Surfer Callan Emery on a wave. Courtesy of Callan Emery.

The sun begins to wake on the warm southwest coast of California with a slight offshore breeze as surfer Callan Emery pulls into a barrel. From ripping the waves in Dana Point to joining the UC Santa Barbara surf team, this impressive 20-year-old surfer ranked second at the National Scholastic Surfing Association’s 2026 Interscholastic State Championships and is ranked 79th in the North American Regional Rankings. Yet for Emery, surfing has never just been about the numbers. 

His relationship with the ocean started early, growing up in Dana Point, California, where consistent swells made daily sessions less of a habit and more a way of life. That dedication hasn’t faded. Even now, his training week looks much the same — get in the water whenever possible, which for Emery is almost daily. On flat days, he shifts to the gym, and when midterms hit, he adjusts without losing momentum, fitting surf sessions in between study blocks rather than giving them up entirely. 

Santa Barbara tested his routine in ways Dana Point never did. The waves are less predictable and the swells are more seasonal, due to the Channel Islands’ location, which block most of the swells in the summer and spring.

“A lot of the time, we have to drive 30 minutes to an hour to find waves during flat spells and small days,” Emery said. 

Whenever a good wave forecast rolls in, Santa Barbara’s point breaks draw a crowd fast, which Emery notes has caused “certain spots to be very crowded when there’s swell.”Still, he has found his place. His go-to surf spot is Campus Point. 

“Ever since freshman year, it’s been so fun going there and surfing with my friends who live in Santa Cruz dorms,” Emery said. “We thought it was so cool how we could hang out in their room and walk to go surf good waves.” 

The surf culture rooted in his childhood has been rebuilt here at UCSB. That sense of belonging has never confined him to one coastline. Surfing has taken Emery to places like Australia and Bali, or even up the California coast. Everywhere he has gone, the sport has given him community. No matter the difference in countries and background, the shared language of the sport bridges the gap instantly.

“My favorite thing about surfing is how it has connected me to so many different people. Everywhere I’ve gone, surfing has helped me meet so many new friends,” Emery said. “Whether it’s moving to school, taking trips to places like Australia and Bali, or even road tripping up the coast, surfing has been a core reason I meet new people.” 

Managing competition alongside schoolwork can easily feel like a burden, but Emery reframes his approach. Surfing has helped him become organized and he finds it “fun to work around.” Knowing there is a contest a certain weekend pushes him to prepare by studying the week before so that he doesn’t have to “worry about it during the competition.”  It’s a discipline that comes naturally to him, as he used to have 6 a.m. practices twice a week in high school. College has given him more freedom, allowing him to swap rigid schedules with the ability to pick and choose his events, and he has embraced it. 

That same sense of connection carried into competition at the National Scholastic Surfing Association’s (NSSA) 2026 Interscholastic State Championships. Going into his final heat, Emery had already secured his placement, which lifted the weight off his shoulders.

 “Obviously, I wanted to win, but it allowed me to surf much more freely and try tricks I probably wouldn’t have in earlier rounds,” he said. 

With friends rather than strangers sharing the lineup, the heat barely felt like a contest at all. For Emery, the opportunity to surf with and against his buddies has only heightened his enjoyment of the sport.

“It almost didn’t even seem like we were in a contest — more just like free surfing,” he said. 

The results still stung. He finished second, losing in the final moments to his friend David O’Keefe. 

“It did sting,” Emery said. “But the guy who won is my friend, so I was happy for him.” 

He didn’t dwell long on the results and his focus has already shifted to the NSSA’s National Championships in June, where he’s determined to improve his results, 

But placing first has never been the whole story. For Emery, the ocean isn’t a place to compete, it’s where he’s found his people, his focus and himself. That, more than any ranking, is what keeps him coming back.