With only 20 minutes to get from her last class to the boarding department to change and also rush to the field hockey fields for practice, one might imagine that freshman Anesu would be pressed for time. Not so. What she lacks in time, she makes in speed. Anesu, the goalie for the 2011 junior varsity field hockey season, longboards down to the fields.

A variation of the skateboard, the longboard is best described as a surfboard on wheels. As evidenced by the name, the longboard is significantly longer than the skateboard and is designed for downhill boarding.

Starting skate boarding at the age of 8, Anesu has loved transitioning to longboarding for the past two years and only recently believes to have mastered the craft after years of scrapped knees.

“I’ve been longboarding ever since I was little and tried my friend’s,” Anesu said. “I instantly fell in love.”

“I really only started to do it because I was lazy, and was tired of the trekking back and forth. I dreaded walking all the way down to the fields with the bag, so I went with my gut, took the goalie bag in one hand and somehow managed to make it to practice alive,” Anesu joked.

“She’s just so fun to watch, we would all be getting ready to practice outside when Anesu would just casually longboard down to practice with all of her stuff like it was no big deal. It was pretty cool,” fellow teammate junior Ramie said.

Anesu became known for her ability to multitask throughout both the junior varsity and varsity teams when coming down to practice.

“I loved watching her come down! She had a system working for her and I was impressed–I mean I’ve carried that goalie bag before, it’s not light, and its honestly probably just as big as Anesu.” sophomore varsity field hockey player Meredith said.

Even though it took a lot of practice to balance on the longboard (and maintain her goalie bag), Anesu was able to learn quickly. Regretfully, she notes that none of the balance from long boarding transferred onto the field: “I really am quite clumsy on two feet.”

For those who seek an adrenaline rush on campus, Anesu recommends her two favorite spots on campus, the steep path leading away from the aerobics center toward the outdoor basketball hoops, and the path outside the Upper School that faces the fence.

As far as long boarding outside of campus, Anesu says that she enjoys boarding to the Kroger by her house, especially when she can board through the aisles. “When I walk down the aisles riding a massive 40 inch piece of wood people stare at me like I’m on the FBI’s most wanted list, and it’s really funny.”

-Molly