Marshfield High School’s Outdoor Club provides students with a great opportunity to explore nature and the outdoors. From surfing in local areas to ski trips in the Willamette, the outdoor club stays active. The club first emerged at MHS sometime in 2006, under the tutelage of teacher and avid surfer Mark Lorincz. However, it phased out around the pandemic and was restarted in 2019 under the guidance of school counselor Chelsea Burns. As the adviser, Burns tries her best to get kids to fall in love with nature all over again.
“I’ve been a part of the outdoor club since January of 2019,” Burns said.
When it first began, Lorincz primarily had it as a ski club, and a three-sport club, focusing on skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, and surfing.
“The whole point was to show kids how many fun outdoor things there are to do in the Coos Bay area,” said Lorincz. “And to give kids an opportunity that normally wouldn’t have the chance. We had some great, great trips.”
The club takes multiple trips throughout the school year. These activities give students an outdoor adventure to do something active in the outdoors, and possibly even learn a new skill. There’s a wide range of activities that they participate in, from snowboarding to surfing, skiing to rafting. Some students come into the club with some experience, but some have never been in the snow or been on a surfboard in their lives.
“So future plans for the club: typically in the spring we go surfing a few times at Sunset Bay, and we also try and get a raft trip at the end of the year,” Burns said.
In the past, surfing has also taken place at Bastendorff beach. Rafting adventures have taken place on the Rogue River in recent years, but the upper Umpqua River also boasts exciting whitewater rafting. Even if a student is a novice, they may still join the club. All of the students that are active in the MHS outdoor club are unique, but one thing they all have in common is that they love being outside.
”I think the big thing with outdoor club is it’s really an opportunity for students whether they know how to ski or snowboard,” Burns said
The outdoor club helps students explore Oregon’s luscious climate while still being able to make friends and bond with fellow students that have similar interests. This club helps teens find hobbies that can stick with them their whole life. They gain a sense of independence and self-reliance through the sports, activities, and friendships they make. Through the club, they can find their place of belonging and comfort.
“I think I joined it my freshman year,” said now-junior Ada Mahaffy. “It’s a really fun way to get to know people who like going outside. They’re really supportive and good at helping, even if you don’t know how to do some of the activities.”
