Chloe Coleman, the secretary and a competitor of the San Diego State Surf Club team, experienced her rookie year on the World Surf League (WSL) 2024 Longboard Tour.
She was introduced to surfing at age 4 when her father would paddle out with her in their small hometown of Montauk, New York.
Now, at 19, her passion for the sport is stronger than ever.
Coleman concluded her rookie season at the Abu Dhabi Longboard Classic in Sept., where she was a part of the first group to surf at Surf Abu Dhabi, the latest version of Kelly Slater’s wave pool design.
This event was the third stop on the Longboard Tour, leaving only the finals in El Salvador. The first two stops were at Bells Beach, Australia, and Huntington Beach, California. She placed 9th in both.
“I didn’t think this would ever be my life,” Coleman said.
For her, surfing has always been about having fun. Growing up, she entered club contests simply to hang out with friends, not necessarily for the competition aspect.
A few years ago, she thought, “Maybe I’ll just do a QS. Yeah, let’s try a QS.”
The Qualifying Series (QS) is the entry-level tier of the longboard competition, consisting of two events per series.
Coleman did not qualify in her first QS attempt, but she didn’t allow that to diminish her passion. This year, she decided to give it another go, finishing second in the first event and winning the second, earning her place on the tour.
“I was like, wait, I’m on the tour. That’s so crazy. I didn’t even think that was possible,” Coleman said, reminiscing on her victory at the Coastal Edge Steel Pier Classic.
This year was transformative for Coleman. Her hard work led to opportunities to travel to and surf at destinations she had always dreamed of, and she formed bonds with other surfers who have become a second family to her.
Now that her 2024 WSL experience has wrapped up, she’s diving straight into the National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA) season, competing for SDSU’s highly competitive surf club team.
“I love the surf team- everyone is the best and so down to earth, and just so fun to be around,” she said while reflecting on her decision to join freshman year.
Coleman is most excited about the competition in Santa Cruz this season. She said that the Santa Cruz weekend is typically a lot of fun because the entire team travels together and noted that teams tend to interact more during this event. She is excited about making those connections.
“Plus that wave is fun to surf,” Coleman added.
When she isn’t in the water, you can find her on a hike, hanging out with friends at the beach, drinking matcha, or working towards a degree.
Coleman is studying sustainable tourism at SDSU. She isn’t locked into a specific career path yet, as she has several interests, including roles in surf hotels or parks.
“I just want to travel and be outside and in the environment and just help out as much as I can. And that’s why I picked it,” she said.
To prepare for upcoming events, Coleman plans to surf and work out as much as possible to be the best version of herself in the water.
“Honestly, I’m not very hard on myself,” she said. “I just try to surf and have fun with my friends and then just work out to help me stay in shape for all of that.”
She highlighted her brother’s impact on her surfing, noting that his competitiveness and support have helped her grow and push her limits.
You can watch Chloe Colemam surf next at the first NSSA competition of the season at Black’s Beach on Oct. 26-27.
