Cal Guard Logan Alters: World Traveler

This past spring, Cal freshman guard Logan Alters took an epic trip to Machu Picchu, catching some waves and getting to see one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Alters was nice enough to share his experiences with GoldenBearReport.com, giving us a taste of his South American adventure.

When he’s not getting up shots or lifting weights, Alters likes to travel the world and surf. Peru has been atop of his list of destinations to check out both for its surfing and beautiful landscape. When the opportunity to check it out with his best friend arose, Alters knew it was an opportunity he could not pass up.

“Yes, I have traveled to a few countries in Asia and in South Africa,” Alters said. “Usually my trips revolve around surfing. My father and I travel to find the best waves. “Peru has always been a place I wanted to visit. Not only does the northern region have the longest continuous wave in the world, but Machu Picchu has always been on the top of my list to explore. I had the opportunity to bring my best friend, who has never left the country before, which made the experience even more memorable. When we were in middle school, I taught him how to surf and ever since then we would try to surf whenever there were good waves in Miami (which isn’t often).

“He leaves for Boston College to play football, the same time I leave to Cal. So, I don’t know when I will see him again. We couldn’t ask for a better way to close this chapter of our lives, surfing the longest wave in the world and exploring one of the New Seven Wonders of the World together.”

Out of all the places that he has been to, Alters feels that Machu Picchu is the most extraordinary. Something about its remoteness, history, and mountainous landscape captivated him unlike any other place he’s been.

“Machu Picchu is the most extraordinary place I’ve ever been to,” Alters said. “After a 3-hour train ride from Cusco, we arrived at the base of Machu Picchu called Aguas Calientes. My immediate reaction was that the scenery was taken right out of Jurassic Park. The geography was unlike anything I’ve seen before. Essentially untouched by humans, I was in awe while I looked around.

“The bus station at the base is about 4000 feet below Machu Picchu itself. After a 20 minute drive up a winding road on the side of a mountain, we were dropped off at the entrance. My dad, Zay, my friend from Australia, and I were astonished by how high up it was.

“The amount of time to hike up and down to migrate and get supplies must have taken years, even decades for tasks to be completed. Each rock was cut perfectly by hand. Some structures had no mortar or anything holding them together. The Inca’s sense of direction was amazing. They had specific rocks carved to represent the compass. Lastly, I cannot believe that it only took 100 years to build this amazing place. It must have been longer. It truly was an out of this world experience.”

While basketball is the sport he’s playing in college, Alters also has a passion for surfing. Ever since he caught his first wave at the age of four, he was hooked.

“I was four years old when I rode my first wave and haven’t looked back since,” Alters said. “My dad was a high school All-American water polo player and essentially has lived in the water his whole life. He has been surfing for 35 years and when he thought I was of age he slowly taught me what he knew about surfing.”

Even though surfing takes places in an ocean instead of a gymnasium, there’s a lot of skills it teaches that transfer over to the basketball court. Alters feels that his hours spent in the waves has made him a better basketball player and all-around athlete.

“Yes of course,” Alters said when asked if anything transfers over. “The core strength needed to stabilize myself while performing maneuvers on a wave is a big help. It is so hard to explain the balance needed to surf. First of all, while paddling I need to stabilize my body so I don’t tip over into the water. Then when I pop up on a wave within a second, on a board that weighs a pound, and is shorter than me while looking down at a 90 degree angle drop, I always forget how hard it is to maintain a position under high speeds and heavy water coming down on me. That balance translates to my defensive end and when I penetrate on bigger opponents than me.

“Also, the upper body strength needed to paddle is actually a big help when it comes to shooting. My deltoids and triceps are the focus when it comes to padding. And when I surf it is not just for a couple of hours. When I go on surf trips, I surf 7-8 hours a day for however many days I’m there. The thing that is overlooked in surfing is the endurance and stamina that transfers over to basketball. When I wore a tracker for a day to see the amount of ocean I cover in a surf session, I padded 3 miles in just one day. And that was a light day compared to the other days that trip. By the end of each day my triceps are in a full cramp after each paddle.

“Lastly is the breathing techniques and my mental mindset when I am caught in a bad situation. For example, a couple times in a trip when the waves are a solid size, about 12-15ft, I may get caught by a big set and I was not far out enough. So, in the process of getting pushed towards shore 400 yards away, the initial hold under time is about 15 seconds with 2 or 3 seconds of a break at the surface until I get pushed under again like I’m in an aggressive washing machine.”

While there is a lot that surfing has helped Alters with from a physical standpoint, it’s the mental side that he feels is most important. Surfing requires a tremendous amount of concentration and focus. When you get knocked down by a wave, your only option is to get back up and try again. It's a lesson that Alters has done his best to apply to the basketball court and to all areas of his life.

“Being at the brink of giving up and going back to shore or fighting through it and making my way back out, the mental aspect really kicks in here,” Alters said. “This is what I think is the thing that translates the most from surfing to basketball. Surfing has trained my mind to look at what’s right in front of me and forget about the past. If I think about how long I’ve been held under and how far I’ve been pushed from my original spot, it’s almost innate to give up at this point.

“It is the same thing with basketball. If I’m on a cold streak with my shooting or have had a couple turnovers, I resort to what I trained myself to do, which is not dwell in the past but rather look ahead to what I can do better in the next opportunity. Yes, it seems a little far-fetched, but not to me.”

As for how he’s feeling about the upcoming season, Alters is very excited. He’s impressed with the whole coaching staff and feels confident in the trajectory of the program. After a life changing trip, he’s ready to get to work with the rest of his Golden Bear teammates:

“I’m ecstatic right now. I am very excited for this season. The whole staff is great and very professional. I am very impressed with how they run the program. Today was my first day that I worked out with the team and it only made me more excited for this season. To finally work out with some of the team and break the ice felt great.”