Meet the Beach

Wrap-up welcome week with the sixth annual campus-wide event that will feature UCSD’s Recreation, FitLife and surfing dogs.

Just thinking about switching your alarm to 6:30 a.m. makes you want to engage in some serious Kim Kardashian ugly cry sessions. But before you sing the schoolyear blues, head out to Scripps Beach this Saturday, Sept. 28 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. to enjoy the last bit of summertime madness at UCSD Recreation’s Sixth Annual Meet the Beach.

Meet the Beach offers a perfect opportunity for freshman and transfer students to meet new their peers within the UCSD community, all while enjoying a wide variety of beach games, activities and live entertainment — all for free.

Arriving and leaving at the beach is made easy, with an all-day shuttle service that goes to and from campus. The first shuttle is set to depart from Sun God Lawn at 10:30 a.m., and the last shuttle will leave the beach at 5 p.m.

The activities at Meet the Beach are representative of the fact that UCSD Recreation is divided into branches, each of which provides students a unique way to have fun and stay active.

Meet the Beach-goers can team up with FitLife and intramural sports in a host of athletic activities — among them sand soccer, volleyball and Zumba — that will surely have people working up a sweat.

Afterward, students can get some much-needed relaxation by signing up and attending FitLife’s 10-minute chair massage sessions, as well as taking part in calming doses of yoga throughout the day.

Students can also try out UCSD Recreation classes: Meet the Beach provides surf lessons, kayaking and snorkeling. Those who crave outdoor adventure can take guided tours of the Scripps Pier, the tide pools and the Scripps Aquarium.

Not only will students dance to the thumping beats of an onsite DJ — they can also look out towards the waves for quality entertainment. Two talented bulldogs, Dozer and Kalani, will ride the waves on their surfboards during the ever-popular Surfing Dogs Exhibition.

You can even take a picture with the surfer dogs after they get out of the water.

Giveaways and free prizes will be given out all day, starting with UCSD Recreation beach towels, which are given out to the first 2,000 students who arrive.

For those who have a Facebook or an Instagram, Recreation is also going to give out two $50 gift cards to upload the best-looking photos (don’t forget to add the hashtag #meetthebeach).

So grab your roommates, friends and coworkers and ring in the new school year with one last day of fun in the sun before the quarter gets rolling.