A WAVE OF FOREIGN STUDENTS ON BOARD
International students are travelling from across the world to study surfing at a top Gold Coast university.
Zach Holmstrom and Matthew Wright both hail from snowy Wisconsin, America where sun and surf are just dreams during the winter months.
While family back home in America contend with blizzards, the two 21-yearolds hit the Surfers Paradise waves almost every morning before their Surf Industry Studies classes, a business elective offered at Bond University.
“We’re both business majors and we took the surfing class because it's a business elective at home (St. Norbert College),” Mr Holmstrom said.
“We chose Bond because in Wisconsin surfing is not a thing and we have no access to the ocean. Australia is the surfing capital of the world, there’s really no better place to learn about the industry.”
Both Mr Holmstrom and Mr Wright said the subject was a perfect blend of their degree and their new-found passion.
“Surfing relates to business. Every surf brand needs some sort of financial management like understanding how much money you’re bringing in,” Mr Wright said.
“And having these connections abroad – it’s not about what you know, it’s about who you know,” Mr Holmstrom added. “This subject could lay down the path (to opportunities) at Quicksilver or Billabong.”
Assistant Professor and lead educator of Surf Industry Studies Dr Craig Sims said watching students stand on a board for the first time was one of “the most gratifying parts” of teaching.
The class also teaches key business knowledge and skills.
“Some of them might go and apply what they’ve learnt to the snow industry, rock climbing and other lifestyle and action sports because there is significant overlap in these subcultures,” Dr Sims said.
But it’s not just surfing the two international students have fallen in love with, but the Aussie lifestyle.
“We’re definitely going to miss the ocean, being able to wake up and just go to the beach,” Mr Holmstrom said.
“But also the culture – we love the people here. We love how Australian culture has opened our eyes to something we’ve never seen before.”