The Stetson Surf Club is riding a wave of renewed participation and stellar performance — all led by a first-year student — as evidenced by the results at the National Scholastic Surfing Association East Coast College Championships, held May 3 in New Smyrna Beach.

The club’s Competition Team won the first-ever surfing championship.

At the event, first-year Hatter Braeden Kopec ruled the waters, while the Stetson Surf Club, a student-run club sport, certainly proved to be worthy of applause. Kopec, club president and team captain, won first place in the College Men’s division — making Stetson history.

Meanwhile, Camden Claudio and Maddie Lavender made their competitive presence felt among the 12 other top colleges throughout the East Coast. Lavender, a longtime competitor, battled her way through preliminary rounds to an impressive semi-final finish. Claudio, despite a shark encounter, was able to complete her heat in what was her first time competing in surfing.

With several team members unable to participate because of Stetson final exams that week, as well as an injury, the team still finished seventh overall. It missed out on a podium appearance (fourth place) by only a few points. The National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA) is a member organization of USA Surfing, the national governing body of surfing.

Kopec’s win earned him an invitation to two national events in California, the USA Surfing National Championships (June 12-13) and the NSSA College National Championships (June 13).

Expected Outcome

Kopec’s success was not a surprise. Residing in nearby Ponce Inlet, he is a two-time National Champion and has won East Coast championships more than 20 times. His father, Brian Kopec, introduced him to surfing when he was a little more than 2 years old. By 3 (and six months), he was competing in events, being pushed into the waves by his dad so he could catch and ride them.

Just weeks before coming to Stetson for the Fall 2024 semester, Kopec capped off his amateur career with two national championship titles in California. He was named to USA Surfing’s Junior Development Team five years in a row.

With a shifting tide, the club appears to be on the rise — rebuilding and establishing Stetson’s first competitive surf team in decades.

Unexpected Rise

Travis Potter, Stetson’s assistant director of Wellness and Recreation, who for more than a decade has worked to expand the reach of the wide-ranging Intramural Sports and Club Sports programs, described the Surf Club as recently having endured rough waters. He finished his thought with “ … and then comes Braeden!”

“Braeden came to me in November and said, ‘Hey, I want to be part of this club surf. And I’d even love to even run it one day. What do I have to do for the club to be successful?’ And he did it,” said Potter, adding, “Braeden is something special.”

Kopec, a Presidential Fellow in the Honors Program, learned fast. From November 2024 to April 2025, the Surf Club scored a figurative A+ in Stetson’s Club Official Report of Engagement, which measures group strength, vitality and commitment. Club members raised funds, attended other clubs’ events, performed community service and participated in leadership-development workshops, among numerous activities to achieve good standing. As the spring semester ended, the club roster totaled 28 members (19 male/9 female), ranking among Stetson’s largest club memberships.

In characteristic style, Kopec’s comments are modest. “We’re super happy to be back competing again … I wanted to bring the club back to its former glory,” he said.

Kopec attributes some of the club’s new success to the mentorship of club alumni, especially Tom Sussan ’23, a former club president. “I was lucky enough to learn a lot from him,” Kopec commented. “The fact that he was willing to take the time out of his day to teach me the ropes, and kind of hold my hand through it, was amazing.”

Also, Kopec praised his teammates and club officers, noting, “They have been a huge help in running this and trying to entice more students to join on campus. I’m very fortunate to have such a great group around me.”

As for his own winning performance in May at New Smyrna Beach, Kopec simply said: “I was just happy to enjoy a positive attitude that kind of carried me through the contest and ultimately to the win.”

For Kopec, this summer already has brought more training on the water, as well as schoolwork — he is taking a summer class in statistics to “kind of get ahead.”

Yet, even with his own personal big plans, he is thinking about what’s next for the Surf Club.

“We’re looking to hit the ground running next semester and really try to bring even more members into our club. Hopefully, this will spread like a wildfire across campus. … We’ve got momentum!”

-Michael Candelaria