🍊 Campus Explorers
- Howard Xing
- Apr 9
- 2 min read
Where Curiosity Meets the Water
Across the Triangle region and the broader Mid-South, universities have always been places where curiosity begins.
Students arrive with questions about the world, eager to explore new ideas, technologies, and landscapes.
The Big Orange Campus Explorers initiative connects that spirit of curiosity with the lakes and waterways that surround many of these campuses.
Because exploration does not only happen in classrooms — sometimes it begins on the water.
Universities Surrounded by Water
Many universities in the region sit surprisingly close to beautiful lakes and rivers.
Within a short drive of campus, students can find places such as:
• Falls Lake
• Jordan Lake
• Lake Crabtree
• Lake Wheeler
• Kerr Lake
These waters offer calm environments where riders can learn the balance and rhythm of hydrofoil riding.
For many students, these lakes become a natural extension of campus life — places to relax, explore, and discover new skills outside the classroom.
A New Kind of Outdoor Curiosity
Hydrofoil riding attracts a special kind of curiosity.
Students quickly become fascinated by the combination of:
• balance and body control
• electric propulsion technology
• hydrofoil lift and fluid dynamics
• the quiet sensation of flying above water
For engineering students, it becomes a living physics experiment.
For outdoor clubs, it becomes a new adventure sport.
For everyone else, it becomes something simple and unforgettable:
the feeling of gliding silently above the lake.
Campus Clubs and Outdoor Communities
Many universities already have vibrant outdoor programs and clubs.
The Campus Explorers initiative welcomes students from:
• outdoor adventure clubs
• engineering communities
• environmental organizations
• sailing and paddling groups
• student recreation programs
By connecting these communities with local lakes, Big Orange helps create opportunities for students to experience water exploration in a safe and welcoming environment.
From Students to Route Surveyors
Some of the most enthusiastic explorers often come from university communities.
Students bring:
• curiosity
• creativity
• energy
• a willingness to try something new
Many of them quickly develop the skills needed to become part of Big Orange’s Route Surveyor culture, helping explore new lakes and waterways throughout the region.
Today’s campus explorer may become tomorrow’s exploration leader.
Exploration Begins with Curiosity
At Big Orange, exploration starts with a simple question.
“What would it feel like to fly above the water?”
For many students, that curiosity leads to their first ride.
And that first ride often becomes the beginning of a lifelong connection with lakes, rivers, and outdoor exploration.
Students, alumni, and university communities are always welcome to join the Big Orange exploration network.
Because sometimes the most exciting discoveries happen just beyond campus — out on the water.
Explore the Big Orange Exploration Network
The Big Orange Exploration Network connects riders, communities, campuses, innovators, and waterfront partners across the lakes of the American Mid-South.
Learn more:
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