Many people know of UNC Wilmington’s club sports, such as soccer, tennis, baseball and rugby. However, many are unaware of some of the unique clubs the university offers, like the skimboarding club, the spearfishing club and the water ski team. With the 2000-01 school year underway, Campus Recreation is proud to say that there are sixteen active sports clubs. Although some are more established than others are, all of the clubs are looking to build their teams and hope to have very successful seasons.

Among the successful teams is women’s soccer club team. They just finished a triumphant season by beating UNC-Chapel Hill, their biggest competition. UNC-CH went to Nationals in the previous year, and the women’s soccer club team beat them 2-0.

They made it to the semi-finals of Clemson’s Socctoberfest tournament and finished in fourth place, their best tournament finish to date. The girls had so much response from prospect players, they had to hold try outs and are currently holding twenty-four girls on the team. They compete in the spring as well as the fall, so they keep themselves busy with games, as well as practices. Their dedication has paid off however; they hold an outstanding season record of seven wins, two losses and one tie.

The men’s club soccer team is currently in the rebuilding phase. Although they did not play any games this fall, they are anxiously awaiting the spring season to begin playing.Another team that has enjoyed a quite successful season is the men’s rugby team. The team plays in tournaments and championships throughout the fall and then follows a league schedule in the spring.

The team had a great fall season, winning third place in the state tournament and taking the cup championship at Ruktoberfest. Opponents included in the spring schedule are teams such as East Carolina University, North Carolina State University and UNC-Chapel Hill. The rugby team encourages individuals who would “like to get off their duff and give rugby a try” to come on out and have some fun. No experience is necessary.

Among the most popular clubs are the men and women’s Ultimate Frisbee teams. Every year Wilmington hosts the Collegiate Fall Championships Ultimate Frisbee Tournament, where 22 teams travel from around the country to come compete. Both teams were very successful in this year’s competition, sweeping all the visiting teams and winning the championship.

The women are currently second in the nation and are looking to become number one. The men’s team is 15th in the nation, and their goal is to rise to first in the region in the spring season. Both teams have done very well and are always looking for anyone with any athletic ability that is willing to learn how to play.

Also looking forward to a successful spring season is the Riptide, also known as club tennis. Both teams are just getting their feet wet in their first active season. They may be new, but they are looking to make a name for themselves by attending the national championships in Austin, Texas and playing some big name schools this spring. Currently, the Riptide has 14 people on the team including six girls and eight guys.

The Sailing Club team has been established for some time now and just finished their competitive season. The club has two different teams. One is the race team, and the other is for the more recreational sailors.

The competitive team competes in September against ten other teams at scheduled regattas, and the recreational team concentrates more on teaching people how to sail. They are always on the lookout for new faces to come learn how to sail or just enjoy being on the water.

The extreme club sports are becoming just as popular as the traditional club sports. The Surf club just got their start this past spring and has just received a sponsorship from Sweetwater Surf Shop. Although they are not competing now, they are working hard and hope to have some competitions at Wrightsville Beach in the future.

An extreme sports club that has really taken off is the Skim Club. They just got their start but are off to a great beginning. The team consists of six people now, but they are hopeful that a lot more people will come out in the spring. As of now, the club is just focusing on getting up and running, so they will be able to focus all of their attention on skimboarding when the weather warms up in the spring. However, this cold weather is not keeping these people out of the water. The Water-ski and Wakeboard team had quite a productive season this past fall. With great response from students, the team took a full vanload to the tournaments in the fall. Although it is a rebuilding year, the team is having a great time teaching people how to ski as well as improve their skills on the water. One of the contributing factors to the team’s success this year is the addition of wakeboarding.

Now when competing in tournaments, the team not only competes in the slalom, trick and jump competitions, but the newly added wakeboard competition as well. They are anxiously waiting for the spring to bring the warm weather so they can get back to practicing, as well as host their very first tournament here in Wilmington.

One of Wilmington’s most unique additions is the Spearfishing club, also known as the UNCW Neptunes. The club was founded in the beginning of the fall semester and is dedicated to free-dive spearfishing. The team holds fifteen active members and is sponsored by Aquatic Safaris, a local dive shop. They participate in year round dives, seminars on diverse marine subjects and occasional offshore dives.

With all of the newly added clubs, there is bound to be one for you. From soccer to spearfishing, Wilmington has it. If you have any interest in Wilmington club sports, please contact Campus Recreation for more information.