It is certainly "surf's up" for a small group of students at University Park.

In the middle of Pennsylvania, miles away for the nearest ocean, lives a club with a passion for surfing.

Mastermind and president of the surf club is Kris Shinn (junior-landscape contracting).

Shinn has had a passion for surfing for a long time. He estimates that he has been surfing for 10 years and got the club going after he transferred to Penn State.

"I was at the University of Rhode Island and was in the club there and thought it was a really cool idea," Shinn said.

"There was already a surf club when I got here, but there was no president."

He then decided to take over the club at the end last year, and this fall, he got it started up again.

Shinn says there are about 15-20 members in the club. Like most clubs at Penn State the membership is small, so it is easy to fit in.

The purpose of the club is to discuss trips and competitions, watch surfing videos, and overall just hang out and discuss their love for the sport. They dream of catching waves.

The club's vice president, Ryan Curtin (junior-English), said he joined the club in the fall.

He iterated the club is small, but that they have a lot of fun. A big moment is coming up, as the club is getting ready for its first trip.

During spring break, the members plan to go to Hatteras, N.C., to get in some surfing.

"We are excited to get the trip together as a group for the first time," Curtin said.

The surf club is sponsored by Eastern Lines, Kaos Surfboards, and Kona Sports.

"We are a pretty successful and professional club," Dave Young (sophomore- meteorology) said.

Young is a fairly active member, as he has been an integral part of getting the club some popularity.

He has designed the logo and created its Web site, www.clubs.psu.edu/ up/surf.

Everyone in the club got T-shirts, bearing the logo he created.

"Next year, we hope to get to the beach more and become more organized than we were this year," he said.

While it hopes to get more trips and surfing in coming years, the club itself is all about having a good time.

The club meets every Tuesday at 7:30 pm in 316 Willard Building. Shinn encourages people to come out to the meetings.

"We are a bunch of surfers trying to get to the beach," Shinn said about the group. "Come out and join us in our interest."