Ty Roach has done it all in his career here at N.C. State. Since Roach’s acceptance into the University he has triple majored, double minored, wrestled on the varsity squad, run for student body president, and maintained a 4.0 grade point average through it all. One recent success for Roach, however, has proved to be a major turning point in Roach’s life and he hopes it will have a positive impact on the N.C. State community.

Last year, Roach decided to dedicate a large amount of time to something he has loved to do since childhood: surfing.

After surfing his way through the Eastern Surfing Association’s qualifying event, he earned a spot to compete in nationals. Roach’s winning ways continued as he placed first in the longboard division of the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association’s surfing championships in Huntington Beach, C.A. in August 2008.

This recent success left Roach with the decision to either go ahead with medical school or to continue to surf competitively at the professional level. Roach chose to follow his passion.

“This is the main reason that I am not going to finish my third major,” Roach said.

“I have a pro contest down in Florida that I will be leaving for April 7 and I’ll leave from there to go to Puerto Rico for a week.”

Roach also decided to put wrestling on the back burner for a while. However, he feels that his training as a wrestler has been very beneficial to his success as a surfer.

“You know, if you’re in shape for wrestling, you’re in shape for just about anything,” he said.

Although Roach is in wrestling shape, he said he must now focus his workouts more on surfing-specific exercises. Roach concentrates mostly on balance training, core strength, rotational motion workouts, and swimming and paddling exercises.

“Everyone thinks of surfing as riding the wave, but as far as competitive surfing goes, paddling is huge,” Roach said. “That is how you get position and establish dominance in the water.”

Physical workouts are not the only thing Roach has to focus on to establish himself in the surfing world. He must also acquire sponsorships that help him with the equipment and expenses that are required to compete.

One of Roach’s sponsors, Bobby Webb, owner of Action Surf Shop and Surf Boards, has been with Roach since the beginning of his competitive surfing career.

“There is a very two-way relationship between surfer and shaper,” Roach said. “He shapes me a board. I ride it, tell him what I do and don’t like about it, and he takes that, shapes me another board that might be a little better and the process starts all over.”

In light of Roach’s success, Webb will be introducing a new line of boards called the Roach model.

“I think this is one of the best things that could happen,” Andrew Stroupe, a senior in agricultural business management, said. “If someone sees his name on that board, they think that maybe they could get their name on that, and want to get better.”

Roach hopes his success will bring surfing to the forefront of the athletic world in a University and region where it is not nearly as popular as it is in other regions.

“You tell guys you’re from Atlantic Beach, N.C. and it is not an instant respect thing,” Roach said. “When you see someone coming from the east coast it is almost like a mystery. They could be really good or not so great.”

Kelly Nicely, a 2006 graduate of N.C. State and lifelong competitive surfing friend of Roach, agreed with Roach about the lack of popularity in the area.

“N.C. State is kind of far from the ocean, but I think what we are doing will encourage people from State to surf.”

Both Roach and Nicely challenged State students to learn about surfing through activities such as the surfing club.