For those who’ve never experienced the magic of New England surf, the coast of Maine may seem an unlikely origin for a wave engineer.
But for Elise McCormack, Technical Lead at Endless Surf, rugged Northeast beaches were the perfect place to find a passion for surfing – and fluid dynamics. She earned her B.A. in Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) before heading west to work for Joby Aviation and Kelly Slater Wave Company.
In this Q&A, she shares what led her to work on wave technology, what a typical day might entail, and advice for other women entering the field.
Endless Surf Engineer Elise McCormack Do Exactly, And How Did She Get Here?
What was it like being a surfer in New England? Where did you surf, and how would you describe it?
I grew up on the coast of southern Maine, about an hour and a half from Boston, and can confidently say it’s the best surfing in that area. The water is cold, but that keeps the crowds down and, to me, is a much more peaceful surfing experience than surfing other, more crowded, breaks. You’ll always have plenty of waves to yourself, nobody dropping in, nobody in the way, maybe that’s why I love wave pools so much too.
Does your family surf? Is it a big part of your community where you grew up or still a niche pursuit?
I was the first person in my family to start surfing, but it wasn’t long before my little brother started as well. Now some of my favorite memories are us surfing together. When I was younger, surfing was still pretty niche where I’m from, so much so that I pretty much got into it by accident. When I was in high school, I started working at a surf and bike shop called Wheels N Waves in my hometown, but as a bike mechanic, not as a surfer. The owners there, Vic and Bob, were so animated about surfing that it was infectious, and before long, I was itching to try. They let me borrow boards, taught me everything I wanted to know about surfing, and were always incredibly kind to me. They were a huge inspiration to me to get into the surf industry.
What drew you to fluid dynamics and engineering? What’s your first memory of being engaged with thinking like an engineer?
I’ve always had a propensity for math and science, but it wasn’t until a middle school technology class that I decided I wanted to be an engineer. We designed and built model dragsters for racing and I remember being so fascinated by the aerodynamics and trying to maximize performance. This was what first introduced me to fluid dynamics and this passion has blossomed quite naturally since then.
Growing up by the ocean my interest in waves and how they work has been around as long as I can remember. Fluid dynamics has just given me the tools to explore this fascination and surfing has given me a way to experience the science firsthand.
What was your first experience with surf parks and artificial waves? What was your initial reaction – and what made you want to work in that industry?
I started surfing in my early teens, but it wasn’t until I started working in the industry that I actually got to surf in a wave pool. I worked at the surf shop through high school and college, around the time when a lot of modern artificial waves were being developed and unveiled to the public. I remember my coworkers and I marveling at videos of surfers in wave pools, but in a lot of ways, it was an unattainable technology, reserved for more skilled and wealthier surfers.
This is one of the reasons I decided to get into the industry and why I am so excited by the Endless Surf technology. I think most of the team would agree that one of the most fulfilling parts of our job is bringing the joy of surfing to those who may otherwise not have experienced it. We are making the sport more accessible and creating waves for everybody.
What’s the most intriguing problem you try to solve in your role? What makes it challenging – and rewarding?
Fully understanding how water moves and interacts is one of those forever problems that will always be interesting to me. There are so many variables and behavioral phenomena that, even with advanced technology and understanding, it still sometimes feels a bit like magic.
The challenging part of studying this is that you are limited by technology and time. It’s not possible to know the behavior of every molecule, at every time, with every small variable change. We have to make assumptions, use different tools, and have prior understanding to know what to look for to get a clear enough picture of what’s going on. This is also what makes it exciting. Knowing everything would, I think, make the magic go away.
What would one of those variables be, and how do you study it?
There are so many, but one that is a pillar of fluid dynamics is solid body interaction. You can imagine that anything that interfaces with the water will have an effect on its flow, so things like walls, barriers, or the bottom of the lagoon.
Changing the geometry of these things even slightly has an effect on the wave that is formed. We can look at these effects with several tools, one of the most common being computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software which models the behavior of the water by calculating mathematical equations for fluid motion over and over again. We also use knowledge we have about how waves are formed and break from observations made in the ocean and in our current surf parks.
Could you describe a typical day in your life, and your job – from the mundane, like commuting, to the things you’re working on and testing your own waves?
My typical day really depends on where I am in the world and what season it is. I try to keep things novel because I get quite bored with routine. That being said, if I’m near an ocean, I’m certainly surfing every day. At work, too, I’m lucky to have quite a bit of variety. At Endless Surf, we are quite dedicated to research and development, so there are always plenty of ideas to test and progress to explore. We are also fortunate enough to have quite a few projects in development so it keeps things interesting, jumping between supporting each one.
To that end, what’s the most challenging part of your work? What’s the best part – is there a moment or experience that encapsulates each?
I think it can sometimes be difficult to work in such a small industry, there are only a handful of companies, and fewer still whose wave technology I believe in the longevity and performance of. I’m lucky to have found my space at Endless Surf, where the team is as excellent as the waves we make. I think the best part of working in the industry is getting to see how happy people are experiencing something I helped create.
There have been times in my career that I have felt guilty about not going into a field where I am helping people more directly. Seeing the smiles of people enjoying our work so thoroughly reminds me that giving happiness is helping too.
What advice would you give to someone (and, perhaps, girls and women) who wants to work in the surf park industry?
The surf park industry is difficult for anyone to break into, but so is any specialized industry. I think if you have a passion for something, you should go after it. It might be hard, but it will be harder working a job that leaves you unfulfilled. Better to at least say you tried.
For women specifically, pursuing work in the surf park industry, engineering, or any male-dominated field, we unfortunately face obstacles our counterparts will not. My best advice is to find a good team and company that values and protects you; in my experience, it is paramount to your happiness more than the work itself. If in doubt, apply to ES.
How do you see the wave pool and surf park business evolving in the next few years? What’s needed, what’s changing? What are the challenges and opportunities?
Surf parks have been around for a long time but the progress in the past decade or two has been insane. The variability in waves Endless Surf offers is already something surfers love and we are only improving on this. It’s not just waves for all surfing levels, though we do pride ourselves on this too, it’s multiple types of waves for each level and well-thought-out, quality waves. It combines the benefits of a wave pool experience, like repetition, with the ocean experience of having so many different types of waves to practice on. In my opinion, the surfing improvements someone makes on our waves most directly translate to improvements in their ocean surfing.
