Despite growing up in Huntington Beach, surfer Samantha Cendro didn’t have any family members who surfed. She came to this coastal sport all on her own.
Cendro, 17, had tried most of the typical Orange County youth sports – soccer, golf, even beach volleyball – but after joining a surf class in school as a fifth-grader, she found an unmatched passion for the sport.
“I stuck with it and I fell in love with it,” Cendro said. “I love every part of it. It’s my lifestyle now.”
Cendro competes individually in the Open Women’s division of the National Scholastic Surfing Association’s Southwest Conference, participating in contests each month that take her from Orange County’s beaches to the Mexican border.
But the high school junior may get the most joy out of competition when she takes to the waves with her classmates as part of Huntington Beach High School’s surf team.
“I love surfing and I love competing for my high school,” said Cendro, who has been a varsity surfer for the Oilers since she was a freshman. “I have a pretty intense academic schedule, so when I’m surfing, it allows me to relax. It’s an important life balance for me.”
Huntington Beach High School’s surf team is led by coach Andrew Verdone, who has been leading the Oilers since 1987. A special-education and physical education teacher, Verdone grew up surfing and brings a unique perspective to coaching this sport at the high school level. “I used to coach football and other sports,” he said. “But I didn’t get as much enjoyment out of it as I do coaching surfing. It gets better every year.”
Monday mornings are spent in the classroom, where the surfers hear from guest speakers and watch videos in preparation for upcoming contests. But Tuesdays through Fridays, they arrive at the Huntington Beach Pier at morning’s first light for practice. In the early weeks of the school year, they’ll run on the beach to help build their strength and stamina. But most of their training time is spent in the water, paddling around the pier or surfing sets.
Huntington Beach’s surf team is close to 100 surfers strong, split at about 80 percent boys and 20 percent girls among the junior varsity and varsity level squads. Verdone said he treats his surfers like family – all are welcome, no matter the level of skill or experience. Not all can compete every time (about 12 boys and six girls for each contest), so Verdone and his coaching staff are constantly evaluating the surfers to field the best team possible for each outing.
“I used to ‘set’ the team years ago and block all others, like every traditional sport. But a funny thing happened along the way. I grew as a coach, and I began to realize that some kids grow, some kids stop growing, and some kids go in reverse,” Verdone said of his coaching style. “It comes down to where they are at in life and their motivation to be their best. Everyone here has a shot at surfing in any heat for any contest. We are always evaluating and always judging each athlete. The one rule we have is, ‘The best shall surf.’”
The Oilers compete in the Sunset League each fall, with contests against neighboring high schools such as Edison, Marina and Fountain Valley. Jeremy Guilmette, 16, a junior who is on Huntington Beach’s varsity squad and primarily surfs longboard, takes a great deal of pride in being able to surf for his school under Verdone.
“I love the soul of the sport,” Guilmette said. “Nothing compares to it. And coach (Verdone) is a very wise man. He has so much knowledge and great leadership skills.”
Huntington Beach High School finished first in Sunset League competition in 2014, setting it up for the 2015 NSSA Interscholastic State Championships this past March. Surfing out of Church Beach in San Onofre, the Oilers finished third in the state behind their perennial O.C. competitors, first-place San Clemente High School and second-place Dana Hills High School.
Thought it’s not recognized as a CIF sport, surfing is embraced and respected on Huntington Beach’s campus, and letters are awarded to the varsity level surfers. Additionally, Verdone has organized several summer adventures that have taken some of his students to international surfing meccas such as Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.
As the 2013 NSSA High School varsity longboard champion, Guilmette realizes that living in a place like Orange County provides a unique experience when it comes to high school athletics.
“It’s honestly a blessing,” he said. “There’s nothing I can appreciate more than to surf for my school and get out there each day with my friends. It’s been the best time of my life.”
