courtesy of Andrew Trujillo