There’s a new activity on campus: Log rolling.
The sport started during the logging era in the 1800s as a way to keep rivers from jamming.
Log rolling competitions quickly grew in popularity and has made its way to universities throughout the country – and now USF St. Petersburg.
USFSP student TJ Broecker improves his speed and balance by participating in an individual round of log rolling, a water aquatics activity introduced by the Campus Recreation Aquatics Program.
The Campus Recreation Aquatic Program recently introduced the sport, which involves two participants, each on one end of a log, in a body of water. The competitors fight to stay on top by sprinting and kicking the log in attempt to cause their opponent to fall off.
Courtney Kraemer, USFSP’s Aquatic program coordinator, tried log rolling for the first time at the 2015 National Intramural Recreational Sport Association National Conference. She was instantly hooked.
Since then, Kraemer and Tam Mai, the program’s graduate assistant, have been committed to bringing log rolling to the Coquina swimming pool on campus for students to try it out.
Log rolling is a slippery activity that requires balance and speed. There’s a learning curve, but once the log-roller gets the hang of it, standing up becomes a little bit easier.
When there are only a few participants, the lifeguards help novice log-rollers by stabilizing the log so they have a better chance at hanging on.
“I think it’s a lot of fun and it offers a different workout,” said Autumn Hollowell, a a USFSP student and lifeguard at the swimming pool.
Lifeguards eagerly wait to teach students, faculty and visitors every Tuesday and Thursday from 11 a.m to 2 p.m and 4-7p.m.
The instructions start with the basics on how to mount the log and then (hopefully) stand up, the rest is all personal technique.
“(Log rolling) is a unique opportunity that many have yet to hear of which generates more intrigue,” Mai said. “Our log roll can also be used by individuals of all skill levels and requires no previous training or certifications. People may choose to compete against someone else or improve their skills alone.”
Some students have stopped by to check it out, but they still have yet to try it.
Ryanne Koerner, a freshmen in marine biology said she’s “never done it before, but it looks fun.”
